External Area  Inner Courtyard  Exhibitions and Events Historical Development With its location on the Alter Markt (Old Market The Fortunaportal (Fortuna Gate) was the first The Landtag is not only a place for political The site of the former City Palace is one of the Square), directly in the centre of , the part of the former City Palace to be recon- discussion about the state affairs of Branden- oldest settlement areas in Potsdam. The site Landtag building, housing the state structed true to the original, and was complet- burg. It is also a place where the state presents had been home to various fortresses, castles A tour of the of Brandenburg, is part of a very attractive and ed in 2002. Among others who played a signif- and exchanges ideas regarding the diversity and palace buildings, as the Great Elector Fred- charming architectural ensemble. Designed by icant role in raising funds for the project was of its regions with their various cultural, social erick William ordered a to be built King Frederick II of in the Roman style, Potsdam-based television presenter Günther and economic characteristics. For this reason, in the Dutch style between 1664 and 1669. The Landtag Brandenburg the square formed the centre of Potsdam until Jauch, who donated one million euros. The top the building regularly hosts exhibitions on top- initial architectural feature, the Fortunaportal, the middle of the 20th century. Its rebuilding and of the deep blue dome of the gate supports a ics of current social relevance. was constructed in 1701 and remained almost A modern parliament in a historic building restoration has been the objective of extensive gilded copper statue of the Roman goddess Together with external cooperation partners, unchanged until the destruction of the City Pal- construction measures, which began after the Fortuna atop a gilded column. It is over two the Landtag administration organises tempo- ace in the mid-20th century. In 1740 Freder- turn of the millennium. East side of the building with newly planted Bittschriften- Main entrance with the two illusionist pavilions from the City Palace in ruins after 1945 linde (Petition Lime Tree) (© Landtag Brandenburg)  project “Kunst am Bau” (© Landtag Brandenburg) (© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz)  Musical accompaniment of an exhibition opening in the from 1920 to 1932/33. In the immediate vicinity modern interior architecture of the Landtag foyer (© Landtag Brandenburg) ond World War, the building burned down to the stands the so-called Bittschriftenlinde (Petition Brandenburg. Visitors pass by the staircase on outer walls as a result of a major attack by the Lime Tree), which was returned to its old loca- their way to the Landtag foyer. Originally built first introduced in 2016 to further open up the British Royal Air Force on April 14, 1945. tion in 2015. According to legend, it served as by the architect Knobelsdorff using the axis of Landtag as a place of social dialogue for its In 1959/1960, the ruins were completely a focal point for the population in Frederick II’s the main wing as a façade portico, the room’s citizens. To this end, various artistic forms of demolished following a decision by the GDR time to address complaints or petitions to the exterior is original, while its interior has been presentation and performance – from music state leadership. After years of standing dere- monarch. The original tree was felled in 1949, reconstructed true to the original, including the and painting, to literature and film, dance and lict, construction of a new theatre on the Alter and a new one was planted in 1993. staircase and some rudiments of the vivid ar- theatre – are embedded in the political and Markt began in the late 1980’s. Following the On the west side of the building, the so- tistic interior that still exist. Six original reliefs parliamentary concept. peaceful revolution in the autumn of 1989, the Landtag Brandenburg called Ringerkolonnade (Wrestler Colonnade), Inner courtyard with Fortunaportal (Fortuna Gate) and the decorate the staircase. Individual visitors usually have the opportu- City Palace from southwest, painting by Johann Friedrich shell was demolished in 1991. Alter Markt (Old Market Square) with Fortunaportal originally connected the City Palace with the St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church) nity to visit the Landtag building twice a month, Meyer, 1773 (© Wikimedia Commons) On May 20, 2005, the Landtag passed a Alter Markt 1, 14467 Potsdam (© Landtag Brandenburg) (Fortuna Gate) (© Landtag Brandenburg) Pleasure Garden Stables, the current home of  Exhibition in the foyer on Fridays from 4 to 5 p.m., as part of an open resolution to build a new parliament building Phone 0331 966-0 the Potsdam Film Museum. Partially destroyed (© Landtag Brandenburg) guided tour. It is also possible to attend plena- ick II became king of Prussia. He developed within the outline of the historic City Palace. A Fax 0331 966-1210 In the immediate vicinity of the Landtag during World War II, the open colonnade was metres high, weighs about five hundredweight, ry or committee meetings as a guest. Regis- Potsdam into a residential town, and in 1745 subsequent citizens’ survey in the city of Pots- [email protected] building are the