They Rebuilt Germany's Versailles And It's GLORIOUS

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Head to squarespace.com/theaestheticcity to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code THEAESTHETICCITY

[@AngkatanNamwaran]

Could you feature Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar?

[@rosezingleman5007]

My great grandfather was an architect/builder in Potsdam who eventually immigrated to New York City-just in time for the post-civil war building boom. I knew none of this history when I was in architecture school, but now it has great meaning to me. Hooray for these architects willing to help rebuild Potsdam.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Why did he move to New York?

[@AlexandervonGoldstein]

@@Tobi-ln9xr Can't you think of a reason why someone in your grandparents' generation had to leave Germany?

[@EkoFranko]

@@AlexandervonGoldstein he was a nazi and was afraid of soviet prosecution?

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

@@AlexandervonGoldstein You have the name Goldstein, so it‘s pretty obvious that your family is Jewish but that doesn’t mean that it was the same with her grandfather.

[@AlexandervonGoldstein]

​@@Tobi-ln9xrno, the name has for my family nothing to do with Judaism. It is from the name of a Prussian/Silesia family from the Nobility

[@christopherhorn2745]

People probably wouldn’t be so resentful towards billionaires if they became patrons of the arts again

[@the_aesthetic_city]

100% - right now they do buy art, but it’s bananas sticked to walls with duct tape… which could be some form of tax evasion, I don’t know, but by building things most people like they would actually get goodwill

[@garyjackson3531]

Being resentful of people just because they have money is a true waste of time, and wears on one's soul. Like in every other part of life, there are good people and bad. The good far outweighs the bad. It's just such a smaller group, that the few bad really stick out.

[@davidseleznova3199]

@@garyjackson3531 False.

[@garyjackson3531]

@@davidseleznova3199 Thanks for making my point. Seek professional help.

[@johannesstabe9959]

in potsdam, the people are still resentful towards them. for they buy their will - regardless of tenthousands of votes or inhabitants signatures. people have an innate feeling of fairness.

[@AlexandervonGoldstein]

I was born in Potsdam and grow up there. Every time when i'm back i have the feeling like an old man (i'm 23) because there where once was nothing where is now a Palast back. Old buildings have been reshaped and are now renovated. The Grey of East Germany was replace by the colours of the Baroque and Classicism. Slowly Potsdam cames back to It's old Beauty.

[@Maximilien1794]

Once was nothing? The "Grey" of East Germany? Many of the buildings in that video were actually rebuilt by the DDR just like it rebuilt many cities in the exact same way.

[@Nico6th]

23... so just old enough to not have seen it when it was still cared for. After 1990 the green spaces around that area were totally neglected. There were flower beds, trees, statues, and other art pieces all over the place. All of that was removed piece by piece. Some were moved to the Freundschaftsinsel, some are still in storage, and some were destroyed. Sure, the DDR architecture relied heavily on concrete - it was cheap and easily manufactured and there was a whole country to rebuild after all. No one had a use or money to rebuild a baroque castle after the monarchy ended. But there still was a lot more to it than just "grey". BTW, West Germany did build very much in the same style. The Ruhrgebiet was just as "grey".

[@AlexandervonGoldstein]

​@@Maximilien1794 I relate to the nothing on the square where the castle now stands. As far as the grey is concerned, many of the normal old buildings were in a bad state, had no colour and the stucco was in poor condition. This has largely been restored. In addition, the GDR demolished many buildings that were in good condition, for example in Hermann Elflein Straße.

[@muenchhausenmusic]

@@Nico6th I was thinking the same when I saw the video. I'm 36 so I still saw the area around the Bibliothek (the yellow-ish Mies van der Rohe rip off building for all the non-Potsdamers) in a state of relative care. I actually liked the green spaces. The grass, the bushes and trees, the benches, the flower beds, the collonades and ofc the Staudenhof in the back with its pergolas and fountains. The whole complex was very pedestrian-friendly and provided a bit of breathing room in the city centre. It was not ugly, just a different kind of beauty. I really hope that they don't forget to insert some green spaces in between the reconstructed blocks. Let's see.

[@hirondelle8734]

@@AlexandervonGoldstein Just out of curiosity, would you mind sharing in which city or country you live now?

[@GM-ub8qy]

Never understood why some people prefer soulless tetris blocks, but at the same time go on trips and vacation to visit historic towns. It doesnt make sense

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

I think a lot of it is that they don't think it's possible anymore. Modern architects, architect schools, and modernist administrators have convinced nearly everyone that it can't be done, and they'll stick with that no matter how often it's shown not to be true. These schools actually train their students to see ugly, hideous things as beautiful. It's monstrous.

[@beyondborderfilms4352]

Its simple, building beautiful is expensive. Wealthy people are concern in making the most profit as much as possible meanwhile goverment beuracrats are concern in spending the least amount of money as possible. The majority of people care but not too much to do something about it as long as they could own a property cheaply or cheaply as it could get. Without civilians intervention and philanthropist donors, building ugly is normalized.

[@edheldude]

​@@beyondborderfilms4352Bureaucrats don't spend the least amount of money... wth are you talking about? Cheap buildings are cheap only short term. Longterm you want houses that people care about for hundreds of years. The socialists destroy both the history and the beauty, since it reminds people of the transcendental and elevates them, instead of keeping them dependent on the oppressive state.

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

@@beyondborderfilms4352 Nothing is as expensive as the crazy contorted buildings of today. And they don't even last. Building to last in the long run is cheaper. We've heard over and over that it's too expensive, but as his series here has shown, it's not necessarily so. Mostly it's architects and town planners that dismiss beauty as a concern that tell us it can't be done. It's a lie. In addition, municipal buildings can be built beautifully, and will last, and that builds the skill sets to improve what can be done residentially. Building a palace is expensive, yes, but we're not talking about everyone having a palace.

[@Luc-1991]

are there people who actually prefer them? I thought the people live in those places because it's cheap.

[@celdur4635]

Lima is restoring its city center as well, look it up, its and ongoing process but they recently secured a high % of sales tax to be devoted to funding it and a major work to recover a major road that demolished buildings will be restored.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Wonderful! How are they going about that? I’ve been in Lima once, it needed some love, but it did have some amazing buildings in downtown. The city has grown so much that it seems the historical center is surrounded by a concrete jungle, I hope they can introduce true Lima ‘genius loci’ in Lima again! Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@celdur4635]

@@the_aesthetic_city Pending on how long ago you came to Lima, you could find a drastically different city. (the concrete jungle surrounding it hasn't improved much though xD) It started about 5 years ago but it has really picked up the pace after the pandemic ended. A new institution, PROLIMA, was created to manage the 40 historic city blocks of the city center, the idea is to restore its buildings using the original designs, colors, and overall architecture. Basically, if everything goes well you'll be able to experience Lima as it was at the height of the Viceregal era once the project is completed. So far they've restored many streets, monuments and specially churches. But what's coming now is gonna be much bigger. There is a law that has assigned a permanent budget to PROLIMA (so, independent of the wills of the city mayor, although so far they have contributed greatly), as i mentioned a % of the sales tax of the city center will directly go to fund it. Now they will restore a major avenue, by eliminating it, and making it go underground. While creating a walkable linear park filled with monuments and greenery + restoration of all the buildings that line it ofc. The Rimac river will also be restored to how it was during the Viceroyal times which was a pleasant meadow and park that you could walk and even fish for crabs in the river. (at least for a few km, the river is very long) Its in Spanish but this is the River project: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laPKpYqmbrqtg6M This is a more overall look at the project: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g37YdHafbMtlrqc Ofc people are loving it, Lima was abandoned, almost destroyed by neglect, overcrowding and failed concepts of "modernization" since the 40's until the 2010s I enjoy your channel very much! and am endless frustrated by my architect friends who are in a incestuous "love" relationship with Le Corbusier, its acolytes and Brutalism. But i think their days are numbered, their architecture style is just plain ugly xD

[@markuserikssen]

Wow, Potsdam shows how it should be done! Even though they still have a long way to go, it already looks impressive and makes me want to visit it soon. Great video btw!

