October 5, 2025, 11 AM 
October 12, 2025, 11 AM

This tour of Potsdam’s city center lasts approximately two hours and begins with a brief detour to visit the exhibition Wohnkomplex: Art and Life in Plattenbau.

As we cross the Lange Brücke bridge, we are greeted by a striking high-rise hotel in the city center, formerly the “Interhotel Potsdam.” Since 1969, this building has posed a striking contrast with the nearby Nikolaikirche church and continues to shape the city’s skyline to this day.

At the Old Market Square—the historic heart of Potsdam—it is clear how much the face of the city has changed in recent decades. Behind the reconstructed facades lies the “Zentrum Süd,” which was built in the 1960s as the first inner-city residential complex for thousands of Potsdam residents.

During the GDR era, Breite Straße was expanded into a socialist thoroughfare. At the former data processing center, the landmark-protected mosaic Man Conquers the Cosmos reflects the belief in progress at that time. Today, the building is known as the “Rechenzentrum” [computer center]—a lively place for art and creativity, which also serves as a focal point in the discussion about how to deal with GDR architecture.

The tour concludes at the former residential complex on Neustädter Havelbucht, which was completed in the 1980s. The high-rise buildings and residential blocks form an attractive residential area that is both urban and embedded in the natural environment.

Note: The guide Holger Raschke was born in Potsdam and has been working as a tour guide since 2017, specializing in recent history.