Holland in Potsdam: The City Walking Tour

In 2019, the Museum Barberini released its first city tour:
“Italy in Potsdam” In conjunction with the exhibition of Baroque masterpieces from the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, the idea arose of presenting more than simply the close relationship between the Italian palazzo in Rome and its imitation in Potsdam. It quickly became clear there were many other examples of Italian-inspired architecture in Potsdam, sites that were worth looking at in conjunction with each other.

After the resounding success of this city walk as an audio tour on the Barberini App, it was published as a brief art guide. Subsequently, a second tour “France in Potsdam” was presented as well, both digitally and in printed form, exploring the fascinating connections between Potsdam and the neighboring country of France.

Today, we bring you the third tour in this series: “Holland in Potsdam”

, presented in conjunction with the exhibition Clouds and Light: Impressionism in Holland, on view at the Museum Barberini from July through October 2023. This time, however, the tour was created not just by the museum, but with the collaboration of many cultural partners throughout the city. Over fifty participants compiled an impressive list of ideas within just a few weeks — an exceptional manifestation of community spirit that we were delighted to see. With this shared project, the Museum Barberini and the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg have brought together numerous contributors. The result is a collaborative achievement that elevates the visibility of individual partners and reflects the multifaceted character of the city.

From the many themes that were suggested, a selection was compiled for a tour of the city that will be permanently available as an audio guide on the Barberini App. A weekly blog has also been launched to explore the many different aspects of the relationship between Potsdam and the Netherlands, , with posts by private and institutional partners addressing historical and current topics and events. In addition, a major cultural festival devoted to the theme of “Holland in Potsdam” will take place on September 10, 2023, in the Potsdam city center, and this year the Potsdam Schlössernacht will also focus on the Netherlands. Finally, the city tour is planned for release as a printed art guide as part of the publication series of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

The exhibition Clouds and Light: Impressionism in Holland presents around a hundred Impressionist works by some forty artists from the Netherlands, including Johan Barthold Jongkind, Vincent van Gogh, Jacoba van Heemskerck, and Piet Mondrian. The city tour “Holland in Potsdam”, conceived especially for this show, is now accessible on the Barberini App and offers a tour of twenty different locations in Potsdam associated with Holland. The city walk will be permanently available as an audio tour on the free museum app.

– Dorothee Entrup, Museum Barberini