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you! And it’s worth it, so much to see

[@vomm]

Potsdam may still have a lot of scarves but tbh even without the newest reubuilds it already had more castles and prussian architecture than almost any other city in Germany. So saying "it has a long way to go" is a bit off. Jena has a long way to go. But not Potsdam.

[@markuserikssen]

@@vomm I understand what you mean. In this case, I'm referring to the central part of the city. There are still a lot of not-so-pretty buildings and empty holes in many parts of this area. Rebuilding them into their former glory will take time, probably decades. But they are making great progress.

[@SimonLloydGuitar]

The only people who seem to live Brutalist and Modernist architecture are...architects...who usually live in beautiful traditional period homes.

[@Mouritzeen]

People forget that the architect behind a building is usually someone who has only looked over the safety and technical aspects of the building. Usually whoever’s name is on the project just put the stamp on it because a design can’t pass through unless stamped by a person with a license.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

That’s indeed very common unfortunately…

[@beneficent2557]

​@@the_aesthetic_citySounds like a Demoralization Project.

[@tonyharpur8383]

I note the democratic element in the rebuilding of Potsdam (and Dresden, and Warsaw). This is critical, but too many architects are trained in an ideological way in architecture schools. They frequently (and usually) ignore local preferences for so-called 'older' or more 'traditional' architecture and town planning.

[@vomm]

Do you have proof that all or most architects live in beatiful traditional period homes or did you make it up?

[@rp8028]

Always have been an admirer of your videos. It is the architecture that makes and strengthens communities by giving you a sense of belonging. Your point on billionaires spending on yachts is well made.

[@robertozeladarodriguez5321]

If I were a millionaire, I would invest in these projects. What a great legacy it is to bring beauty to the world.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you! 🙏🏼 And yes what we need is places that give a sense of belonging instead of being alienating

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Well said. Thank you.

[@Nico6th]

"It is the architecture that makes and strengthens communities"... uh, don't say that in Potsdam. The whole rebuilding has done more damage to the community than strengthening it, especially that church rebuild. Lots of controversies, lots of fighting over tax money, lots of debates as to whether the government needs a castle and so on.

[@crusader2112]

This is beautiful. I’m glad that there are Europeans who still see the beauty in their cities and are fighting to restore them. God Bless 🙏🏻

[@vomm]

Sadly only when it's about rebuilding.

[@trbry.]

Actually brings a tear to my eyes seeing this restoration

[@mika0668]

I used to live in Potsdam during my childhood, I remember hating the old marketplace, because of the endless construction sites. Now I appreciate the revival of this pearl of an city. Potsdam will forever be my home, but my current home city of Stralsund is also pretty nice.

[@manub.3847]

In the Hamburg district where I worked, an architect built a new house with an "old facade" so that it would fit in better with the existing houses. Many other architects think they have to express themselves and do not pay attention to the existing architecture, and then after a few decades a district looks like a strange patchwork of old and new.

[@jfrancobelge]

" looks like a strange patchwork of old and new". I think you are desc ribing Brussels here; that's actually called brusselization... a good example of what not to do when renovating an old city.

[@diametheuslambda]

Except, you know, there was no existing architecture of this ilk there when they started building this, and working cities always change spottily, one fresh building at a time. What's happening here is you want to live in Disneyland.

[@Tirpitz7]

It brings me a lot of joy to see the restoration of both Potsdam's Alter Markt and the Stadtschloß in Berlin. The amount of restoration in Potsdam since my initial visit there in 2010 is astounding.

[@bomcabedal]

I largely agree; arriving for the first time back in Potsdam in years and see it transformed was quite the experience. I do have some issues with how these buildings are used, though, particularly in Berlin: it's all very much aimed at wealthy boomers, it seems.

[@Nico6th]

@@bomcabedal yeah, the apartments in those rebuilt houses in Potsdam are absolutely unaffordable. They sell for millions. As for the castle in Berlin: who the h*ck came up with the waterfront facade??? it ruins the whole building and it's what most tourists see when they take one of the many city river cruises. -.-'

[@bomcabedal]

@@Nico6th I don't mind that façade all that much, to be honest. It blends in with the architecture around it just as much as the baroque façade matches Unter den Linden.

[@themarvelousemafia4457]

As an American, seeing this town which was formerly under the GDR be rebuilt, truly gives me hope that the same could eventually happen in the United States.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

There is surely hope! Check out Strongtowns, and the CNU (congress for the New Urbanism) is also doing amazing things

[@Nico6th]

"Under the GDR" - what does that mean? It was part of GDR, end of story. Don't ask too many of the former GDR citizens how they feel about the town they built being torn down. Some buildings were ugly as F, but others clearly were removed for political reasons and replaced with more expensive, less useful builds.

[@vomm]

Man I hope it so much for you. American cities where so insanely beautiful before car infrastructure destroyed them. I saw a lot of videos which compared American cities before and after the car and it's really traumatizing what Americans did do their cities without even having a devastating war like Europe (which doesn't mean we didn't destroy a lot of old buildings for cars too).

[@Fsa-eb2nr]

We definitely need a project like this in Rio de janeiro, in my opinion the city lost took much of it's identity over the years. Many of the 1880 and 1920 builds have been demolished or simply abandoned even when they are actually historical, like the house of Jose Bonifácio one of the founding father of Brazil. Today the city downtown is horrible, it has degrated modern buildings and it's quite hard to live in them. I hope one day Rio goes back to it's old glory.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Would love to visit Brazil some time!

[@Fsa-eb2nr]

@the_aesthetic_city Brazil is great man. Cities like Rio, Ouro preto and Gramado are wonderful. One day I would like you to do a video about Brazilia, Brazil's capital it's a great example of how not to build a capital city.

[@cartercasias6318]

Way to go Germany. Never let anyone bully you into being ashamed of your culture or your identity.

[@Game_Hero]

if they are to be ashamed of something, be of history, not of present german culture and identity, you might even help prevent these dark chapters of history from happening again by doing popular decisions like this making people love their democracy and not alienating people desire for belonging, connection to their surroundings and reassurance by continuity, otherwise it would help lead them right into the arms of autocracy simps again.

