a town, and the second royal residence of Prussia, in the province of Brandenburg, stands on the Havel, which here forms a small lake, 17 miles S.W. of Berlin. It occupies one of the most beautiful situations in the province. The banks of the Havel are beautifully wooded, while here and there in the vicinity are seen hills covered with vines. The river is crossed by several bridges, the finest of which is that of Teltow, consisting of eight iron arches reposing on massive stone piers. Potsdam is, next to Berlin, the finest town in Prussia. It has broad, well-paved streets, handsome houses, and fine squares; but presents in general a lifeless and deserted aspect. It consists of the old and the new town,—the former on an island formed by the Havel on one side and by a canal on the other; and there are also several suburbs. The marketplace, a large and handsome square, contains an obelisk adorned with busts of Frederick William, the great elector, and of the first three kings of Prussia. In the neighbourhood stands the royal palace, a fine old building begun in 1673, and completed in the reign of Frederick the Great. It contains in the interior the rooms occupied by Frederick, preserved in the same state as he left them. Here are also the apartments of Frederick William III., and of the present king. In front of the palace there are extensive pleasure gardens, containing an artificial pond, several pieces of sculpture, and statues. The church of St Nicholas is a Grecian building, containing in the interior, which is very fine, several beautiful paintings and frescoes. The council-house, built in 1754 after the model of that of Amsterdam, has a cupola surmounted by a colossal figure of Atlas bearing the globe. The garrison church, near the west end of the town, contains the tombs of Frederick William I., the founder, and of Frederick the Great. Outside of the town lies Sans Souci, the favourite residence of Frederick the Great. The grounds are laid out in a formal style, and adorned with fountains and numerous statues. On a height, ascended by six terraces, stands the palace, a long building of one storey, built by Frederick 1745-47. It is chiefly remarkable for its historical interest; the bedroom of the great king and the apartment of Voltaire are still to be seen, as well as a clock which Frederick used to wind up himself, and which stopped at the moment of his death. The new palace, which is also within the grounds of Sans Souci, was built by Frederick after the Seven Years' War, to show that his resources were not exhausted. Near these grounds is Charlottenhof, a beautiful villa in the Italian style. Another royal residence in the vicinity of Potsdam is the Marble Palace, a building at once splendid and tasteful, both in the interior and the exterior. The Peacocks Island (Pflaumeninsel), in the Havel, is occupied by a beautiful park containing many fine large oak trees and a royal villa. The town of Potsdam has, besides the buildings already mentioned, several schools and benevolent institutions. Among the former are a gymnasium, a normal seminary, military, industrial, and other schools. Of the latter, the most important are the infirmary, the military orphan hospital, poor's-house, and an asylum for the widows of clergymen and schoolmasters of the Established Church. There are also extensive barracks, a guard-house, theatre, &c. The manufactures of Potsdam are numerous and important. The chief is that of arms, of which about 800 are produced weekly. Chocolate, sugar, silk, cotton, linen, leather, hosiery, hats, porcelain, musical instruments, and carriages are also made here. The trade is of very little importance. Potsdam stands on the railway between Berlin and Magdeburg. The celebrated Alexander von Humboldt was born here in 1767. Pop. (1849) 39,864.