Old Neuendorf Church

King Frederick William IV himself initiated the construction of the small chapel in the oldest part of present-day Babelsberg. He commissioned a centrally planned building on the village green, modeled after medieval royal churches. The detailed design from 1844 was created by Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse in collaboration with Christian Heinrich Ziller. The church was consecrated on January 30, 1853. During the Second World War, the octagonal structure was damaged by pressure waves and bomb fragments. As the roof threatened to collapse, it was removed in 1975; shortly afterward, the vault also collapsed. From 1978, the ruins were owned by the city. It was slated for demolition to make way for a multi-lane road, but this was prevented through civic engagement. Since 1995, the Friends of the Old Neuendorf Church and Neuendorf Green Association (Förderverein Alte Neuendorfer Kirche und Neuendorfer Anger e.V.) has been caring for the monument. The financial burden of the reconstruction was distributed among as many people as possible. By dividing the project into many small construction phases, the amount of individual sponsorship required was kept to a minimum. The basis was a 100% funding of the roof from urban development funds.
The Neuendorf church received an award at the Brandenburg Monument Preservation Prize ceremony in 2009.
It is one of over 40 sights that form part of the Historical Trail of the state capital Potsdam. Here, visitors and Potsdam residents alike can find brief and concise information about historical buildings and the city's history.