Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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———
Potsdam was once a shadow of its former self—a city scarred by war and Soviet-era concrete. But today, it’s absolutely glorious. Thanks to the determination of locals and a very generous donation, the heart of Potsdam has been transformed into a beautiful, lively place that rivals its 18th-century splendor.
In this video, I traveled to Potsdam to see how they pulled off such an ambitious reconstruction. We spoke to a developer, an architect, and a local activist to understand how they made it happen. Along the way, we uncover five key lessons from Potsdam’s transformation—and why building beautiful places matters now more than ever. Let’s dive in.
——
💪🏽 Support this channel by becoming a patron: patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city
🔥 Join the course waitlist: https://the-aesthetic-city.ck.page/a2d41beb6f
💻 Visit our website: theaestheticcity.com
✨ Subscribe to our substack: substack.com/@theaestheticcity?utm_source=profile-page
🎙️ Listen to our podcast: open.spotify.com/show/4cU3tcGKXiziKGuvfd3KIa?si=32da1b2ed8f44d79
𝕏 Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City
🗣️ Join our community on Discord: discord.com/invite/wQ7zPKUTC2
==========
🙏🏼 A special THANK YOU to the following people:
- Willo Göpel
- Barbara Kuster
- Thomas Albrecht
- Bart Urban
==========
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the channel.
🎥 Video equipment I used:
Sony A7siii - amzn.to/407B2Ru
Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS amzn.to/3GLYWLw
Sony Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 amzn.to/3zX1D9h
Ronin RS 3 - amzn.to/40hJde8
Apple Macbook Pro M1 Max amzn.to/3L1iHRE
Røde Wireless Go II amzn.to/3IIvGpR
==========
📖 Favourite Urbanism & Architecture Books
Léon Krier: The Architecture of Community - amzn.to/4cVhS8e
Nir Buras: The Art of Classic Planning - amzn.to/3Wjhriz
Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - amzn.to/4cy7CTq
Vitruvius Pollio: The Ten Books on Architecture - amzn.to/4cyxwXh
Charles Montgomery: Happy City - amzn.to/3LldSlC
Malcolm Millais: Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture - amzn.to/3Wh45mJ
James Stevens Curl: Making Dystopia - amzn.to/3zFzN4s
Branko Mitrovic: Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud - amzn.to/3RZTD0s
Tom Wolfe: From Bauhaus to Our House - amzn.to/3S5mgtb
==========
©️ Copyright info:
🎶 Music:
Falls - Histories - QXHTHULGMI6VFDYV
Falls - Thruway - ACTOG4EBF8UHMKXH
Falls - Allons-y - KQTJDEUEL49UYT4F
Falls - Spicy Boi - IU4QYPSS9TKWIUDW
Falls - Wistful - XRYKQYNG6RUXUEUH
Falls - Raw Aesthetic - I2LEM2QGHLMHWBAG
🖼️ Images:
Willo Göpel
2eight, CC BY-SA 3.0
A. Kniesel, CC BY-SA 3
Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2
Andreas Lippold, CC BY-SA 4.0
Angel Miklashevsky, Neues Palais Potsdam, CC BY-SA 4
Angel Miklashevsky, Sanssouci, CC BY-SA 4
ArildV, Marmorpalais June 2023, CC BY-SA 4
ArildV, Orangerieschloss June 2023, CC BY-SA 4
Bundesarchiv, Neues Palais, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14569, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J31422, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Tag von Potsdam, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Walter Ulbricht Neujahrsansprache, CC BY-SA 3
Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2
Flocci Nivis, CC BY-SA 4
George Pahl, CC BY-SA 3
Gerhard Hillmer, CC BY-SA 3
GodeNehler, (3 images), CC BY-SA 4
Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4
Joe Robinson, CC BY-SA 2
Kemmi.1, Belvedere Pfingstberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported
Kiran891, CC BY-SA 4
Max Baur, (13 images), CC BY-SA 3
Mister No, Pomonatempel, CC BY 3.0 Unported
Nachlass Max Baur, CC BY-SA 3
Orderinchaos, Potsdam Stadtschloss, CC BY-SA 4
Pascal Volk, Sanssouci Palace, CC BY-SA 4
Paul Korecky, CC BY-SA 2
Peter H. Feist, CC BY-SA 4
Raimond Spekking & Elke Wetzig, CC BY-SA 4
Regi51, Garnisonkirche Potsdam, CC BY-SA 3
Wikswat, CC BY-SA 3
ernstol, CC BY-SA 3
werdersen, CC BY-SA 4
zerstörte Garnisonkirche, CC BY-SA 3
Head to squarespace.com/theaestheticcity to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code THEAESTHETICCITY
Join the Academy:
theaestheticcity.com/academy
Want the tools to defend and create beautiful cities, without the guesswork?
