June 23 to December 31, 2020
Germany, Potsdam, Cecilienhof Country House
After a delay of several weeks, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) has opened its exhibition "Potsdam Conference 1945 - The Reorganization of the World" to visitors since Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Until December 31, 2020, the SPSG will be tracing the fateful days of the summer of 1945 in Potsdam's Schloss Cecilienhof, bringing back to life those involved and affected as well as the effects that can still be felt today, using diary entries, historical film footage, contemporary documents and loans from Germany and abroad.
The exhibition was originally scheduled to open on 1 May 2020. However, this date could not be realised due to the containment measures of the COVID-19 virus. The SPSG is now even more pleased to be able to open the exhibition.
Tickets for visiting the exhibition can be purchased only in advance at tickets.spsg.de. Due to the precautionary measures that continue to apply, the SPSG asks for your understanding that only a limited number of tickets are available and that initially only limited numbers of visitors can be admitted. During the visit it is mandatory to wear a mouth-and-nose cover and to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 metres. Unfortunately, group tours cannot take place until further notice.
Historical Background
In 2020, the summit of the three victorious powers of World War II – the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union – is having its 75th anniversary. At the round table in Cecilienhof Country House, Truman, Churchill (later Attlee) and Stalin deliberated about the future of Germany and the political and territorial reorganization of Europe and the world. The negotiations began on July 17, 1945 with the “Communiqué on the Three Power Conference of Berlin,” also known as the “Potsdam Agreement.” The simultaneous onset of the Cold War would lay the cornerstone for the subsequent division of Germany. In addition, the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to end the Pacific War, triggered the nuclear arms race of the great powers in East and West. Decisions and agreements made in Potsdam influenced world politics up until today.
Exhibition
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Potsdam Conference, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) has opened a special exhibition, from June 23 to December 31, 2020 at the site of the conference in Cecilienhof Country House. In addition to presenting the decisions and proceedings of the Potsdam Conference, the perspective and historical account of the conference participants is included in all parts of the exhibition. The exhibition contrasts objective and non-ideological presentation of geo-political decisions with emotionally touching, personal voices of the conference participants and those affected by the negotiations. The abstract decisions of the victorious powers and the consequential experiences of daily life becomes apparent for the visitor. Well-known historical figures like Churchill, Stalin, and Truman face-off against the great many who remain nameless in history (victims of the atomic bomb, expellees, collaborators, etc.).
The exhibition focuses on four major topics:
1. Berlin Conference – Potsdam Conference: The “Big Three”
2. On the Agenda: Europe’s New Order
3. Off the Record: Asia and the Middle East
4. Turning Point: The World After 1945
Meaningful artefacts combined with multimedia elements produce a lively and vivid atmosphere and allow the visitor to travel back in time to 1945. In addition to the historical palace rooms – including the conference hall and the offices of the three delegations – the famous garden terrace, where the “big three” were photographed by the press in wicker chairs, are also included in the exhibition for the first time.
An accompanying app "Cecilienhof SPSG" is available free of charge from the App Store and on Google Play. The visitors can choose between 12 different languages including English, Russian and Chinese. For those not using their own device multimedia guides are available on site.
Admission and Opening Hours
14 Euro / reduced 10 Euro at tickets.spsg.de
Daily, except Mondays, 10 am–5:30 pm; last admission at 4:45 pm
The exhibition is accessible for wheelchair users.
