Great Military Orphanage - Großes Waisenhaus zu Potsdam

Großes Waisenhaus zu Potsdam
© Ulf Böttcher
Großes Waisenhaus zu Potsdam (© Ulf Böttcher)

Located in the heart of Potsdam on Breite Straße, the former "Great Military Orphanage" is the city's largest preserved Baroque architectural ensemble. The building complex, situated between Breite, Dortu-, Sporn-, and Lindenstraße, was founded in 1724 by Frederick William I as an educational and training institution for soldiers' children and military orphans. Its purpose was to provide boys and girls aged 6 to 16 with instruction in Christianity, reading, writing, and arithmetic, followed by vocational training. This tradition, though adapted to modern times, continues in the foundation’s work today.

The buildings as they appear today result from a late Baroque transformation between 1771 and 1778. The royal architect and master builder Carl Philipp Ch. von Gontard designed a magnificent palace-like structure, with its most remarkable feature being the stair tower on Lindenstraße. Until 1945, this part of the building, with its Monopteros (temple tower) and gilded statue of Caritas, was a defining element of Potsdam’s cityscape. In December 2004, the temple tower was fully reconstructed, and Caritas once again adorns its peak. This restoration has enriched the city's skyline with a historical landmark and added another divine figure to Potsdam’s "heavenly pantheon," alongside Fortuna and Atlas.

Following its reestablishment in 1992, the "Great Orphanage Foundation of Potsdam" regained ownership of its historic buildings and carried out extensive renovations between 1999 and 2003 in close coordination with the city’s heritage conservation office. As a result, the grand staircase, with its triple-domed interior, encircling stairways hidden behind wall panels, and elegant galleries, has been restored to its former splendor.

A documentary about the "Great Orphanage Foundation of Potsdam" is available on YouTube (in German). Potsdam journalist Kristina Tschesch presents the rich and eventful history of the former military orphanage and the foundation’s current initiatives in an engaging and informative way:

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Address

Großes Militärwaisenhaus zu Potsdam
Lindenstraße 34
14467 Potsdam
Germany

Further content

Gotische Bibliothek
© Landeshauptstadt Potsdam/Uwe Salomon

Gothic Library

Idyllically located on the southern shore of the Heiliger See, the Gothic Library - built in the late 18th century - long served as a library. Today, the Gothic Library is once again a true architectural highlight. From the tower’s arcaded gallery, visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the Heiliger See and the Marble Palace
Glienicker Brücke
© Michael Lüder

Glienicke Bridge

The Glienicke Bridge spans the Havel River between Jungfernsee and Glienicker Lake and is considered one of the most historically significant road connections between Potsdam and Berlin. The view from the Glienicke Bridge is unparalleled. From here, one can see Potsdam’s Babelsberg Palace and Park, the Heilandskirche in Sacrow, Schloss Glienicke, and the garden landscapes designed by Lenné.