Join our City Builder Blueprint newsletter and grab the free '10X City Guide'.
the-aesthetic-city.kit.com/signup
———
Potsdam was once a shadow of its former self—a city scarred by war and Soviet-era concrete. But today, it’s absolutely glorious. Thanks to the determination of locals and a very generous donation, the heart of Potsdam has been transformed into a beautiful, lively place that rivals its 18th-century splendor.
In this video, I traveled to Potsdam to see how they pulled off such an ambitious reconstruction. We spoke to a developer, an architect, and a local activist to understand how they made it happen. Along the way, we uncover five key lessons from Potsdam’s transformation—and why building beautiful places matters now more than ever. Let’s dive in.
——
💪🏽 Support this channel by becoming a patron: patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city
🔥 Join the course waitlist: https://the-aesthetic-city.ck.page/a2d41beb6f
💻 Visit our website: theaestheticcity.com
✨ Subscribe to our substack: substack.com/@theaestheticcity?utm_source=profile-page
🎙️ Listen to our podcast: open.spotify.com/show/4cU3tcGKXiziKGuvfd3KIa?si=32da1b2ed8f44d79
𝕏 Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City
🗣️ Join our community on Discord: discord.com/invite/wQ7zPKUTC2
==========
🙏🏼 A special THANK YOU to the following people:
- Willo Göpel
- Barbara Kuster
- Thomas Albrecht
- Bart Urban
==========
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the channel.
🎥 Video equipment I used:
Sony A7siii - amzn.to/407B2Ru
Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS amzn.to/3GLYWLw
Sony Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 amzn.to/3zX1D9h
Ronin RS 3 - amzn.to/40hJde8
Apple Macbook Pro M1 Max amzn.to/3L1iHRE
Røde Wireless Go II amzn.to/3IIvGpR
==========
📖 Favourite Urbanism & Architecture Books
Léon Krier: The Architecture of Community - amzn.to/4cVhS8e
Nir Buras: The Art of Classic Planning - amzn.to/3Wjhriz
Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - amzn.to/4cy7CTq
Vitruvius Pollio: The Ten Books on Architecture - amzn.to/4cyxwXh
Charles Montgomery: Happy City - amzn.to/3LldSlC
Malcolm Millais: Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture - amzn.to/3Wh45mJ
James Stevens Curl: Making Dystopia - amzn.to/3zFzN4s
Branko Mitrovic: Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud - amzn.to/3RZTD0s
Tom Wolfe: From Bauhaus to Our House - amzn.to/3S5mgtb
==========
©️ Copyright info:
🎶 Music:
Falls - Histories - QXHTHULGMI6VFDYV
Falls - Thruway - ACTOG4EBF8UHMKXH
Falls - Allons-y - KQTJDEUEL49UYT4F
Falls - Spicy Boi - IU4QYPSS9TKWIUDW
Falls - Wistful - XRYKQYNG6RUXUEUH
Falls - Raw Aesthetic - I2LEM2QGHLMHWBAG
🖼️ Images:
Willo Göpel
2eight, CC BY-SA 3.0
A. Kniesel, CC BY-SA 3
Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2
Andreas Lippold, CC BY-SA 4.0
Angel Miklashevsky, Neues Palais Potsdam, CC BY-SA 4
Angel Miklashevsky, Sanssouci, CC BY-SA 4
ArildV, Marmorpalais June 2023, CC BY-SA 4
ArildV, Orangerieschloss June 2023, CC BY-SA 4
Bundesarchiv, Neues Palais, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14569, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J31422, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Tag von Potsdam, CC BY-SA 3
Bundesarchiv, Walter Ulbricht Neujahrsansprache, CC BY-SA 3
Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2
Flocci Nivis, CC BY-SA 4
George Pahl, CC BY-SA 3
Gerhard Hillmer, CC BY-SA 3
GodeNehler, (3 images), CC BY-SA 4
Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4
Joe Robinson, CC BY-SA 2
Kemmi.1, Belvedere Pfingstberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported
Kiran891, CC BY-SA 4
Max Baur, (13 images), CC BY-SA 3
Mister No, Pomonatempel, CC BY 3.0 Unported
Nachlass Max Baur, CC BY-SA 3
Orderinchaos, Potsdam Stadtschloss, CC BY-SA 4
Pascal Volk, Sanssouci Palace, CC BY-SA 4
Paul Korecky, CC BY-SA 2
Peter H. Feist, CC BY-SA 4
Raimond Spekking & Elke Wetzig, CC BY-SA 4
Regi51, Garnisonkirche Potsdam, CC BY-SA 3
Wikswat, CC BY-SA 3
ernstol, CC BY-SA 3
werdersen, CC BY-SA 4
zerstörte Garnisonkirche, CC BY-SA 3
