Acht Ecken (Eight Corners), Potsdam

The "Eight Corners" (Acht Ecken) was a notable architectural ensemble in Potsdam, constructed between 1771 and 1774 by Georg Christian Unger in the Rococo style. This ensemble, located at the intersection of Schwertfeger Street (Schwertfegerstraße) and Hoheweg Street (Hohewegstraße), now Friedrich Ebert Street, consisted of four distinct residential and commercial buildings. Each building featured two corners, giving rise to the name "Eight Corners." The intersection's design draws inspiration from European urban squares like Rome's Piazza Sant'Ignazio and Palermo's Quattro Canti, showcasing a refined and symmetrical urban planning approach.

Situated between the Old Market and the New Market, the Acht Ecken was emblematic of Potsdam's 18th-century architectural heritage. However, the ensemble was significantly altered after the destruction of World War II and subsequent demolitions during the GDR period, leaving only the northwestern octagonal house intact. The other structures were lost; the eastern building sites were overtaken by the widened Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, which had been transformed into a major traffic route, and the southwestern site was replaced with a modern prefab concrete building in the 1960s.

As part of the efforts to reconstruct Potsdam's historic city center, restoration work on Schwertfegerstraße began in 2019 to close gaps along Friedrich-Ebert-Straße. The southwestern octagonal house will be faithfully reconstructed as a musician's house, while the two eastern octagonal houses will have simplified façades and be moved slightly eastward to accommodate the expanded width of Friedrich Ebert Street, now wider due to a tram line.

Despite these efforts, the reconstructed Acht Ecken will diverge from its original design due to changes in the urban landscape, particularly the different street widths. As of today, only one of the original four buildings remains, serving as a testament to the once cohesive and elegant Rococo ensemble that characterized this part of Potsdam.