The Dutch Quarter

Lars Haagen Petersen

The Dutch Quarter in Potsdam

Table of Contents

01. The History of the Dutch Quarter 02. Jan Bouman and the Construction of the Quarter 03. The 134 Houses and the Dutch Architectural Style 04. The Dutch Quarter through the Years 05. Restoration after 1990 06. Life in the Dutch Quarter Today

07. Jan-Bouman-Haus 08. The Dutch Quarter and the History of Potsdam 09. The Dutch Quarter as a Starting Point for a Tour 10. Other Relevant Pages 11. Sources and Further Reading

 

01. The History of the Dutch Quarter

The Dutch Quarter is one of the most distinctive historic neighbourhoods in Potsdam. It lies in the centre of the old town, between Mittelstraße, Benkertstraße, Gutenbergstraße and Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, and consists of a coherent urban environment of red, unrendered brick houses with characteristic gables.

The history of the quarter goes back to Friedrich Wilhelm I, the so-called Soldier King, who wanted to attract skilled Dutch craftsmen to Potsdam. During a journey to the Netherlands in 1732, he had established contacts with craftsmen from Amsterdam and elsewhere and wanted to make use of their experience in areas including construction and hydraulic engineering.

Construction of the Dutch Quarter began in 1733 under the direction of the Dutch master builder Jan Bouman. The first buildings formed part of the second major expansion of Potsdam, and by September 1742 the 134 houses in the quarter's four blocks had been completed.

The Dutch Quarter at Gutenbergstraße.

Although the quarter was originally intended for Dutch craftsmen, its population soon became more diverse. When construction was completed, only 22 Dutch craftsmen's families lived in the quarter. A considerable number of the houses were instead occupied by soldiers and their widows, as well as German and French families.

 

02. Jan Bouman and the Construction of the Quarter

Jan Bouman was born in Amsterdam in 1706 and came to Potsdam in 1732. He soon became involved in the extensive building projects that were transforming Potsdam into a modern Prussian residential and garrison town.

Bouman was responsible for the construction of the Dutch Quarter, but his work in Potsdam extended far beyond this single project. Among other things, he was involved in the construction of the French Church and later designed a number of other important buildings in Potsdam and Berlin.

His architecture combined practical building traditions with the Dutch architectural culture that Friedrich Wilhelm I wanted to introduce to Potsdam. The Dutch Quarter was therefore not simply a residential area for immigrant craftsmen, but also an architectural experiment that became an integral part of the city's Baroque urban plan.

One of the most important surviving examples of Bouman's work is the Jan-Bouman-Haus at Mittelstraße 8.

 

03. The 134 Houses and the Dutch Architectural Style

The Dutch Quarter was built as four interconnected blocks. The characteristic red brick houses were constructed without render and feature white mortar joints, shutters and, in many cases, prominent gables. Their regular arrangement gives the quarter a distinctive architectural unity.

The Dutch Quarter is particularly lively during the summer months.

The architectural style was inspired by Dutch urban environments, but the buildings were adapted to local conditions and to Potsdam's overall urban plan. It is therefore not a direct copy of a Dutch town, but an independent Prussian urban quarter with clear architectural influences from the Netherlands.

Many of the houses have retained their characteristic historic architecture.

The architectural importance of the Dutch Quarter lies above all in its overall coherence. It is not simply a collection of individual historic houses, but a complete urban environment in which the streets, rows of houses, courtyards and proportions of the buildings can still be clearly recognised.

 

04. The Dutch Quarter through the Years

Throughout its long history, the Dutch Quarter has undergone considerable change. It was originally part of Friedrich Wilhelm I's efforts to develop Potsdam as a modern garrison and residential city, but the character of the quarter gradually changed as the city itself developed.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the original residential buildings were adapted to changing needs. During and after the Second World War, the quarter was not destroyed to the same extent as many other German urban areas, but the buildings gradually suffered from a lack of maintenance.

During the period of the GDR, this development continued and several buildings fell into poor condition. Nevertheless, much of the historic character of the quarter survived, which later made it possible to undertake an extensive restoration.

 

05. Restoration after 1990

By the end of the 1980s, the Dutch Quarter was in a very poor structural condition. The political changes of 1989–1990 created new opportunities to preserve and restore the quarter.

In September 1990, Potsdam's city council established the basis for the subsequent redevelopment of the Dutch Quarter. The restoration was carried out through cooperation between public authorities and private owners and aimed to preserve both the individual buildings and the historic character of the quarter as a whole.

The result today is one of Potsdam's best-preserved historic urban environments. The restoration has also made it possible to combine the preservation of historic architecture with modern housing, shops and businesses.