[@RextheRebel]

Careful saying that in Germany, the self hating government will call you a Notzi and have you arrested for hate speech.

[@benjamindasilvasantos5169]

politiques in Germany and western nations sell the nations state to ashamed culture and Identity for the guilty and more

[@RasmusWitzig]

We are not ashamed of our culture but we are and we should be aware of our past. The Nazis were the darkest part of human history. And sadly the people back then said nothing against them. We can and we must learn from our past. So no vote for the far right! And by the way, why do we need patriotism? The most modern countries have less patriotism. I have other things to be proud of than my country. However I am happy to live in Germany.

[@RasmusWitzig]

Looking at your other comments it seems like you are a difficult person. „White and Proud“ wtf. When you have nothing more to be proud of 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@Connor_Roush]

Finally people realized that modern architecture was a huge mistake. lol. The World is healing!

[@Game_Hero]

it can work, just not with residential buildings

[@jeanvaljean7266]

I wouldn't say that it was a mistake because imho it was done on purpose, as was the destruction of the historic German city centres, often only a couple of weeks before the end of the war.

[@Nico6th]

@@jeanvaljean7266 In the case of Potsdam, the city was bombed in April 1945 by the Allied forces. We are still finding bombs -.-

[@jackjames3190]

Hello from London uk - this is WONDERFUL - bravo and well done on correcting the wrongs of the past - I for one can’t wait to see the new old Potsdam xx🎉🎉🎉🎉 BRAVO ❤❤❤❤

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you for watching dear sir! 🙏🏼

[@Nico6th]

Please don't call it "wrongs of the past". After the war people did their best to clean up the rubble and start over. They rebuilt their city in the style of their time. Concrete was cheap and easy to produce, so that's what was used. A lot of people who are now in their 60s/70s are quite sad to see the buildings of their youth destroyed when some could very well have been saved and renovated. No one needed a castle after 1945 or had the money for it. That created a huge empty space in the city center which was filled with trees, flower beds, and, yes, a parking lot. Which was quite practical for the churchgoers and the students at the new college that was built there. As for the "wrongs of the past": that's a good argument for why we maybe should NOT rebuild that church... Because the biggest "wrong" of all times visited that place.

[@resireg]

Many ruins were demolished instead of restored

[@Nico6th]

@@resireg Of course they were. They were ruins. For a lot of buildings there just was no way to save them. The bricks were reused whenever possible. Some statues and ornaments were saved too, though maybe some more were saveable. People were worried about where they would get their next meal, where their children would sleep the next night and which soldiers to trust or not to trust. Potsdam was bombed only once and ended up with ~60k homeless people. Other cities had it way worse. Add to that the refugees from the east and you can see how "saving ruins" was the last thing people cared about at that point. Rebuilding culture always starts after the more imminent things are taken care of: shelter, food, safety, medical care, infrastructure, schools, a somewhat functioning governement, etc.

[@ReekieReels]

Britain could learn something from Germany when it comes to this stuff 👏 We have a joke in Britain, "the post-war 'modernist' architects did more damage to British cities than the Luftwaffe ever did."

[@nielstenbrink]

As a matter of fact the same really is true for the RAF and Bremen and Hamburg. The latter lost 60% more buildings in the years after the war than in it. Tragic.

[@taffingtonboathouse5754]

Yeah, my city lost some old buildings to it

[@EkoFranko]

Britain should tart to adopt traditional arabic architecture like from umayyad renaissance imagine incorporating some alhambra'like buildings into modern brittish cityscape. Allahu Akbar brother

[@resireg]

Writer JRR Tolkien wrote to his wife Edith how much he opposed the carpet bombing, since they have no military value, and they destroy buildings from ancient civilizations, like the Roman ruins in Cologne

[@levoGAMES]

It's such an incredible place and its proximity to both the metropolis of Berlin and the countryside makes it even more special. If I could, I'd certainly live there. Schloss Babelsberg is also a quite notable palace - looks like straight out of a fairytale.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

I still need to visit Babelsberg!

[@misteroz]

Inspired is an excellent word for how this makes me feel. Hopeful is another.

[@vanrensburgsgesicht]

I used to work there for a year. Good memories. I guess you need at least two weeks to see Potsdams most famous sights.

[@jenshep1720]

I regularly go to Potsdam because I love to see old places being reconstructed, and to see what progress has been made since my last visit, and because that is one of the best examples within reach of where I live. It seriously is one of my favorite places ever. The other place I regularly go is the Berlin City Palace on Museum Island because that is still receiving small additions all the time as well and its just a little more driving. That area of the city has been greatly restored too, the entire architectural ensemble is being rebuilt and theyve already come a long way. The huge problem I see with projects like this is still that they promote gentrification to a very large degree. The municipalities have still not understood that germany needs social housing to a degree it never has before, and that rents need to stay affordable. Projects like this at the same time drive up rents in the area and create more living space that is oriented towards rich people, not average germans. You can of course argue that its the inner city and it isnt realistic for us to afford a place here anyway, but that is also an issue. Rich people and offices shouldnt be the only ones who can afford to be in the city center, thats not how it used to be. SO this is something that needs to be adressed, and with larger policy measures on the federal level. Anyway, Im really happy you made this video! Its really good. My only criticism would be that you still romanticize the past a bit too much (rich people building beautiful buildings in the past was more of a dick measuring contest than about giving back to the community) and leave out some of the negative points with projects like this, but thats already become a lot better from where it used to be.

[@jelsner5077]

So inspiring to see beautiful architecture recreated. I thought we lost the craft and the taste, but we did not! We can do this

[@ulrichhille5241]

I think it's very good that Potsdam's old architecture is reappearing in large numbers. But it should also be mentioned that in the former GDR houses that were demolished, people with modest incomes used to live and were able to reside right in the city centre. I dare to doubt, perhaps I am wrong, that mere mortals could ever afford to live in the new buildings with historic façades. Nevertheless, I like them very much. And I agree with the local lady who said in the interview that this kind of architecture is the reason why tourists come to Potsdam. And I think it's also a reason why the majority of Potsdamers identify with their city.

[@BcroG11]

We don't need more rich people donating for beautiful architecture, we need higher taxes on rich people so we can publicly fund beautiful architecture.

[@miel9014]

As an architecture student I wish we learned topics you mention… I really hope our new generation will take all these parameters in their projects. Thank you !!

[@jthie6802]

Last year I was in Potsdam and it was just beautiful

[@xr6lad]

Wow. Been to Potsdam a few years ago. Didn’t realise so much of the old town was actually the new town and rebuilt. It is a lovely place with the Neu Palace and San Souci.

[@bobjackson4720]

I visited the place just after Covid, I didn't know what to expect but found it quite beautiful. Well worth a visit.

