Potsdam Park Sanssouci railway station
Encyclopedia
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is a German railway station
located in Potsdam
, the Brandenburg
er capital city on the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg line. Named Potsdam Wildpark until 1999, it serves the Sanssouci Park
and is famous for the Kaiserbahnhof
building.
to Magdeburg
. At the beginning of the 20th Century, after the opening of the bypass lines to Nauen
(1902) and Jüterbog
(1904), it was built a small rail hub. In 1909 the Kaiserbahnof (see the section below) was inaugurated for the private usage of the Kaiser Wilhelm II. From 1950, after the division of Germany, the station functioned in the Berlin outer ring (Berliner Außerring), and for some years was served by an holyday express train from Saxony
to the Baltic Sea
. After the completion of the Golm-Potsdam Pirschheide bypass of the Außerring, the station remained part of a short line (however linked to Magdeburg and to the ring) to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof
(in that period Potsdam Stadt) and Potsdam Babelsberg, interrupted to West Berlin
due to the construction of The Wall
.
In the middle of 1990s, some years after German reunification
and the opening of the line Potsdam-Wannsee, the station was rebuilt and renewed. The old platforms and the little rail hub, built in early 20th Century, were demolished. The new name "Park Sanssouci", initially applied for tourist traffic only in 1999, took place of "Wildpark" about one year later.
. Its construction started in 1905 by the volunty of the German Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II and was used as his private station
. The first official guest was Theodore Roosevelt
in 1910 and the Czar Nicholas II of Russia
.
From 1939 it was used by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
at Wildpark Potsdam and, during the Second World War
, for the special train of Hermann Göring
. After 1945, it was the terminus station of the Blue Express, a train used by the Soviet
military command on the route Moscow
–Berlin
.
From 1952, it was owned by the East German state railway company (Deutsche Reichsbahn) and subsequently used as an operating fund, political school, cultural space and for Transportpolizei
; until the closure of 1977, due to be in danger of collapsing.
In 1999, the building was added to the list of UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
On 16 June 2005, the station was reopened after restoration. The building is used as an academy for senior executives of Deutsche Bahn
(DB Akademie GmbH) and is not publicly accessible, except for some periods.
and to some towns of Brandenburg as Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt (Oder)
or Fürstenwalde.
The regional lines serving the station are:
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is included in the fare zone "C" (Tarifbereich C) of Berliner public transport network. Not part of the S-Bahn network
, it is involved in a feasibility project regarding the extension of the line S7
from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof to the station of Golm
and/or Werder
.
The station is not served by the Potsdam Tramway
, but the nearest stop is Schloß Charlottenhof
, lesser than 1 km far from it.
Railway stations in Germany
This article shows a list of railway stations in Germany. The list is subdivided per federal state. Due to the number of railway stations it shows some main stations and links to related regional articles.-Baden-Württemberg:...
located in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, the Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
er capital city on the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg line. Named Potsdam Wildpark until 1999, it serves the Sanssouci Park
Sanssouci Park
Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the structure. A baroque flower garden with lawns, flower beds, hedges and trees was created. In the hedge...
and is famous for the Kaiserbahnhof
Kaiserbahnhof
Kaiserbahnhof is a German word referred to some private railway stations of Germany and Austria used by the Kaisers. Nowadays they are historical buildings part of their related modern stations.-Germany:...
building.
History
The station Wildpark was built in 1868 on the new line linking BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. At the beginning of the 20th Century, after the opening of the bypass lines to Nauen
Nauen
Nauen is a town in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 38 km west of Berlin and 26 km northwest of Potsdam.-History:...
(1902) and Jüterbog
Jüterbog
Jüterbog is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is located on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.-History:...
(1904), it was built a small rail hub. In 1909 the Kaiserbahnof (see the section below) was inaugurated for the private usage of the Kaiser Wilhelm II. From 1950, after the division of Germany, the station functioned in the Berlin outer ring (Berliner Außerring), and for some years was served by an holyday express train from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. After the completion of the Golm-Potsdam Pirschheide bypass of the Außerring, the station remained part of a short line (however linked to Magdeburg and to the ring) to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof
Potsdam Hauptbahnhof
Potsdam Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in German city of Potsdam. It is the southern terminus of S-Bahn line and, replacing the S7 on Friday and Saturday nights, the line .- Overview :...
(in that period Potsdam Stadt) and Potsdam Babelsberg, interrupted to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
due to the construction of The Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
.
