Potsdamer Platz

The square developed around the gate at the west end of Leipziger Strasse. The open ground first served military drills and parades; five roads and paths later met west of the gate in a star-shaped junction. After reunification, extensive redevelopment reshaped the district.

1. 1685The square’s early history is linked to the Edict of Potsdam, which allowed religious refugees to settle in Brandenburg-Prussia.
2. 1824Two classical gatehouses designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel replaced the old city gate.
3. 1831On 8 July, the square took its present name as villas began spreading outside Potsdam Gate.
4. 1838The first Potsdamer Bahnhof opened as the terminus of the Berlin–Potsdam railway.
5. 1882Berlin’s first electric street lighting began operating here, with 36 arc lamps.