The Garrison Church in Potsdam, Germany, is a tourist attraction that embodies the age-old metaphor, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Amid all the glittering palaces, lush parks, and magnificent historical architecture that draw tourists to Potsdam each year, the rebuilt Garrison Church presents a rather nondescript visage. Built of lightly yellow-colored sandstone and brick, with no colorful stained glass windows, and no bell tower stretching toward the sky, one might believe there’s nothing to see here. But that is wrong.

The current building is a reconstruction, yet controversy over what its past symbolizes continues to swirl around its newly built walls -- walls many had hoped would not be resurrected, reminding them of the church’s darker history. Heavily damaged by bombing just before the war ended, the Protestant church’s ruins were later blown up by the East German leadership in 1968.

That might have marked the end of the church in Potsdam, which is a day trip from Berlin, if not for the Garrison Church Foundation. That non-profit group worked to ensure the site would be rebuilt and become a place “of remembrance, culture, and education” that explores the history of change, Stephanie Hochberg, historian and foundation marketing director, told us.

The Garrison Church re-opened in 2024. Its tower and viewing platform offer one of the best views of Potsdam’s historic buildings and river- and lake-studded landscape. The reconstructed golden-plated weathervane still sits in a glass case outside the church, waiting for the money to re-install it on top. According to Hochberg, that could be another two years.

The building also houses a permanent exhibition titled “Faith, Power and Military,” which seeks to explore the church’s past in the country’s history and to provide an unvarnished look at that past as well as its historical place.

Yet there are still voices that wish the church had never been restored precisely because of its ties to oppression and Germany’s military history for centuries.

Inextricably linked to the far right, the military, and Germany’s darker days

Inside the excellent exhibition, the Garrison Church does not shy away from its past. While you could and should easily spend an hour or more inside, I will quickly summarize the connections that link the church to a military past:

The church was designed by the architect Philipp Gerlach and completed in 1735 under the direction of Prussia’s “Soldier King” Friedrich Wilhelm I. At that time, Potsdam served as his royal residence and the military headquarters for his Prussian army. The Garrison Church (“Garnisonkirche” in German), once regarded as an outstanding example of North German Baroque architecture, served as the official church for Wilhelm’s soldiers – hence the name.

Due in part to its historic ties to the Prussian state and because the church became the burial site for both Frederick Wilhelm I and Frederick the Great, the Garrison Church served as a backdrop for visits by numerous dignitaries, including Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon after his conquest of Prussia in 1806. Johann Sebastian Bach even played the church organ in 1747.

In 1816, after the defeat of the French Empire, the church came to symbolize German might. Its walls were adorned with captured flags, and a marble niche commemorated the alliance between Prussia, Austria, and Russia. The coat of arms featured three black eagles.

However, the Garrison Church became an undying symbol of evil on March 21, 1933, on what is known as Potsdam Day. Adolf Hitler, as newly elected chancellor, chose the church to host the opening of parliament, just weeks after the fire that destroyed the Reichstag building in Berlin, which led to the suspension of civil liberties. Outside the church, Hitler shook hands with Weimar Republic President Paul von Hindenburg. That resulted in a photo and a propaganda coup that came to symbolize the end of the republic, positioning the Third Reich as the successor to former Prussian might.

A rebuilt Garrison Church hopes to shift the dialogue from war to peace

The church is acutely aware of its history and understands why so many wish it had never been. However, it feels its role now is to educate and become a beacon of peace. "Guide our feet into the way of peace" is an inscription in five languages engraved around the foundation stones of the Garrison Church. It is a Bible verse from the Gospel of Luke.

While the view from the viewing platform is worth a visit on its own, Therese and I found that the time spent in the permanent exhibition “Faith, Power and Military” was the most impactful. The exhibit, featuring engrossing videos including footage of the church's implosion, is outstanding and seeks to present, with all its warts and blemishes, the complexity of Germany’s history and the church’s place within it.

The church foundation says its mission statement is this: “We remember history to learn from it for today and tomorrow. To this end, we offer space for discussion and debate in mutual respect. We are open-minded, value diversity, and are committed to respectful coexistence. We seek to strengthen social cohesion and promote peace and democracy. We oppose discrimination and exclusion, as well as all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, and historical revisionism.”

It's long been understood that we can’t rewrite history by ignoring or destroying it. After visiting, I’m so happy the Garrison Church was rebuilt. May we all learn from it, so that history does not repeat itself through ignorance.

— Story by Michael Hodgson - See more photos by Michael Hodgson here – all available for purchase for gifts or just for you! Free subscribers receive 25% off our markup on any photo order. Paid subscribers get 50% off.