St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas not rebuilt in its old location on the edge of the and it rotates in the wind. The two upper key- rary exhibitions in the Landtag foyer at regu- tration via the in-house visitor service (phone: he entrusted the architect Georg Wenzeslaus dam resulted in clear approval for a new par- www.landtag.brandenburg.de Church), designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel adjacent Steubenplatz until 2016. Not far from it, stone heads represent the ancient mythical fig- lar intervals. The exhibitions are related to the 0331 966-1253/1255, e-mail: besucherdienst@ von Knobelsdorff with the reconstruction of the liament building on the Alter Markt. A consor- (1781–1841), and the Altes Rathaus (Old Town on the façade of the Landtag building – loosely ures of Hercules and Minerva. The Fortunapor- state of Brandenburg and the topics of poli- landtag.brandenburg.de) is required. In princi- Baroque palace in the Friderizian Rococo style. tium of bidders led by the Royal BAM Group Follow us: Hall), as well as the Potsdam Museum – Forum based on René Magritte – is the gilded letter- tal forms the main entrance to the Landtag, and tics, parliamentarianism and social participa- ple, the Landtag building is open to the public After the abdication of the Hohenzollerns in with architect Prof. Peter Kulka was awarded for Art and History, as well as the Museum Bar- ing “Ceci n’est pas un château.” (English: This behind this passage is the Landtag building’s tion. As a rule, each exhibition is scheduled to from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday. 1918, the palace was no longer used as a res- the contract for the building project. The foun- berini with its collections of GDR and post-1990 is not a palace). Potsdam artist Annette Paul public courtyard. Lawns and paved areas are run for three months. idence. In the course of extensive construc- dation stone was laid on February 16, 2011, and reunified German art. won second place in the 2011 “Kunst am Bau” geometrically arranged here, and benches pro- In the corridor areas of the south wing, the tion work, a meeting hall for the - the completed building was handed over to the Since 1755, the centre of the Alter Markt has (“A Percent for Art”) contest with this concept. vide for quality of stay. Landtag also presents larger, freely accessi- lors, as well as committee and parliamentary Landtag on October 10, 2013. It was officially been marked by the Obelisk, made of marble Two illusionist pavilions have been erected ble annual art exhibitions. These are usual- group rooms were built. At the end of the Sec- inaugurated in January 2014. originally decorated with the portraits of four  on the lawns by the artist Florian Dombois as ly organised in cooperation with one of the Prussian kings based on designs by Georg part of the “Kunst am Bau” competition, con- Brandenburg state museums, which contri- Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff (1699–1753). To- structs which are clearly modelled on the cen- bute their extensive collections for this pur- day, Potsdam’s four most important architects tral oval of the Schloss (Sanssouci pose. The selection of artworks focuses on are immortalised in their place. In addition to Palace). They clearly emphasize the Landtag’s contemporary works, primarily by Branden- Knobelsdorff and Schinkel, Carl von Gontard proximity to Potsdam’s main tourist landmark, burg artists. The exhibitions are opened with (1731–1791) and Ludwig Persius (1803–1845) whose counterpart, the City Palace, was once a celebratory vernissage. Access is free for all are also commemorated. Since 2013, the square the summer residence of the Prussian kings, visitors during the opening hours of the Land- on the southeast side of the Landtag has been while they retained the former as their winter tag building. named after Otto Braun (1872–1955), the last residence. In addition to the exhibitions that run con- West façade with Ringerkolonnade (Wrestler Colonnade) freely elected Social Democratic Prime Minis- with the inscription “Ceci n’est pas un château.” The Knobelsdorff staircase forms the link Knobelsdorff staircase tinuously, the Landtag offers an additional for- Tour during a vernissage The Landtag building from the east in cross section ter of the . He held office (© Landtag Brandenburg) between the historic façade design and the (© Landtag Brandenburg) mat with the event series “Art in the Landtag”, (© Landtag Brandenburg) (© Ministerium der Finanzen und für Europa des Landes Brandenburg) Ground Floor  First Floor  Second Floor  Third Floor  Fourth Floor  Floor plans of the building by level On the ground floor of the Landtag building, di- On the first floor is the parliamentary centre- The entrance to the plenary chamber visitors’ Outside the plenary chamber, the Landtag The in-house specialist library is located on rectly behind the main entrance, is the Landtag piece of the house, the light-flooded plenary gallery is located on the second floor. From members, the parliamentary groups, and the the fourth floor of the Landtag building. It sup- foyer with its exhibition area, cafeteria, cloak- chamber. Here, the 88 members of the Land- here, a total of up to 160 interested visitors can Landtag administration are also able to work