Schwielowsee (municipality)

Schwielowsee is a municipality in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Schwielowsee lake, through which the River Havel flows. The municipality was founded on December 31, 2002 in merger of the three villages Caputh, Geltow and Ferch. The Caputh Ferry, a cable ferry across the Havel, links Caputh and Geltow. In the east Schwielowsee shares border with the City of Potsdam, in the west with the town of Werder (Havel).

History

Geltow (together with Potsdam) was first mentioned as Slavic Geliti within the Hevelli lands in a 993 deed by Emperor Otto III, who ceded it to his aunt, abbess Matilda of Quedlinburg. The ford in the Havel had been a significant river-crossing since ancient times. Today the Bundesstraße 1 federal highway crosses the river at the Baumgartenbrücke.

Sights

Caputh

Caputh got a railway station in 1904. Since early 20th century it was appraised as a remote residencial area by wealthy urban people.

• Caputh Palace, built in 1662 by Philip de Chiese, quartermaster general of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg. In 1671 Frederick William gave the palace to his second wife Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Notable is the Tile Hall (Fliesensaal) of 1720 with about 7,500 pieces of Delftware tiles, placed by order of King Frederick William I of Prussia. The park was designed by Peter Joseph Lenné in 1820.

• The Caputh village church is a work by Friedrich August Stüler. Built in a basilica form, it was consecrated in 1852 in the presence of King Frederick William IV of Prussia.

• Summer house of Albert Einstein in Caputh, built in 1929. Einstein, though a non swimmer, was a passionate recreational sailor on the lake, but was only able to use his retreat until the Nazi takeover in 1933. After German reunification and the restitution to the Einstein family, the house is now a property of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Geltow

Geltow was always passed by a lot of strangers on the main road. Like Caputh it has a railway station since 1904. The village church of Geltow was built according to plans of the unlucky Emperor Frederick III after the model of the church of Terlano in Tyrol, with glazed roof tiles and a spire outside the nave. It was consecrated in 1887. Friedrich's last visit on June 6, 1888 was perpetuated by Theodor Fontane in his poem Kaiser Friedrich III. Letzte Fahrt.

Caputh and Geltow are connected by one of the busiest ferries of river Havel and by a railway bridge with a sidewalk,

Ferch

The fishermens' village of ferch on the southwestern end of lake Schwielowsee kept its rural character into late 20th century, though it was visited by lots of weekend tourists by boat since late 19th century. And a colony of painters settled there, too.

• The village church of Ferch has been built in 1635. Galleries allow assemblies of a numerous congregation in the small building. The wooden barrel-vault has the structure of a boat.

References