Dispute over school containers and Steuben monument: Potsdam is upside down!

Dispute over school containers and Steuben monument: Potsdam is upside down!

The Dalton High School in Potsdam is facing a difficult decision. In order to cover the space requirements of the school, which was founded in 2022, the construction of a container facility is planned. However, this is causing a stir because the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has lodged an objection. The main reason: branches of old trees would have to be cut at the intended locations. The BUND suggests setting up the containers without such an impact, which would, however, entail a new planning process. Until then, the students make do with rooms that they have to share with the Upper School Center I. A truly tense undertaking that is sure to make a few waves.

But it's not just school politics that is simmering. There are also discussions about the Steuben monument in the city. Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, considered a hero in the United States for reorganizing the Continental Army, may soon move from the Film Museum to Steuben Square. Former mayor Jann Jakobs is pushing the idea, but city councilors are divided on the installation.

Cultural highlights and social challenges

On Saturday, Potsdam will also be the venue for the first pub choir festival. 15 choirs from Germany will perform in the Waschhaus, while free concerts by four choirs will be offered in the city center from 11 a.m. - a great opportunity to enjoy the region's musical diversity. Although all 1,100 tickets for the festival have already been sold out, the free concerts are sure to attract numerous visitors. The Potsdam pub choir was founded six years ago and now has 62 members.

But the news doesn't just come from the positive side. A poster for a pro-Palestinian demonstration was discovered in the Holy Spirit Church in Werder (Havel), which led to a number of accusations of anti-Semitism on social media. This demonstration is planned for Saturday and such incidents have not been rare recently. Anti-Semitic attacks, particularly in connection with such protests, appear to be increasing.

Increased anti-Semitism in the region

The numbers speak for themselves. According to the Anti-Semitism Research and Information Center (Rias), there were already more anti-Semitic incidents at memorial sites in Berlin in the first half of 2024 than in the entire previous year. Graffiti, damage to memorials and targeted attacks on stumbling blocks repeatedly make headlines. Rias notes that after Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, the number of such incidents continued to rise. In Potsdam, too, the city was not spared - for example, the “Library of Burnt Books” memorial was the target of a violent attack in which books were set on fire.

Raising awareness of anti-Semitism is more necessary than ever. Pastor Jonas Börsel and the church community in Werder are calling for solidarity and are clearly opposing anti-Semitism by keeping the doors of their church open during the day. This is an invitation to everyone who is looking for a place for dialogue in these challenging times.

The social plans in Potsdam are as diverse as they are complex. While the pub choir festival enriches cultural life, the confrontation with anti-Semitism and social tensions remains urgent and relevant. A look at the statistics shows us that the need for action remains great - everywhere in Germany and also in Brandenburg.