ports parliamentary activity and political dis- room and rooms for visitor groups and press tag Brandenburg gather in a chamber that was follow the plenary sessions live, after complet- in rooms that have been specially designed cussion in the Landtag by procuring and pro- GRÜNE/ DIE SPD AfD conferences. Landtag publications are availa- designed and built especially for this purpose. ing their registration for the event. Upon pres- to meet the needs of modern parliamentary viding literature and information services. A B90 LINKE ble free of charge at the information counter. In The semicircular arrangement of the seats sym- entation of a valid press pass, representatives operations. total of around 33,000 media units are avail- addition, an interactive model of the building bolises the importance of the democratic pro- of the media are granted separate access to The usable floor space of the building, in- able to users. More than 1,700 new acquisi- invites visitors to explore the structure. A mod- cess, making decisions which are agreed from the two smaller viewing areas on the west and cluding the underground parking garage, is tions are added annually. The library offers lit- el of the frigate “Brandenburg” from Wilhelms- in the midst of the assembled deputies, just as east sides of the hall for the purposes of par- around 19,000 square metres, the gross vol- erature and journals on all topics relevant to haven is located in the right-hand area of the Foyer with seating area and cafeteria the stipulates. The white and red liamentary reporting. ume is 150,632 square metres, and the total the Landtag. (© Landtag Brandenburg) Office of the President of the Landtag rbb studios (© Landtag Brandenburg) Corridor with offices (© Landtag Brandenburg) Landtag canteen dining room GRÜNE/ DIE (© Landtag Brandenburg) (© Landtag Brandenburg) SPD 25AfD      B90 LINKE In the left of the three lecture rooms acces- level) and the Landtag (national level), as well ready public by virtue of the constitution. Here, First floor Second floor sible from the foyer, an archaeological window detached from the walls of the room, an effect as the (County councils, Munic- experts are heard and important guidelines are atives, and the status of legislation, speakers Alter Markt allows a direct view back into the building’s past achieved using a light-gap. Elevated behind the ipal councils, Local councils). The Branden- agreed before the final vote. and speeches.   Visitors’ gallery which can be visited during guided tours. On lectern is where the presiding officer of the ses- burg state parliament, for example, regularly Landtag members have three spacious The Landtag canteen is also located on the (Old Market Square) Bittschriftenlinde display is a section of a large vaulted cellar of sion sits. The president of the Landtag and the deals with issues relating to schools and day- meeting rooms at their disposal for these de- fourth floor of the building. It is open to visi- rbb studio  (Petition Lime Tree)  the City Palace. It was built as part of the elec- two vice-presidents take turns in chairing the care centres, the police, the courts and the liberations, enabling visitors and media rep- tors on Mondays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to Ringerkolonnade Staircase toral palace in the 1660s. The impressive vault- plenary debate and the voting procedure. penal system, economic development, traffic resentatives to attend the committee meet- 2.30 p.m, and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and  (Wrestler Colonnade) 12  in the south wing ed room in the basement of the south wing was In and around the Landtag building, the ea- routes or consumer protection. ings and follow the discussions. In addition, Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. On Fri- Fortunaportal Corridor approximately the same size (18 x 22 metres) gle is a recurring motif – gilded on the south Draft laws are discussed in principle in there are a further eight meeting and confer- days, when plenary sessions are held, the can-  (Fortuna Gate)  as the most prestigious room of the palace im- façade in the form of the Prussian heraldic ea- the first reading. After that, the specialist pol- ence rooms for the parliamentary groups and teen is open to outside guests from 1 p.m. to Inner courtyard Conference room mediately above: the Marmorsaal (Marble Hall). gle, on the state flag as a heraldic animal, and iticians discuss possible amendments in the committees. The idea of accessibility was tak- 2.30 p.m. Four main dishes are available for vis-   Knobelsdorff The floor is covered with slabs of limestone orig- A group of visitors in the lobby (© Landtag Brandenburg) on the lectern as an artistic image in red. The Visitors’ (l.) and eastern press gallery in the plenary cham- committees, which also meet in public. Rep- South wing staircase en into account in all public areas, with wheel- Landtag library (© Landtag Brandenburg) itors from Monday to Friday, including one veg- Landtag library  staircase  Information desk in the foyer (© Landtag Brandenburg) inating from the Swedish island of Öland in the large white eagle originally installed in the plena- ber (© Landtag Brandenburg) resentatives of affected interests are also (© Landtag Brandenburg) chair-accessible