1989 – A new beginning

The peaceful revolution in the GDR also took hold in Potsdam. The citizens of the ‘City of Industry’ and the ‘Socialist District Capital’ demonstrated in November 1989 for democratic aims. The new leadership of the politburo announced the opening of the border to the Federal Republic of Germany on November 9, 1989. The Glienicke Bridge has been open again in both directions for the citizens of Potsdam since December 1989.

With German reunification in 1990, Potsdam became the capital of the newly created State of Brandenburg. The Brandenburg Landtag (the parliament) and the government of the State of Brandenburg have their seats here.

Since then, much has happened. The UNESCO inscribed the palaces and gardens of Potsdam on the World Heritage List in 1990. This was  the result of a prior joint application by both German states. In April 1991 a re-creation modelled after the glockenspiel of the Garrison Church was dedicated at the Garrison plantation. The sarcophagus of Frederick the Great was interred on the terrace of Sanssouci Palace on the occasion of the 205th anniversary of his death. The mortal remains of his father, Frederick William I, were interred in the mausoleum at the Church of Peace.

The millennium celebration in 1993 brought Potsdam a significant cultural, political and economic boom. In that year, the districts Eiche and Grube also became part  of the state capital of Brandenburg. In 2001 Potsdam hosted the National German Horticulture Exhibition (BuGa). Since 2003 the districts Marquardt, Uetz-Paaren, Fahrland, Neu Fahrland Satzkorn, Golm and Groß Glienicke have been a part of Potsdam. And so the town has increased in size and in beauty.