[@Romanoi-i1o]

I love potsdam! The hollandisches viertel is incredibly charming and enclosed. The whole city is like epcot, with a russian ranch, a ronantic ruin, etc

[@florenswaldschmidt8970]

*** there is a German version below*** Hi, I live and study in Potsdam, and over the past few years, I had been occasionally interestet in the city's development. That’s why I found the video especially interesting. However, despite the good research and the good summary of Potsdam's history, I have a few points of criticism that might not be as evident to someone who doesn’t live here. I felt that a second perspective was missing, but I can also understand if that would have exceeded the scope of the video. Therefore, I would like to attempt to give a brief overview of some of these points. 1. Many of the new construction projects currently being built are perceived by many people here as lifeless and resembling movie sets. There’s the impression that they only serve the purpose of boosting tourism, rather than improving the quality of life in the city. 2. In the process of rebuilding these Kaiser-era buildings, significant structures from the more recent German history have been demolished. In the video, the woman from "Mitteschön" conveyed that you can’t choose your history. However, that is exactly the impression one gets in Potsdam. Many important buildings with significant historical value, such as the Rechenzentrum or the former Institut für Lehrerbildung from the GDR era, are currently being erased to make way for the glorification of the Prussian era. 3. After the reunification, many of the long-neglected buildings, which were described in the video as "ugly blocks," offered space for a young, alternative, and progressive youth culture that over the years developed into an integral part of the city's arts and culture scene. Yet, this part of the cultural scene is often overlooked by conservative forces in the local politics. This is especially frustrating for young people, who often feel neglected. As result many young people are leaving the city to move to places like Berlin or Leipzig. 4. There is a strong impression that many of the new buildings in recent years serve only therfor to attract millionaires and the higher-earning people to the city. Affordable housing for people with lower incomes, such as students, is hardly being created. Unfortunately, I have personally experienced over the past three years that students often have to move out due to the rapid rise in rents. 5. The Garnisonkirche: This church embodies many of the conflicts mentioned above. As a Prussian military church, admired by Hitler, it has a dark past. Its supporters argue that the reconstruction should serve as a memorial for this horrific time. However, it is hard to believe this when considering that some of the financial supporters of the reconstruction are former National Socialists, and the project is also supported by modern-day neo-Nazis. Additionally, the former Rechenzentrum, an iconic building from the GDR era were the East German and Soviet space missions were pland and controlled, is supposed to be demolished to make way for the church’s reconstruction. Futhermore the Rechenzentrum is now an alternative cultural center with hundreds of small studios and exhibitions, offering space for art, dance, theater, and music, and plays an important role in Potsdam’s cultural scene. I fully understand that city planning and development are always a compromise between that what must be sacrificed to create space for the new and what is worth preserving and should therefore be protected. However, in a livable city, there should be space for everyone, and all perspectives should be included in the decision-making process. Unfortunately, many people here feel like they have little participation in the development of Potsdam. It rather seems like wealthy individuals are relentlessly pushing their vision of a shining, Prussian Disneyland, flattening everything that stands in the way of that dream without regard. Thank you for reading through all of this. I hope I was able to offer a different perspective on the topic. Feel free to visit Potsdam, I really like the city, and besides the typical tourist attractions, you should also check out some of the more hidden places like the Freiland, the Archiv, the "Casino" at the University of Applied Sciences (it’s just ist name, not a real casino ;) ), the Lottenhof, the Olga, the Projekt Hause Babelsberg, and of course the Rechenzentrum, along with many others. Greetings from the capital of Brandenburg! :D ***German*** Hi, ich lebe und studiere in Potsdam und habe mich in den letzten Jahren immer mal wieder mit der Potsdamer Stadtentwicklung auseinandergesetzt. Daher fand ich das Video besonders interessant. Ich muss jedoch, trotz der guten Recherche und der gelungenen Zusammenfassung der Potsdamer Geschichte, ein paar Dinge kritisieren, die einem vielleicht nicht so präsent sind, wenn man nicht hier lebt. Mir hat nämlich ein bisschen eine zweite Perspektive gefehlt, aber ich kann auch verstehen, wenn das den Rahmen des Videos sprengen würde. Deshalb möchte ich hier mal versuchen, einen kurzen Abriss dessen zu geben. 1.Viele der neuen Bauprojekte, die gerade entstehen, werden von vielen Menschen hier als leblos und kulissenhaft empfunden. Man hat den Eindruck, dass diese nur dem Zweck dienen, den Tourismus anzukurbeln, nicht aber die Lebensqualität der Stadt zu verbessern. 2.Für den Neubau dieser Bauten aus der Kaiserzeit wurden und werden Bedeutende Bauwerke aus der jüngeren deutschen Geschichte abgerissen. Im Video wurde von der Frau von „Mitteschön“ vermittelt, man könne sich seine Geschichte nicht aussuchen. Genau diesen Eindruck bekommt man aber gerade in Potsdam. Viele wichtige Gebäude mit bedeutendem historischem Wert, wie das Rechenzentrum oder die Fachhochschule aus der DDR-Zeit, verschwinden gerade, um einer Glorifizierung der Preußenzeit Platz zu machen. 3.Nach der Wende boten viele der lange Zeit sich selbst überlassenen, im Video als „hässliche Blöcke“ beschriebenen Gebäude Raum für eine junge, alternative und progressive Jugendkultur, die sich mit den Jahren zu einem festen Bestandteil des Kunst- und Kulturangebots der Stadt entwickelte. Trotzdem wird dieser Teil der Kulturszene von konservativen Kräften in der Stadtpolitik oft verkannt. Besonders für junge Menschen ist das oft ein Grund, sich hier nicht berücksichtigt und damit nicht mehr wohlzufühlen. Viele junge Menschen verlassen daher gerade die Stadt, um zum Beispiel nach Berlin oder Leipzig zu ziehen. 4.Man bekommt stark den Eindruck, dass viele der Neubauten der letzten Jahre nur den Zweck haben, Millionäre und besser Verdienende in die Stadt zu locken. Bezahlbarer Wohnraum für Menschen mit geringem Einkommen, wie zum Beispiel Studierende, wird kaum neu geschaffen. Gerade Studenten, das musste ich in den letzten 3 Jahren leider mehrfach selbst erleben, müssen oft ausziehen, weil die Mieten so rasant steigen. 5.Die Garnisonkirche: Sie verkörpert viele der eben angesprochenen Konflikte. Als preußische Militärkirche, die auch von Hitler bewundert wurde, hat sie eine dunkle Vergangenheit. Ihre Befürworter sagen daher, der Wiederaufbau solle als Mahnmal für diese schreckliche Zeit stehen. Dies fällt jedoch schwer zu glauben, wenn man bedenkt, dass unter den Geldgebern und Stiftern des Baus einige ehemalige Nationalsozialisten stecken und dieses Projekt ebenfalls von heutigen Neonazis begrüßt wird. Außerdem soll für den Wiederaufbau der Garnisonkirche das ehemalige Rechenzentrum abgerissen werden, ein Prestigebauwerk aus der DDR-Zeit, von dem aus unter anderem die ostdeutschen und sowjetischen Raumfahrtmissionen gesteuert wurden, das heute ein alternatives Kulturzentrum ist, das mit Hunderten kleinen Ateliers und Ausstellungen Platz für Kunst, Tanz, Theater und Musik bietet und damit einen wichtigen Platz in der Potsdamer Kulturszene einnimmt. Ich verstehe sehr gut, dass Stadtplanung und Stadtentwicklung immer ein Kompromiss sind zwischen dem, was weichen muss, um neuen Platz zu schaffen, und dem, was schützenswert ist und daher erhalten bleiben sollte. In einer lebenswerten Stadt sollte jedoch Platz für alle sein, und es muss versucht werden, alle Positionen in den Entscheidungsprozess darüber einzubinden. Leider haben viele Meschen hier Gefühl, an der Stadtentwicklung in Potsdam kaum teilzuhaben. Eher wirkt es, als wollten Menschen mit viel Geld kompromisslos ihr Bild eines strahlenden, preußischen Disneylandes verwirklichen und dabei ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste alles platt machen, was diesem Traum im Wege steht. Danke, dass du dir das alles bis zum Schluss durchgelesen hast. Ich hoffe, ich konnte ein bisschen eine weitere Perspektive auf das Thema liefern. Komm gerne mal nach Potsdam, ich mag die Stadt wirklich sehr und schau dir neben den Touri-Highlights gerne auch mal ein paar der versteckteren Orte an, wie z.B. das Freiland, das Archiv, das Casino an der FH (ist kein Casino, heißt nur so ;)), den Lottenhof, die Olga oder das Projekthaus Babelsberg und das Rechenzentrum natürlich sowie viele weitere. Grüße aus der brandenburgischen Landeshauptstadt. :D

