Garnisonkirche

Churches often hold a lot of history, especially when they are several centuries old. The Garrison church in Potsdam is just that, as it is the final resting place to several rulers, had famous people like Bach play there, but also is by many seen as the birthplace of the third Reich.  The church stems from the 18th century and for most of its time was not at all controversial. That is until March 21, 1933. The day that Hitler became the chancellor of Germany and was given power by Hindenburg in the form of the famous handshake. Since then the church was prominently featured in various Nazi propaganda pieces, and seen as an important National Socialist place until it got bombed by the British during WWII, and later demolished further in 1968 by the East German government to make place for a data center.  However, the locals remembered the church and its connection to the past before Hitler. In 1984, the the Society for the Continuation of the Potsdam Carillon Tradition was formed, and started slowly recreating the bells that once hung in this church. In 1991, after German reunification, plans were made to not just being back the tower, but the whole church. Over the years several fundraisers were held, and government grants awarded. This was if course not without controversy, as many saw this church as a monument to the Nazi's, and believed that the ones rebuilding it were glorifying this time. Nevertheless, the building was completed in 2024 and opened to the public as a museum and art gallery.