Wanted

 

06. Life in the Dutch Quarter Today

Many of Potsdam's smaller shops, cafés and restaurants are located in this quarter.

Today, the Dutch Quarter is both a residential area and a lively centre for commerce, gastronomy and small businesses. Small shops, galleries, workshops, restaurants, cafés and pubs are integrated into the historic urban environment.

This combination of residential and commercial uses distinguishes the quarter from a purely museum area. The historic architecture continues to provide the setting for everyday urban life, while the area is also an important destination for visitors to Potsdam.

Various markets and events are also held in the quarter throughout the year. They contribute to the area's contemporary character without changing its fundamental historic appearance.

 

07. Jan-Bouman-Haus

At Mittelstraße 8 stands the Jan-Bouman-Haus, a characteristic gabled house dating from 1735. The house is named after Jan Bouman and is one of the most important places for understanding the history of the Dutch Quarter.

The building has retained a considerable amount of its historic fabric. Together with the main building, courtyard, half-timbered structure and garden, the property provides an impression of how one of the houses in the quarter was originally organised.

The museum tells the story of the creation, architecture and inhabitants of the Dutch Quarter and is therefore a natural place to begin for anyone wishing to understand the quarter beyond its immediate architectural appearance.

Jan Bouman also played an important role in the architectural history of Potsdam as a whole. His work can, among other things, be considered in connection with the historical development of Babelsberg and other parts of Potsdam.

 

08. The Dutch Quarter and the History of Potsdam

The Dutch Quarter should be seen as part of the larger urban expansion that transformed Potsdam from a relatively small town into an important Prussian residential and garrison city during the first half of the 18th century.

Friedrich Wilhelm I's urban planning was closely connected with his military and economic objectives. The city had to accommodate a growing garrison while also attracting craftsmen and other tradespeople. The Dutch Quarter was a result of this policy, but it was also an example of the cultural exchange between Prussia and the Netherlands.

The quarter should therefore not be considered in isolation. It forms part of a larger historic urban environment together with Potsdam's city gates, the Baroque extensions of the city, Sanssouci and the royal parks.

For visitors, it is therefore natural to combine a visit to the Dutch Quarter with other historic areas in and around Potsdam, including Glienicke Bridge and Grunewald on the former border between Potsdam and Berlin.

 

09. The Dutch Quarter as a Starting Point for a Tour

The Dutch Quarter is centrally located in Potsdam and is therefore a convenient starting point for a historical tour of the city. Several of Potsdam's most important historic sights are within easy reach.

A tour can, for example, continue towards the royal parks and palaces or towards Babelsberg and the Havel landscape. In this way, the Dutch Quarter can form part of a broader account of Potsdam's development from a garrison town into a modern cultural and tourist destination.

Berlin – unusual places worth visiting

If the journey continues to Berlin, my website contains a number of historic places that can be considered in the context of the shared history of Potsdam and Berlin.

 

10. Other Relevant Pages

Babelsberg Glienicke Bridge Grunewald Tiergarten Nordic Embassies in Tiergarten Press and Propaganda

Berlin Wall Berliner Unterwelten Villa Riefenstahl Strandbad Wannsee Teufelsberg Berlin at War

 

11. Sources and Further Reading

Landeshauptstadt Potsdam:
Holländisches Viertel.

Landeshauptstadt Potsdam:
Platz der Einheit, Bassinplatz und Holländisches Viertel.

Landeshauptstadt Potsdam:
Jan Bouman (1706–1776).

Jan-Bouman-Haus, Mittelstraße 8, Potsdam:
Museum zur Geschichte des Holländischen Viertels.

 

(Click on the coat of arms)

Berlin is always worth visiting

Suggestions for unusual sights in Berlin

 

---

 

Tilbage til top
Back to top

 

Andre glimrende rejsemål/ Other fine destinations:

På dansk:	In English
Frankrig:	France:
Italien:	Italy:
Toscana:	Toscany:
Gardasøen:	Lake Garda:
Malta:	Malta:
Nederlandene:	Netherlands:
Cykelruter nær Weesp:	Cycle Routes Near Weesp:
Polen:	Polen:
Portugal:	Portugal:
I omegnen af Lissabon:	Near Lissabon:
Udvalgte byer i Portugal:	Selected cities in Portugal:
Spanien:	Espana:
Tyskland:	Germany:
Berlin:	Berlin:
Potsdam:	Potsdam:
Bad Karlshafen:	Bad Karlshafen:

Ni breve til geheimearkivar m.m. C. F Wegener:

Tilbage til top
Back to top

"TeamViewer" Remote Desktop Software