[@patrickrein14]

I wish I could give you more than one upvote for giving a more complete picture of what that restoration means for locals.

[@Sp4mMe]

Even before reading your comment I suspected some of those conflicts would be present. This channel has an unfortunate tendency to cheapen itself by silencing counter-arguments, or the other side of the coin, or whichever way you want to put it. Thanks for that post. Should be the pinned comment, honestly.

[@Nico6th]

Thank you, I feel the same. The second perspective is missing. The new-old buildings look nice but they are pretty lifeless. The old market is missing any kind of greenery and gets way too hot in summer. All the art pieces and greenery that existed in that area before were removed. I'm personally not a fan of the Rechenzentrum, I just think it's pretty ugly^^ I don't think we need a church there either, tough. A new, practical build for local artists or a renovated Rechenzentrum would be nice. And someone PLEASE turn those mosaics the right way up! Seriously, some are installed the wrong way, you can see that since it is one continuous picture... (also why am I writing in English here...)

[@vomm]

Zu 2: Der Wert von DDR Gebäuden hält sich mMn doch stark in Grenzen. Das sieht man auch an deinem Punkt 1: Die DDR Gebäude ziehen offensichtlich keine Touristen an. Eben weil sie nicht wirklich einen historischen Wert haben. Das Brandenburger Tor ist auch nicht beeindruckend oder die Reste der Berliner Mauer und trotzdem kommen hunderttausende nur wegen der Geschichte. Das tun sie in Potsdam nicht. Also widerspricht sich Punkt 1 und 2 bei dir schonmal, auch wenn man natürlich argumentieren kann, dass Tourismus nicht historischen Wert definiert in akademischer Hinsicht, aber trotzdem ist es ein starker Indikator, dass die Bedeutung von etwas gering ist, wenn sich kaum wer dafür interessiert. Wichtig ist auch zu bedenken, dass es ein Unterschied macht, ob für ein Gebäude ein anderes histrorisches Gebäude gesprengt wurde. Der Palast der Repubik in Berlin würde garantiert auch noch stehen wenn die DDR nicht für ihn das Stadtschloss gesprengt hätte. Zu 3) junge Menschen aus fast allen Städten ziehen nach Berlin oder in ander Großstädte wie München und Hamburg. Das darauf zu reduzieren dass es im Stadtzentrum weniger Freiräume gibt ist sehr stark vereinfacht. Und Gentrifikation passiert immer wenn Stadtteile einen Aufschwung erleben, das hat absolut nichts mit der Rekonstruktion von Fassaden zu tun. Viele der Bauten in der Innenstadt waren ja sowieso geplant, ohne die Initiativen wären die Angebote für Jugendliche genauso jetzt weg, nur halt stünden da Klötze aus Beton und Glas. Also auch dieser Punkt ist irreführend von dir. Zu 5) Nur weil die Garnisonkirche von Hitler gemocht wurde hat sie eine dunkle Vergangenheit? Hä? Dieser Punkt ist total lächerlich. Abgesehen davon will keiner die wieder aufbauen um die angebliche "dunkle Geschichte" zu feiern sondern weil sie halt architektonisch wunderbar in die Innenstadt passt und gut aussieht. Und naja zu 4) Dass in Stadtzentren jetzt nicht grade für milliarden Euro prunkvolle Sozialwohnungen entstehen ist Schade, geb ich dir Recht, aber ist absolut normal und betrifft absolut jede Stadt. Wie bei Punkt 3) hat dieses Argument nichts mit den historischen Fassaden zu tun. Ich finde deine Argumente insofern weit hergeholt und teils populistisch. Sie haben im Kern garnichts mit der Architektur oder den histroischen Fassaden zu tun sondern beziehen sich ganz allgemein auf Gentrifikation die so oder so passiert wäre.

[@fabianeweil192]

Haben sie einen Link wie viele Wohnungen in Potsdam durch die Rekonstruktion verloren gingen? Würde mich sehr interessieren. Dazu wollte ich noch sagen, dass der gravierende Wohnungsmangel in Deutschland meiner Meinung nach ja nur zu einem winzigen Bruchteil an den wenigen historischen Restaurationen liegt sondern in erster Linie an Katastrophaler Neoliberaler Deregulierung und dem Mangel an staatlichem Engagement. Diese Vermietermafia und die korrupte Politik sollte der Feind sein, nicht die paar wenigen Gebäude, welche vielen Menschen gefallen und die Potsdams Ruf signifikant verbessert haben. Wo ich zustimme ist natürlich dass mehr Grünflächen wichtig und wünschenswert sind

[@loumcast]

The British did the same with the city of Dresden out of spite (neither city had any strategic or military value, and the war was almost over) it was to punish the German people for going along with Hitler.

[@resireg]

Churchill was essentially jealous. Before prime minister, he was the Chancellor of the exchequer, equivalent to treasurer of the nation. And he was the enforcer of Versailles treaty, ensuring Germany had no industry or middle class in the 1920s and 30s

[@kamilar1359]

Potsdam and its surroundings (and of course its palaces) is arguably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. And it’s only getting better.

[@CDQTulbagh]

Great video, thank you. I traveled to see Potsdam in June and it was incredible. The places and gardens in particular were sensational, so its great to get more context about the extent of the reconstruction of the city center. Well done. I watch all your videos, thanks for the effort.

[@firefly3196]

The top of the garrison church will be placed on top of the tower next year, so the tower will be completed. With the nave things are more tricky, but I feel like politicians want to get rid of that ugly GDR building right next to the garrison church. The potential is there. But we should not rest until it’s done.

[@williamtate4339]

I wonder if the crypt where the Hohenzollern royals were remains under the ground. The coffins and any contents were removed before the church was demolished.

