Potsdam Day, also known as the Tag von Potsdam or Potsdam Celebration, was a ceremony for the re-opening of the Reichstag following the Reichstag fire, held on 21 March 1933, shortly after that month's German federal election.

Selection of site and date

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

and Joseph Goebbels selected the site of Potsdam, as it was the centre of the old

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

of Frederick the Great, as well as the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

. The date was chosen because 21 March 1871 was when the first Reichstag of Imperial Germany opened.Zenter, Christian and Bedurftig, Friedeman (1911) '' The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich'' New York: Macmillan. pp.723-724

Attendees

Among the attendees were Crown Prince Wilhelm, guest of honour and representative of the Hohenzollern dynasty, and his three surviving brothers Prince Eitel Friedrich and Prince Oskar, both '' Der Stahlhelm'' members, and Prince August Wilhelm, an Oberführer in the SA, the Nazi stormtroopers. Prince Adalbert was the only brother who did not attend the ceremony."Hitler and Hindenburg on 'The Day of Potsdam'"
(March 21, 1933).

Broadcasting on radio

Broadcast in its entirety on radio, the festivities began with religious services. Protestant members of the Reichstag, including

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...

, held services at the Church of Saint Nicholas presided over by Otto Dibelius. Catholics held services in Peter and Paul Church. Neither Hitler nor Goebbels attended the religious services, instead placing wreaths on the graves of various Nazi "martyrs", including Horst Wessel, but attended a later state ceremony at the Garrison Church. Speeches were made by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg and Hitler, the new Reich Chancellor, who had been in office less than two months, after which the two had a solemn handshake, symbolizing the "marriage of the old grandeur and new power". Famously, Hitler, who was dressed in civilian clothes, bowed his head deeply during the handshake with Hindenburg, who was wearing his full military uniform. Hindenburg laid a wreath at the tomb of Frederick the Great.

Parades

Afterwards, parades were held with the participation of the Reichswehr, SA, SS, Stahlhelm, and others. Finally the deputies convened the new Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House, as the original Reichstag Building had been rendered unusable by the fire. That evening, celebrations ended with a torchlight parade and a performance of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's '' Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' at the Berlin State Opera with Hitler in attendance.

Commemorative coins

A year later, two- and five- Reichsmark coins showing the church and the date "21 März 1933" were minted. They are not rare, but larger numbers of both denominations were also issued in 1934–1935 without the commemorative date.5 Reichsmark Potsdam Garrison Church
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References

External links

*
Der Tag von Potsdam. 21. März 1933
' propaganda documentary available at the US Holocaust Museum. {{Authority control March 1933 in Europe 1933 in Germany 1933 in politics History of Potsdam Wilhelm, German Crown Prince Adolf Hitler Joseph Goebbels Paul von Hindenburg