Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam)

The Brandenburg Gate (Deutsch. Brandenburger Tor) on the Luisenplatz in Potsdam, not to be confused with the gate of the same name on Berlin's Pariser Platz, was built in 1770/71 by Carl von Gontard and Georg Christian Unger by order of Frederick II of Prussia. It stands at the western end of Brandenburger Straße, which runs in a straight line up to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Previously, from 1733, there was another, simpler gate on the same spot, which resembled a castle gateway. Together with the city wall, a form of toll or excise barrier, and the other gates it was intended to prevent desertion and smuggling.

Towards the end of the Seven Years' War, Frederick the Great had the old gate demolished and built, in its stead, this new Brandenburg Gate, as a symbol of his victory. For that reason the Brandenburg Gate resembles a Roman triumphal arch. Its prototype was the Arch of Constantine in Rome. The Roman influence of its architectural style can be seen, for example, in the double columns of Corinthian order as well as the design of the attic.

A feature of the Brandenburg Gate is that it has two completely different sides, designed by two architects. Carl von Gontard designed the city side, his pupil, Georg Christian Unger, the field or countryside-facing side. Gontard made the city side as a rendered facade with Corinthian-style lesenes and trophies, Unger designed the field site in the style of the Arch of Constantine with Corinthian double-columns and ornamentation like the golden trumpets. The two side entrances for pedestrians were not added until 1843, under Frederick William IV, in order to cope with the increase in pedestrian traffic.

At that time people had to pass the Brandenburg Gate if they wanted to make their way to the town of Brandenburg, hence the name. The gate leads walkers into the city centre pedestrian zone of Brandenburger Straße in an easterly direction up to priory church of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Since the city wall was demolished around 1900 the Brandenburg Gate has been a free-standing structure.

Source

  • Paul Sigel, Silke Dähmlow, Frank Seehausen und Lucas Elmenhorst, Architekturführer Potsdam, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-496-01325-7.
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Cenker Köse
2 June 2016
Do not miss to see the old mechanical clock behind the Tor. It sounds like a music box on every hour and amazing while watching the Tor with that music!
Denis Flores
29 October 2018
Nice gate, smaller than in Berlin but this is older
Vag Ma
1 January 2018
As of 12/2017 it is under restoration and completely covered.
Vicente Martinez
26 November 2018
Una pena que el día de nuestra visita, 15 de agosto, estaba en restauración y apenas se podía intuir su majestuosidad. Aún así mereció la pena. Está ubicada en un sitio inmejorable.
Truth B.
18 April 2015
Muss man gesehen haben wenn man dort war
Marc G.
30 August 2014
Fast genauso schön wie der Namensvetter in Berlin. ;-)
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Schopenhauerstraße 31, 14467 Potsdam, Germany Get directions
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Sun 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
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Wed 1:00 PM–6:00 PM

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