[@gabriellawrence6598]

Germany is beautiful and I'm glad that otherwise destroyed cities are being rebuilt to their former glory.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Me too! Thanks for watching

[@styleden22]

Three key points I took away: the importance of parks and integrating them with the city, selling the aesthetic city to the community (getting involved), and seeking grants from wealthy people who would like a legacy.

[@jayzandstra1830]

absolutely love to see this,germany and many other european countries are slowly swaying back to building beautiful.. but unfortunately we still have ideologues plagueing our institutions to keep everything ''contemperary'' etc. we HAVE to return.

[@mdenmark604]

This is so wonderful! A big thank you to the activists, such as Frau Kuster, for their determination, work and energy!!!

[@dernochjungenoergler]

a role model for all of Germany, thank you for this report

[@Artaunon]

Amazing! I had no idea it looks so beautiful today.

[@willt6970]

Didn't expect there to be a cheap ripoff of a building in little Des Moines, Iowa in GDR Potsdam... I walk by that original van der Rohe building every day at work!

[@ryandeschanel6925]

Danke Hasso.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Thank you for the superbly executed, informative, and inspiring video. Yes, we can reimagine our cities--particularly those that were once architecturally stunning and exceptional. Creating vibrant, beautiful, and memorable places fills our souls with magical sustenance. I am fortunate to live in Middelburg which boasts a delightful, historic town centre that was almost completely destroyed in WW II.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

That's a beautiful city center now! What I want to see restored is Scollay Square, Boston MA USA, restored as much as possible.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Wow.. I looked up the pictures, stunning. Didn’t know that square yet, hope more is restored in Boston

[@jjforcebreaker]

Fantastic story! Thanks for shedding light on this.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you!! 🙏🏼 It was a story that had to be told

[@prefaktder4tenlegio257]

Ich wohne in Potsdam und kann nur sagen, dass es tatsächlich große vortschritte gegeben hat. Leider sind vieler orts immernoch die Wunden der DDR und ihrer Häuserpolitik zu sehen, auch gibt es wiederstand von Aktivisten, welche unverständlicherweise Rekonstruktion mit Nationalsozialismus und gleichsetzen. Glücklicher weise bestehen aber weiterhin Projekte und auch die Ambitionen die Stad weiter zu entwickeln und das in einer Humanen und Schönen weise.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Danke fürs Zuschauen! 🙏🏼

[@anders7741]

Those who resist the new reconstruction by saying that it is nazi, they are fanatic modernists. This farytail story they tell is absolutely false. But which architect made this stupid nazi-argument up? Who did invent this silly argument? Does anybody know?

[@napoleonfeanor]

Das Problem ist, dass die Wirtschaft zur Zeit im Keller ist and bauen davon stark betroffen ist.

[@garyjackson3531]

National Socialism? Wow! That blows my mind. Remind them National Socialism was Hitler and his crew.

[@tbrtbrtzr]

Ihnen ist bewusst, dass Potsdam mit Geld zugeschmissen wird, seit viele Berliner Bundespolitiker dort leben? So etwas, gibt es in keiner anderen deutschen Stadt.

[@the_9ent]

If only all of Europe took this direction. Restoring beauty in favour brutalism.

[@sisselbrenna5769]

Thank you, this was uplifting. And thanks for all the thorough and important work you do. Please, subscribe and support this man.

[@searchingfortruth619]

Amazing work. I don't think reconstruction of historical sites is necessarily the gold standard. Places change and evolve. But using the historic Principles, of building beautiful interesting places, is what is really key.

[@SmrdiTiBabka]

This makes me daydream what my town could look like.

[@empray]

was für eine schönheit

[@FVI297]

That's how the city used to be like, so I'm glad how it managed to restore its old town, and in recent times too!

[@EElgar1857]

This is wonderful to see! I've been to Berlin quite a few times, and love it, but didn't realize how many great things are nearby in Potdam!

[@zaunhaenger]

Danke, Jauch!

[@skelly8978]

seeing this growing moovement in Germany, France, Poland or Hungary is really heartwarming. What saddens me tho is when I look at my country, Czechia, and see minimal progress in the reconstruction of our cities, which is a real bummer since some of those broken cities had nicknames like: "The Paris on the Elbe" or " "The small Paris of the north"

[@Nikioko]

This was also done in Dresden. Similar story. Great destruction in the war, buildings broken down instead of repaired, replaced by ugly Soviet Era blocks. And after re-unification, the original skyline of the city was eventually restored. And also in Frankfurt, this was done to a minor extent. An ugly concrete block was removed, and the old Imperial Way from the market square to the cathedral was restored.

[@ncrtrooper7648]

germans that are proud of their culture and heritage, didn't know they were still around.

[@LeRegardNaif]

Great video as always. And Thomas Albrecht does such a great work!

[@johnje4285]

I love the new period style buildings

[@muenchhausenmusic]

