Potsdam is home to the Glienicke Bridge . The current bridge is the fourth built on this site, completed in 1907, and later required major reconstruction due to damage sustained during World War II . During the Cold War , the Havel River formed part of the border between East Germany and West Berlin. The bridge became famous as a site for exchanging captured spies, earning the nickname “Bridge of Spies.” The first such exchange took place on February 10, 1962. The United States released Rudolf Abel , who had been convicted of espionage in 1957, in exchange for Gary Powers , the pilot of a U-2 spy plane shot down over Soviet territory in 1960. In 1985, a major exchange saw 23 American agents swapped for Marian Zacharski and three other Soviet agents after three years of negotiations. The final and most public exchange occurred in 1986, when Natan Sharansky , a Soviet human rights activist and political prisoner, along with three Western agents, was exchanged for Karl Koecher and...

This card from Potsdam shows the stadium for 1.  Fußballclub  Union Berlin, or just Union Berlin. It was founded in 1906. They play at  Stadion An der Alten Försterei, which translates to "Stadium at the old forester's house." It is a single purpose stadium for football and they began playing here in 1920. It has been upgraded several times the last time in 2013 when it was expanded. Today the stadium can hold 22 012 for football, and 35 000 for concerts.  Union Berlin plays in the Bundesliga and finished 13th out of 18 in 2024-25. They have been in the Bundesliga for seven consecutive years, finishing as high as 4th. 

Potsdam is home to the 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam; one of the most successful women's football teams in Germany. They play in the Frauen-Bundesliga and have won six championships and two UEFA Women's Champions League titles. Their first UEFA title was in 2004-05, beating  Djurgården/Älvsjö from Sweden 5-1. Their second was in 2009-10 defeating Olympique Lyonnais from France on penalties .  The women's side was founded in 1971. The first coach, Bernd  Schröder was always looking for new players. He began to recruit former track and field athletes who were dropped by their clubs. New players were offered jobs and apartments by BSG Turbine Potsdam, and energy provider that supported the men's and women's clubs.  In 1979, the first unofficial women's title was held in East Germany. Turbine was a tournament favourite but missed the final, and then again in 1980. In 1981 the team went unbeaten in the tournament and won their first championship. Each player received 50 Ea...

Hennigsdorf shared its borders with the former West Berlin. From 1961-1990, Hennigsdorf and Berlin were seperated by the Berlin Wall. The East Germans built the Havel Canal in 1951-52 in order to avoid a water passage through the River Havel between Spandau and Potsdam, both were under West Berlin control. The canal is still is use.

Potsdam is found just outside of Berlin. Johanna says there has been a rivalry between Berlin and Potsdam since the German monarch decided that Berlin would be the capital of Germany, while Potsdam would be where they live.  Johanna goes on to say that many people that work in Berlin, don't live in Berlin. Berliners think that everything outside Berlin "seems provincial." When I thanked Johanna for her card I told her that's how Canadians view Toronto - they see Torontonians as arrogant and that they view the rest of Canada as 'not Toronto.' In fact, the joke in Canada is that Toronto is an indigenous word that means 'centre of the universe.' I would imagine most countries have that one or two cities they loathe Johanna's card says "Moin Moin" which means "good morning."