How did this unassuming hill earn the nickname “Potsdamer Tschimborasso”? We are standing at the foot of Brauhausberg, a name forever intertwined with beer and history. Brauhausberg, you see, translates to “Brewery Hill”. This name dates back to the 18th century when a royal brewery, the “Ku00f6nigsbrauerei,” was established here. The brewery thrived, even carving storage tunnels into the hill itself. These tunnels, still visible today, were ingeniously used to store ice from the nearby Havel River. This natural refrigeration kept the beer cool during the warmer months. But Brauhausberg’s story extends far beyond brewing. The nickname “Potsdamer Tschimborasso,” coined by none other than Alexander von Humboldt, speaks to its perceived grandeur, albeit with a touch of irony. Humboldt, after attempting to scale the real Chimborazo in South America, found humor in comparing this relatively small hill to the mighty Andean peak. Overlooking the city, Brauhausberg has witnessed Potsdam’s evolution. It has housed vineyards, military structures, and even a grand war school designed by Franz Schwechten which later became the Brandenburg State Parliament building. Today, Brauhausberg is a blend of old and new. The legacy of the brewery lives on in the hill’s name, a reminder of a time when beer flowed freely down its slopes. The “Potsdamer Tschimborasso” may not reach South American heights but its stories are just as compelling, etched into the very fabric of Potsdam.
Rote Villa
Why is it called the *Rote Villa*, you might wonder, as you stand before this striking building? Well, its nickname,