Local Potsdamer here. (This is a long comment intended primarily as feedback to The Aesthetic City!) It's funny, the video presented the reconstruction of our historic city centre as being largely supported by the public. In reality it's quite a touchy subject for us. Many people are highly critical of it. I found that this video presented the issue rather one-sided, so I'd like to bring up some points that I missed. Bc while I also love beauty, I think there are more aspects to be considered for increasing a city's overall quality of life, which imo should be the overarching goal. There are actually many people here who are quite critical of a rigorous reconstruction of Potsdam's historic city centre, me included. I say 'critical of', not 'dead against' bc it's not that we dislike the historic buildings. It's more that we wonder whether the sacrifices necessary for the reconstruction are worth it in the end. Let me give two examples: 1. Most (in)famously, the 'Garnisonkirche' (garrison church) For me personally, the fact that Hitler was "crowned" there isn't even the issue. I agree with the lady in the video that the building could be a valuable trigger for sensitive discussion of the darkest chapter of german history. For most people the bigger problem is that rebuilding the whole church would mean to demolish the building right next to it (visible in the white frame at 10:47), which is called the 'Rechenzentrum' (computing centre) and nowadays provides space for student life as well as affordable ateliers for artists, rehearsal spaces for musicians and rooms for concerts and exhibitions and has done so for decades by now. The place is literally bustling with life, and there is a sizeable movement that fights year by year to keep the place up and open. I honestly don't know who is in the majority, but there is a probability that rebuilding the Garnisonkirche might not be so democratic after all. One might also ask whether Potsdam with its already high number of castles and parks and historical buildings really needs one more of those and whether the Rechenzentrum doesn't provide more net benefit by enriching the social life here in the city. 2. The current demolition of the "one big ugly lump of concrete" seen at 10:19 and to us Potsdamer known as the "Staudenhof" (perrenial yard) This is the basically the good old issue of gentrification. This block, while not exactly pretty, was a residential building with very affordable flats smack dab in the middle of an increasingly expensive city (I semi-affectionately call Potsdam the "Munich of the east", Munich being famous for being one of the most expensive cities in Germany, while eastern Germany as a whole is still comparitively cheaper than the rest of the country for obvious reasons). So there were local people with low to regular incomes who lived there and who otherwise have a very hard time finding accomodation this central and affordable. And while the building itself may not have been pretty, the actual complex actually was. We called it Staudenhof for a reason: In between the building itself and the Mies van der Rohe rip off building opposite of it (which hosted the state library and a branch of the trade school) there was a quiet green back yard with slightly elevated levels, filled with benches, flower beds, overgrown pergolas and even one or two fountains. On the elevated ground floor of the Staudenhof building there was a pretty popular café/bar also called Staudenhof. (I'll link to an image of the old Staudenhof in a subsequent comment) So, as you can imagine, this whole complex did not only provide affordable, central and yet quiet-situated housing to a number of people but arguably increased the quality of life of the city centre. Whether the newly-built historic buildings can do the same remains to be seen, and although ofc I hope that the do, I and many others are rather sceptical. Let's not kid ourselves, these new spaces will be expensive and most probably only affordable by those in the higher income brackets. Some of us Potsdamer actually like to joke that those flats will mostly be rented/bought by rich Munich people to be used as second homes which they will visit once or twice a year and leave empty and unused the rest of the time XD Since Potsdam has no shortage of pricey historical flats in the city centre, I again gotta wonder whether tearing down the Staudenhof to be replaced by historical houses really is more democratic in the end. And, naturally, there was also a sizeable movement to prevent the demolition of the Staudenhof. Some final thoughts and a suggestion for how to deal with problems like these: As with most things in life imo this comes down to finding a healthy balance. We don't need to keep things as they are just for the sake of it and shoot down all proposals for change. But at the same time we don't need to blindly rebuild to a historical model or think that historic is always better. I think in Potsdam there are people close to the levers of power who seem to want to revive some old historic glory of the city while at the same time wishing to erase any and all traces of our GDR past. And I wonder: Should we really aim to try to revert a city back to some point in the past? Is that even possible? And should we aim to erase 45 years of admittedly controversial histroy from our city scape? Could we not also leave some of the buildings intact as yet another landmark of an eventful and discussion-worthy history, especially when the buildings are functioning well and/or maybe even have their own form of aesthetic and beauty? The GDR is part of our past as well, why not stand by it? While critically examining it ofc My take: 1. We need to make sure to not inflict more overall loss by tearing down than the gain we provide by rebuilding. A good example is the Barbarini Palace, which now hosts the museum mentioned in the video which is well received by locals and tourists alike. The new building was successfully filled with life. Also no actual building had to be torn down to make space. Yes, the theatre building had been there before, but it was a provisional building anyway (we affectionately called it the Blechbüchse, the tin can XD). Huge gain, next to no loss. 2. If there are functioning buildings in place already, even from the GDR period, that provide a benefit for the community, why not leave them intact and rebuilt the rest of the historic buildings where there is still space? It might actually make for an interesting city scape to have different architectural styles in such close proximity. If done with taste and care it might result in a very original vibe of the neighbourhood. This is what I think should have been done with the Staudenhof. And in some places, why not even go one step further and actually fuse buildings of different styles? I think that would be an interesting option for the Garnisonkirche and Rechenzentrum. Stick with the tower of the church, and instead of tearing down the Rechenzentrum, why not fuse it with the tower in some creative way? The plan is to make the church a place of intercultural meeting and exchange anyway, so why not put that in the tower, maybe build a smaller extension building but not the full church, and fuse and collaborate with the Rechenzentrum? Instead of moving back to some glorified past this would basically build on what is there from different past periods and create something new and unique and thus move on into the future! Mr. Aesthetic City, I generally enjoy your videos and focus on beauty as something that has value and uplifts the spirit! I would enjoy your videos even more if you also shed some light on possible counter arguments to and critical voices on the projects you cover! Thanks for reading this far, have a great day!

[@antonradkov]

Kommunist?

[@merelk.9530]

Thanks for your insightful comment! Do you happen to know if any of the newly constructed "old-style" buildings will be marked as social housing? That may help with the gentrification issue.

[@diametheuslambda]

Let's be real here, this retreat to an imagined past glory and rejection of the present is a part of alt-right's RETVRN and fight against modernity. The aesthetic absolutism is at the forefront because it screams of power dynamics. The urbanist and social aspects are useful for populist reach, but the cupolas are the point. Which is why there's no interest in meshing with the existing fabric but instead an insistence on erasing it, why the existing functions can be sacrificed, or why there's no interest in hybridising or reintegrating traditional and modern concerns and practice.

[@sussysebb420]

Great comment! I also sometimes miss a bit of nuance from the channel, but it is always interesting to watch a different view than what i get on my architecture school

[@Nico6th]

Since this is a 2024 video I really would have appreciated it if you had included the restoration of the Minsk too. It's also a project by Hasso Plattner, it's also a museum, it's also very close to the city center (just the other side of the river). It's also one of the very few GDR buildings that got restored/modernized. I think it would have made a good addition to the topic of restoring the city and its different phases of architectural history. Oh and just now there are plans for Hasso Plattner/his foundation to build new apartment houses in the city center on the Brauhaus Berg right where there were residential buildings before the war. So you could have connected the rebuilding of pre-war buildings, restoration of post-war buildings, and the building of new modern houses.

[@TheVideoNorm]

The wealthy of Ancient Greece had a habit of donating funds to public buildings and temples which resulted in beautiful spaces for all to enjoy.

[@yorgo6074]

Great Video as always, i liked also the one you did on Architecture schools, do one on Classical architecture books if you ever get the chance....Again great channel!

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you so much! Yes a video about books is definitely a good idea :) there will be more about education too! 🙏🏼

[@mds3697]

Please keep it up with the videos ❤ I hope one day my home town of Groningen will be restored to its former glory 🎉

[@RasmusWitzig]

Wow. Interesting. I didn’t know about this and I am a German. Great Video!

[@Rina493]

Hello. Thank you for this beautiful summary. I live in Potsdam since 1990 and witnessed it all on a daily basis! And yes, it is incredible! Also Hasso Plattner was my chef and I am very proud of what he does. Both museums he built (you left one out..) gain lots of traction and boost the tourism industry. But IMHO also many bad decisions have been made - like the massive main station and the ugly and oversized indoor swimming pool - both right in front of the rebuilt castle. The demolition of the 'ugly' Staudenhof also included a beautiful cafe and a little park.The Staudenhof block had over one hundred available flats. IMHO the downside of this massive project is gentrification. It's nearly impossible to find affordable housing in the city center. And last not least: both museums and the (partly) rebuilt of the canal deserve their own documentations, don't you think? Greetings from Potsdam

[@octaveobsessions]

Germany's Versailles is on the Herrenchiemsee island in Bavaria. Visit and behold a perfect albeit smaller (but cleaner) copy of Versailles.

[@totifernandez9532]

Great long-term endeavor. We embrace modern technology and the future. But every country must also preserve its heritage.

[@tjbren576]

America is so very, very far behind - and now we're going to fall even further behind. I'm glad there are people who are re-learning how to be critical thinkers. Americans have diluted education to the point where going to school here is almost pointless. We'll have to look to the rest of the world to show us how to live - and probably help us survive - if we are even still a country in 4 years time. Maybe we'll be able to rebuild from the chaos and create a healthy, happy environment for those who survive. We'll have to look to places like Potsdam for examples of how to create beautiful, livable places. Well done!

