993 – 1660 From Poztupimi to Secondary Residence of Elector Frederick William

Potsdam was first mentioned in writing in a document dated July 3, 993: the thirteen-year-old king of the East Frankish-German Empire and later Emperor Otto III gifted the settlement of "Poztupimi" to his aunt, Abbess Mathilde of Quedlinburg. This Slavic settlement, including an initial fortress, is believed to have been located in the area where the Heilig-Geist-Kirche (destroyed during World War II) once stood. Potsdam's significance lay in its strategic location, which allowed control over the river crossing, as the Havel was a vital transportation route connecting major fortifications in Spandau, Köpenick, and Brandenburg. These medieval towns served as early centers of trade and commerce.

Under the rule of Margrave Albert the Bear, a new fortress was built near the Slavic stronghold in the mid-12th century. Protected by this fortress, a densely populated settlement emerged in the area now known as the Alter Markt (Old Market). Records from the 13th century mention a parish church (on the site of today's Nikolaikirche) and a parish school. For centuries, the settlement was safeguarded by an earth-and-timber wall and a system of ditches; a stone city wall was not constructed until the 18th century. Alongside fishing, the city hosted trades such as cloth making, pottery, wool weaving, shoemaking, butchery, blacksmithing, and carpentry.
In 1411, King Sigismund entrusted the administration of the Margraviate of Brandenburg to Frederick VI, Count of Hohenzollern, granting him in 1415 the hereditary titles of Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg. This marked the foundation for the eventual rise of the Hohenzollern dynasty in Brandenburg and Prussia. The new elector confirmed the city's privileges in 1416, approved the construction of a bridge, and authorized the collection of bridge tolls.

Nevertheless, Potsdam remained one of Brandenburg's smaller towns. Following two devastating fires in 1536 and 1550, the town had only 194 fireplaces in total. By the onset of the Thirty Years’ War, the population numbered no more than 1,500 to 2,000. In 1614, the Hohenzollerns pawned Potsdam to the von Hake family. Their mismanagement, coupled with the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War in 1618, severely damaged the town. From 1626 onward, Potsdam endured plundering, forced labor, and other wartime hardships inflicted by imperial, Swedish, and Saxon troops. These hardships were exacerbated by multiple plague outbreaks, including a particularly severe one in 1631 that claimed at least 308 lives. By the end of the war in 1648, only about 700 residents remained.

Even twelve years later, 119 of the town's 198 pre-war houses were still in ruins. Only 50 houses were classified as “productive” (tax-paying), while 29 were impoverished. In 1640, Elector Frederick William began his reign and selected Potsdam as a secondary residence. He repurchased the town from the von Hake family and initiated its transformation, starting with the construction of the representative Stadtschloss (City Palace) at Alter Markt and the expansion of the town.

Author: Dr. Johannes Leicht (Geschichtslotsen)