entrances, induction loops etarian dish. A separate dining room is available Baltic Sea. colours which dominate the plenary chamber ry chamber now hangs in the lobby, the recep- heard. Subsequently, the bills, and any possi- for hearing aids, and orientation aids for the The media collection is listed in an electronic for registered visitor groups. Around 400 meals  Foyer  Landtag canteen foyer. Since 1994, active contacts have de- On both sides of the foyer, newly construct- are derived from the Brandenburg state colours. tion area immediately outside the hall, as a re- The process for a plenary session is laid ble amendments, are adopted or rejected by floor area is 34,525 square metres. The build- visually impaired. catalogue. In addition, the parliamentary docu- are served in the canteen every day. The weekly veloped between the ship and the state of ed staircases illuminated by generous light Uniform daylight enters the plenary chamber sult of a lively public debate. Adjacent to it is the down in binding form in the Landtag’s Rules of the entirety of the members of the Landtag in ing is also designed to accommodate 150 On the third floor, the rooms of the mentation accessible via the Landtag website menu is available online. Seating on the roof ter-  Cafeteria  Roof terrace Brandenburg, supported by both the Landtag spaces guide visitors from the ground floor to through a rooflight dome in the historic cen- presidential area with the office of the Landtag Procedure. Compliance with these rules is mon- a plenary session. Landtag members in the future, following a BVB / FREIE WÄHLER parliamentary group are can be used to research the course and dis- race, accessible via the canteen, offers a beau- Archaeological and the state government. the upper floors. tral belvedere, which contains a transparent air president, as well as the corridor accommodat- itored by the Landtag President or their depu- The plenary debates and selected parlia- possible merger of the two federal states of located in the east wing, while on the same cussions of parliamentary deliberations, initi- tiful panoramic view of downtown Potsdam.  window cushion. The cushion serves to enhance the ing the offices of the SPD parliamentary group ties. They are assisted by two secretaries. mentary events are broadcast live via the state Brandenburg and . The building houses a floor, those of the CDU parliamentary group  Lobby  room acoustics. The ceiling appears visually and the GRÜNE/B90 parliamentary group. As a rule, the elected deputies of a party Landtag website, just as the meetings of the total of 390 office workplaces. Energy-efficient are located in the west wing. Additional win-  P Key congregate in parliamentary groups. This ena- specialist committees are too. A few days af- building technology keeps operating costs low dow openings and skylights were integrated South wing  Plenary chamber art exhibition area bles the professional specialisation of the dep- ter the sessions, all of the speeches from the and conserves resources. Intelligent lighting into the historic façade on this particular floor.  Office of the President Foyer uties, and facilitates the structuring of the work plenary session can be accessed in the Rund- adapts to the natural incidence of light. Cool- exhibition area  of the Landtag Ground floor of the Landtag. funk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) archive. The rbb ing and heating modules are integrated into  The 88 deputies are divided among a total also maintains its own broadcasting room on the ceilings and walls to keep the room tem- of six parliamentary groups in the 7th legisla- the second floor of the Landtag building. The perature stable. The two seemingly sculptural tive period: SPD (25 seats), AfD (23 seats), CDU building is also home to the Brandenburg State staircases in the south wing are committed to BVB / CDU (15 seats), GRÜNE/B90 (10 seats), DIE LINKE Press Conference (Landespressekonferenz the idea of transparency. FW (10 seats) and BVB / FREIE WÄHLER (5 seats). Brandenburg e. V.), a working group of jour- Central to the political work of the Landtag Opposite the deputies, to the left and right of nalists who report on state politics. are the meetings of its committees. In a sense, the lectern, sit the Minister President and his The rooms of the AfD parliamentary group the committee meetings are the engine rooms ministers. The deputies elect the prime min- are located in the east wing on the second of the parliamentary process. At the begin- ister, decide on the state budget, and control floor. On the same floor, the parliamentary ning of the 5th legislative period, the Landtag the work of the state government. group DIE LINKE is housed in the opposite Brandenburg decided to make the meetings of BVB / CDU In , parliamentary responsibilities west wing. its specialist committees open to the public in FW Archaeological window (© Landtag Brandenburg) Plenary chamber with presidium, parliamentary party groups and government bench (© Landtag Brandenburg) are divided between the (federal addition to the plenary sessions, which are al- Conference room (© Landtag Brandenburg) Roof terrace with St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church) in the background (© Landtag Brandenburg) Third floor Fourth floor