Frederic William - Author of the Brandenburg Tolerance Edict - Religious Freedom on Waymarking.com

This bust of Frederic William, called The Great Elector, is the center piece of the facade of the oldest building in Brandenburg's State capital Potsdam.

From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years War, a war over political dominance as well as over the "only true faith" devastated Europe. Shortly before the end of the war, Frederick William became Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg. He is hailed until this day as one, who tried to mend the wounds inflicted by war and religious intolerance.

In 1664, Frederick William issued the Brandenburg Tolerance Edict, giving equal rights to both Lutherans and Calvinists and prohibiting priests to openly criticize other religions. As a result, Brandenburg-Prussia became one of the most religiously tolerant countries in Europe.

An even larger impact had a second Edict, issued in 1685. In October 1685, King Louis XIV of France issued the Edict of Fontainebleau, ordering the closure of Huguenot churches and schools which led to a surge of harassment of religious minorities in France. Only nine days later, Frederick William issued the Edict of Potsdam, which gave French Protestants safe passage to Brandenburg-Prussia and allowed them to hold church services in their native French. The immigration of about 20,000 religiously suppressed French Huguenots triggered a wave of migration not only by French Protestants but also by the persecuted of Russia, the Netherlands, and Bohemia.

The house with the bust, called the Preacher-Widows' House was built in 1674. Electress Sophia Dorothea, wife of the Great Elector, dedicated it to the widows and children of Protestant priests. The claim of being the oldest house in town might be a little bit farfetched. In 1827, the house was completely torn down and rebuilt. The only pieces left from the original building are the bust of the Great Elector and the pediment above it.

Under Frederick William, the Prussian capital was Berlin, which is where he is buried. Potsdam's history revolves mostly around the Duke's Son and Grandson, Frederick I and Frederick II, who turned Potsdam from a provincial town to a capital. There are a number of monuments of the Great Elector in Berlin, but this on was the only one we could find in Potsdam.

In public opinion, Prussia is often seen only as the cradle of German militarism. The author of the waymark, born in Brandenburg, is Prussian to the bone. With this waymark, we would like to show, that - while we acknowledge all the bloody stains in our history books, there is also something, Prussia can be proud of!

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