Old Market

Until it was destroyed in the Second World War, the Alter Markt, or Old Market, was the historical centre of Potsdam. This area stretching along the River Havel was where the origins of the city were to be found. The magnificent Old Town Hall in front of you now was also razed in April 1945. It was rebuilt in the 1960s and is now used as a house of culture. The original building was built in the mid-18th-century on the instructions of Frederick the Great. It was modelled on plans from the 16th century by the famous Renaissance master builder Andrea Palladio. At present both the Old Town Hall and the adjacent Knobelsdorff House dating from around 1750 are being renovated. In the near future they will form the “Forum for Art and History” and be used to display exhibitions from Potsdam Museum...