In the middle of 1990s, some years after German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
and the opening of the line Potsdam-Wannsee, the station was rebuilt and renewed. The old platforms and the little rail hub, built in early 20th Century, were demolished. The new name "Park Sanssouci", initially applied for tourist traffic only in 1999, took place of "Wildpark" about one year later.
Structure
The station is on an electrified line and counts two platforms serving three tracks.Kaiserbahnhof
The Kaiserbahnhof is a monumental structure and the central building of the stationStation building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
. Its construction started in 1905 by the volunty of the German Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II and was used as his private station
Private railway station
A private railway station was a logical development of the rapid growth in railway transportation during the 19th century. Whereas financiers looked to place their stations so as to balance the cost of the construction with expected revenue from the nearby populace, wealthy people utilised this new...
. The first official guest was Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
in 1910 and the Czar Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
.
From 1939 it was used by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe was the air force High Command of the Third Reich.Air Force Commanders-in-Chief* Reich Marshal Hermann Göring * Field Marshal Robert Ritter von Greim -History:...
at Wildpark Potsdam and, during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, for the special train of Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
. After 1945, it was the terminus station of the Blue Express, a train used by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
military command on the route Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
–Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
From 1952, it was owned by the East German state railway company (Deutsche Reichsbahn) and subsequently used as an operating fund, political school, cultural space and for Transportpolizei
Transportpolizei
The Transportpolizei was the transit police of the German Democratic Republic , whose officers were commonly nicknamed TraPos. It was part of the Volkspolizei and dealt with all modes of transit but primarily with trains and railroads...
; until the closure of 1977, due to be in danger of collapsing.
In 1999, the building was added to the list of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
On 16 June 2005, the station was reopened after restoration. The building is used as an academy for senior executives of Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(DB Akademie GmbH) and is not publicly accessible, except for some periods.
Bürgerbahnhof
Apart from the Kaiserbahnhof, Park Sanssouci station counts a minor building, used as passengers reception hall, named Bürgerbahnhof. This wood-made structure is a rare representative of the station architecture from the 1860s. In front of it there is an entrance gate to the park named Posttor.Transport
Located on the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg line and in a junction linking Potsdam to the Berlin outer ring, the station is served by regional trains linking it to BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and to some towns of Brandenburg as Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
or Fürstenwalde.
The regional lines serving the station are:
- "RE 1": Brandenburg Hbf.Brandenburg Hauptbahnhofis the central railway station in the German town of Brandenburg.-Train services:The station is served by the following service:-External Links:**-References:*...
– Potsdam Hbf.Potsdam HauptbahnhofPotsdam Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in German city of Potsdam. It is the southern terminus of S-Bahn line and, replacing the S7 on Friday and Saturday nights, the line .- Overview :...
– Berlin Hbf.Berlin Hauptbahnhof' , is the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. It began full operation two days after a ceremonial opening on 26 May 2006. It is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, and until it opened as a main line station, it was a stop on the Berlin S-Bahn suburban railway temporarily...
– Fürstenwalde – Frankfurt (Oder) - "RB 20": Potsdam Hauptbahnhof - Hennigsdorf - Oranienburg
- "RB 21": Potsdam Griebnitzsee - Potsdam Hbf. - Wustermark
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is included in the fare zone "C" (Tarifbereich C) of Berliner public transport network. Not part of the S-Bahn network
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
, it is involved in a feasibility project regarding the extension of the line S7
S7 (Berlin)
S7 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Ahrensfelde to Potsdam over:*the Wriezen Railway, completed on 1 May 1898 and electrified to Marzahn in 1976, to Mehrower Allee in 1980 and to Ahrensfelde in 1982,...
from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof to the station of Golm
Golm (Potsdam)
Golm is a locality of Potsdam, the capital of the German state of Brandenburg. The former municipality was incorporated in 2003....
and/or Werder
Werder (Havel)
Werder , is a town in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Havel river in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, west of the state's capital Potsdam.Werder has a long and rich history and is a nationally recognized Erholungsort – a government designation given to...
.
The station is not served by the Potsdam Tramway
Potsdam Tramway
The Potsdam tram network is the tram system of the German city of Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg. It is owned by the public citizen company Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam and included in the fare zone "C" of the Berliner public transport area.-History:The network opened on 12 May 1880: It was an...
, but the nearest stop is Schloß Charlottenhof
Charlottenhof Palace
Charlottenhof Palace is located southwest of Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park at Potsdam, Germany. It is most famous as the summer residence of Crown Prince Frederick William...
, lesser than 1 km far from it.