POTSDAM, a city of Prussia, in the Middle Mark of Brandenburg, and the capital of a province of the same name. It is situated on the north bank of the Havel, which forms, as it were, a series of lakes round the town. The city, which has the general form of a square, is divid ed into the Old and New Town. The Old Town contains only four streets. The New Town was chiefly built by Frederick II. The streets of it, though regular and spacious, arc not well paved ; and some of them have such magnificent fronts as to resemble rows of palaces, though the houses are inferior within, and are inhabited by ordi nary persons. A ditch and wall encircle the town ; and there are four gates towards the land, and four towards the Havel. The palace; which is the chief public building, stands on the margin of the river. It is a noble building, and was begun in 1660. A colonnade, a cupola, and a marble stair-case, are among its principal ornaments. Its extensive gardens stretch along the river ; and on the front of it is a square for exercising the troops of the garri son. It has also a theatre, a menagerie, and spacious stables. The town-house, on the plan of that of Am sterdam, was built in 1754. The town-church, situated not far from the castle, is a fine building. Besides other five churches, and a synagogue, there is the garrison church, which is large, and contains statues of Mars and Bellona. Under the pulpit, which is constructed of mar ble, is the monument of Frederick William. In the
market-place, which is ornamented with the statues of the kings of Prussia, is a pyramidal obelisk of four sides, seventy-five feet high, And made of variegated Silesian marble. On one side is a marble bust of the king; and at each corner of the pedestal, which is of white Italian mar ble, is a statue of the same marble. The places of public instruction are, a lyceum, two public schools, and the gar rison school. There are here an infirmary, a poor-house, and an orphan-house. This last building, founded in 1724, maintains and educates 2000 soldiers' children of both sexes, and has one Lutheran and one Calvinist preacher attached to it. The principal manufactures of Potsdam are those of cotton-lace, silk, velvet, linen, woollen, wax-cloth, leather, hats, and fire-arms for go vernment. Brewing is carried on to a great extent. The palace of Sans-Souci is about three-fourths of a mile dis tant from Potsdam. It is only one story high, with a round pavillion at each end; in one of which is the library, as it was left by Frederick II. at his death. There are two adjoining buildings, one for paintings, and the other for court entertainments.
The population of Potsdam is about 15,000, besides about 7000 soldiers. Distance from Berlin 15 miles, S. W. East Long. 12° 5' 1", North. Lat. 52° 24' 43".