[@martythemartian99]

After watching several videos of yours over the last few weeks, today I decided to subscribe, and start looking into the older stone buildings here in Australia. Maybe I can build something beautiful.😊

[@roniimontfort536]

Marvelous video 👏🏻👏🏻

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you!! 🙏🏼

[@David-v2t8h]

Like to see more of this…and less Miles Van de Rohe

[@413412nc]

I am a lover of traditional architecture. I just hope that, maybe, one day we could get away from merely reconstructing it but get to creatively build new beautiful buildings. I am not just taking about applying the stiles of the past but taking what makes them glorious and using that for creative means. I always have to think of all those art deco skyscrapers that connect a commitment to modernity with a recognition for timeless beauty. But, then I realise what a spiritually empty culture we live in, how all academic institutions blindly follow ideologies of inevitable civilisational decline, and I just give up hope for Europe. Maybe one day we can be alive again, but we need to wait until the current high priests of culture have so thoroughly discredited their 1970s ideologies and backwards, small, provincial hippie mentality that change will be forced upon them from below. Let's hope for better times folks

[@green_impostor]

Finally a video about my beautiful hometown

[@Nico6th]

Yeah, there are two sides to every story. I have lived in Potsdam for a long time. The old castle was destroyed during the war - during the only bombing of the city. After the war, there was simply no money and no need for a castle. So the ruins were removed. The empty space was turned into a parking lot surrounded by trees, flower beds, lanterns, and some water features. It was very much a build of its time. It was still a place full of life with shops, greenery, and a local college. The metal building you see in some pictures was the temporary theatre. The new castle now is the government's seat - yeah, they build themselves a castle, sour spot there. It was sooo expensive. It's also not exactly identical to the original, they made it wider to fit the rooms. Without the donation from Hasso Plattner they wouldn't even have added the historical facade! The now rebuilt residential buildings do look very nice - well, the ones that had conditions set as to how they have to look. The ones in between look so out of place and some are just outright ugly. And the apartments are absolutely unaffordable. The old market now is a lot of stone without any trees, so it gets incredibly hot in the summer. As it is now everyone sticks to the very edges of the place because the buildings provide shadow. Maybe there will be a Christmas market there someday. Overall, a lot of nice-looking things were rebuilt but the comfort of the people actually living in the city was neglected. The rebuilding of the Garnisons Kirche (the church) is controversial. It's still unfinished and will be so for years. There is not just the problem with Nazis, there is also the question of if and why tax money should be spent on building a church. We do have separation of state and church after all, there are two other big churches in the city center and the number of church members keeps decreasing. So yeah, it looks nice now. The tourists like it.

[@AetherXIV]

its nice to hear an actual success story. and props to the Germans! you have so much to be proud of

[@vHumboldt77]

totally inspiring, thanks for posting this

[@antonscholtens4674]

Would be great to see the Paleis voor Volksvlijt in Amsterdam being built again.

[@steelcrown7130]

At 9:24 you said "a college for teachers", but because of your Dutch accent I heard "a Colditz for teachers". As the Institute for Teacher Training did indeed look like a fortified war prison, I could not help but smile 🙂 I also didn't know that the authorities in Dresden were being obstructive, but I did love your fabulous new iteration of the architect caricature: shaven head, glasses, black polo-neck and all! God, but I love this channel.

[@hydrocharis1]

His pronunciation of Potsdam with the accent on the last syllable like in Amsterdam also make it sound extremely Dutch, Friedrich Wilhelm I would be glad I guess.

[@cafeplastique890]

I did not know about "Herr Jauch"'s involvement. Günther Jauch is one of Germany's most well known and liked TV personalities. He hosts, among other things, the German version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", which is still going strong while it has been cancelled in other countries long ago. The reason it is still doing well is because of his personality, he is made for that job, being knowledgable, humorous, engaging and generally a good guy. A few years ago there was a poll in which Germans were asked which celebrity they would most like to be chancellor, and he came out on top.

[@Macke75]

Linda cidade histórica alemã reconstruída. A nossa alma agradece.👏👏👏

[@anders7741]

Very good content!

[@Kingtot]

So glad I found this channel some months ago. Always felt with what they are building in Copenhagen (I'm Danish) was ugly and ruined the history of the city. But apparently its going on everywhere in Europe.

[@frankula4747]

I would really love to see places in Berlin to be restored to their Prussian splendour. Places like Wilhelmplatz, Alexanderplatz, Belle-Allianz Platz, Leipziger Platz & Straße, Königstraße etc. Berlin was such an incredible jewel of architecture and magnificence which truely rivalled Paris and Vienna, and it’s a shame to see the city’s character lost to the turmoils of war forever.

[@youknowme1475]

It does look pretty but Its also important to maintain the old buildings left, not just build new post-2020 ones with no history behind it.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Absolutely, it starts with preserving heritage. Thanks for watching!

[@freelancepear87kakkoka11]

nature is healing, humanity will always prevail.

[@ristube3319]

There was a project in my city where an entire street of slum houses. The city brought it back to original design 1700-1800’s Starr Street New London, CT

[@effektgeraeteinfo]

I am lucky to live just 200m from this place. I moved to Potsdam in 1999 and could experience the development of this wonderful town.

[@daveweiss5647]

The Brits bombing of Dresden and Potsdam city centers so late in the war with absolutely no military reason was not only a warcrime but an act of despicable cultural vandalism. Glad it is finally being rebuilt.

[@christijanrobert1627]

Places in the US need the Potsdam-touch. If you look at old footage of Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland and Atlantic City, all had beautiful buildings and architecture. Today, they are shells of their former glory. Meanwhile, there are numerous places in Germany that could use rebuilding, many of the eyesores in Western Germany along with Chemnitz in Saxony.

[@JTonson]

Thank you so much for this inspiring video.

[@ristube3319]

0:36 ¡AY CARAMBA!

[@sanniepstein4835]

Wonderful.

[@TheImmortalArt]

Great video Ruben! We should talk more about the patrons of art!

[@kilerkai]

I have been there, actually one of the most stunning towns that I didnt even knew we had up there.

[@daveweiss5647]

Also, blaming 300 to 500 year old buildings or architecture because something bad happened at some point in their history is ridiculously childish. Those buildings reflect all of their history and the untold people who built and lived in them. Rebuild them all!

[@HighFlyingOwlOfMinerva]

There are many examples of cities that could and should be restored just in Germany alone (*cough* Cologne *cough), but there's plenty of often overlooked cities outside 'em that could also deffo use some improvement. Be it the UK (Birmingham), Netherlands (Rotterdam), Flanders (Antwerp), Italy (Milan) and so on, the war is still leaving deep scars on them and it didn't help that post-war car-centric minds destroyed the places even further. Hell even the outer edges of Amsterdam have been (partially) ruined by this thinking and with them many other cities. It's criminal and ought to be rectified within now and 50 years.