ECCAR European Coalition of Cities against Racism

Potsdam is the largest city and the capital of the State of Brandenburg. 170,000 people are living in Potsdam. Since 2006 Potsdam is a member of the ECCAR. The administrative secretariat has also been located in Potsdam since 2012. The city of Potsdam was mentioned, historically, for the first time in a document in 993.

The history of Potsdam was influenced by immigration and tolerance towards religions. For example, the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm issued „the Edict of Potsdam” in 1685. It allowed the Hugenots (French Protestants) to migrate to Brandenburg. The Hugenots had been persecuted in France for religion reasons.

This rule is often simply called “Potsdamer Edict for Tolerance”. In 2008 this Edict for Tolerance was relaunced in a dialogue with the city society. It describes the new democratic self-understanding of Potsdam’s citizenship and is a commitment to principles of multiculturalism and tolerance.

In the year 2000 the slogan “Potsdam shows colours! - together for tolerance and a nonviolent and peaceful living together” was created. It was developed by the local sports association to show a sign against cases of right-wing attacks in Potsdam.

To strengthen tolerance and a peaceful living together, the city administration and organizations of the civil society created in 2001 a “Local action plan for tolerance and democracy, against violence, political extremism and xenophobia”. It is basis for the work of the alliance “Potsdam! shows colours". It is a broad union of many organizations of the civil society, political parties, the city administration and other authorities. This organizations and the alliance work as opinion formers into the different levels of the society.  In Potsdam right extremism and other forms of intolerance are countered by a combination of political and civil society debate.

In 2016 Potsdam has adopted a model of guidelines for living together in relation to the development of the city.  An important principle is, the city is a place, for all kind of people.Potsdam is a city, where it is very important that variety, equal chances and tolerance for all humans, of life draft, age, sex, handicap, origin, culture, faith, sexual orientation and income are respected and protected.

The variety of the citizen wo living in Potsdam, make the city interesting and colorful. Discrimination and exclusion do not have a place in Potsdam.