Sports

Sport in Potsdam can look back on a long history. As early as May 3, 1883 rowing exited students from Potsdam who founded the rowing club RC ‘Vineta’ – this was the birth of rowing in Potsdam.

If you hear the name Potsdam, you think first of the city of palaces and parks, of Prussian traditions and virtues as well as of its wooded and lake-dotted surroundings. But Potsdam is also defined as a city of sports. The outstanding achievements of many Potsdam athletes at the national and international level and athletic events in more than 158 sports clubs are lasting evidence of this.

Potsdam has long had a good reputation beyond its borders as a home for sport due to the different initiatives and activities of the 158 sport clubs of the state capital Potsdam with more than 27,700 members. Potsdam can point to a variety of sports events. Events that have already become great traditions as well as successful one-time events give Potsdam’s citizens and sports fans from near and far many opportunities to do something for their health, to participate in sports or to experience top performances.

Since 1960 there have been no Olympic Games – except of course the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 – without athletes from Potsdam.

The center of competitive sports is the sports complex ‘Luftschiffhafen’. Today this unique sports area is the location of the Olympic center and the sports school ‘Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn’, where quite a few successful athletes started their careers. The name Potsdam is still associated with two world records in athletics. The former pupil Uwe Hohn is the only athlete in the world who has thrown the javelin more than 100 meters. And the stadium Luftschiffhafen is the competition site where, in September 1988, Petra Felk threw her javelin more than 80 meters, the only woman ever to do so.

For many years sport has been an important partner in fighting xenophobia and in helping to increase tolerance towards people of other nationalities. Many events specifically emphasize integration through sport and serve as an example of tolerance and respectful social interaction.