All-day | free admission

The Potsdam Film Museum, an affiliated institute of the KONRAD WOLF Film University Babelsberg, preserves, presents, and educates the public about Babelsberg’s film history. In the permanent exhibition *TRAUMFABRIK – 100 YEARS OF FILM IN BABELSBERG*, visitors experience how films are created, from the screenplay to the premiere. Temporary and foyer exhibitions, as well as the “Object of the Month,” explore various film-related themes.

The Film Museum’s collections preserve estates, films, costumes, over one million photographs, set design sketches, props, movie posters, historical film cameras and equipment, and much more.

On Cultural (Fri)Day, the Film Museum invites all first-semester students to a free visit to the exhibitions (open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). No registration is required to visit the exhibitions. The Film Museum looks forward to your visit.

all day | free admission

Since 2017, the Barberini Museum has been the art museum in Potsdam’s historic center, founded by SAP founder Hasso Plattner. In addition to international temporary exhibitions, since 2020 it has been showcasing the founder’s extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including works by Monet, Renoir, and Signac. Upcoming exhibitions will focus on artists such as Liebermann and Signac, as well as themes like the unicorn in art.

Since February 2025, the Barberini Studio has provided a space for creative encounters. The Barberini Art Club is aimed at 17- to 30-year-olds and offers monthly workshops, exhibition visits, and opportunities for exchange. The Barberini also regularly hosts a get-together. This fall, it will take place for the third time on October 8, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

All students receive free admission on Cultural (Fri)Day upon presentation of their student ID.

2 p.m. | Free Guided Tour

Setareh Alipour and Doreen Löwe are offering a guided tour for students of the Langer Stall and the new Kreativ Quartier in the city center. 

Meeting place: Neue Plantage 6. To register, send an email with the subject line “Anmeldung KulturFreiTag” to genossenschaft(at)langer-stall.de. 

2.30 p.m.| Free Guided Tour

Many students see it almost every day: the New Palace on the edge of Sanssouci Park. This grand complex was clearly intended for ceremonial purposes, in stark contrast to the intimate and rather modest Sanssouci Palace. Inside, visitors will find magnificent ballrooms, grand galleries, and lavishly furnished apartments, as well as the Baroque Sanssouci Palace Theater in the south wing. The New Palace is the last palace that Frederick the Great had built in his park. In addition, Wilhelm II, the last German emperor, used the New Palace as a favorite residence for himself and his family.
The recently restored Lower Princely Quarters, featuring the Tressen Room, the Concert Room, and the Oval Cabinet, showcase one of the most exquisite interiors in Europe. Likewise, following extensive renovation work, the Grotto Hall has once again been integrated into the tour of the palace.

The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation is offering a guided tour of the New Palace at 2:30 p.m. as part of Cultural (Fri)Day. The meeting time is 2:15 p.m. (the location will be announced upon registration). Registration via the form.

4 p.m. | Free Guided Tour

The Nikolaisaal Potsdam invites you to take a look behind the scenes and discover Potsdam’s most interesting concert hall. On a guided tour of the Nikolaisaal, you’ll not only experience a historic building but also get a firsthand look at the preparations for that evening’s concert. Registration via the form.

4.30 p.m. | Free Guided Tour

Located in the heart of downtown Potsdam, the Lindenstraße Memorial stands as a testament to the history of political persecution and violence under the various dictatorships of the 20th century in Germany—but also to the triumph of democracy during the Peaceful Revolution of 1989–90.

On Cultural (Fri)Day, current students at the University of Potsdam who serve as guides at the memorial will offer a tour of the building. Registration via the form.

5 p.m. | Free Guided Tour
all day | Free Admission to the Special Exhibitions 

Guided Tour

Exhibition “Potsdam: A City Makes History”
1,000 Years of City History—historical highlights, traditions, famous figures, anecdotes, and curiosities. With Anke Stemmann, Education & Outreach, Potsdam Museum. Registration via the form.

Free admission to both special exhibitions

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; code word “KulturFreiTag”

Room for Something New? Visions for the Old Market 1945–2025
The Alter Markt, once an Italian-style gem admired throughout Europe, became the scene of often heated debates—both before and after 1990—following its destruction in 1945. Caught between reconstruction, GDR-era buildings, and new urban concepts, it remained for a long time a vacant lot, green space, parking lot, or construction site. Historical models, plans, photographs, works of art, and filmed interviews shed light on this transformation. How much of the past does the city of tomorrow need?

Christopher Lehmpfuhl | Alter Markt Potsdam
Potsdam’s Alter Markt as a studio: For a year, plein air artist Christopher Lehmpfuhl painted the square from various perspectives and during different seasons. Using only his bare hands, Lehmpfuhl applies the oil paints in thick, impasto strokes, translating what he sees and feels into dense, physical paintings. The exhibition features a series of over 30 works.

Apart from that, our permanent exhibition “Potsdam: A City Makes History” is always free of charge.

6 p.m. | Show

A Journey Through the Universe. We’ll take you on a journey through the universe. Starting from Earth, we’ll explore space in an impressive 360° format and venture into infinite expanses. All students get free admission to this show (proof of student status required). Please reserve your seats in advance at www.urania-planetarium.de.

Start of the semester? Pub a la Pub and Waschhaus are teaming up to throw a party—let’s kick off the semester “Pubwards”!

Get ready for 3 dance floors packed with great music:

🔥 Latin, Afro & Hip-Hop
🎶 Charts with your all-time-favourites and current hits
⚡ Trancendence with Trance Bounce & Hard Bounce for everyone, who wants to rave into the morning hours.

Whether you’re a freshman or a veteran—everyone is welcome.

Admission for students: €6 | General admission: €8 — The pub is giving away a few free tickets for the evening. Registration via the form.

See you on the dance floor! 💃🕺🪩

October 31, 2026 | Dance/Performance

Crazy Smooth / Bboyizm (Gatineau, Canada)

They say the bravest thing dancers can do is grow old. For B-Boys and B-Girls, this journey borders on heroism. In *In My Body*, Canadian choreographer Crazy Smooth explores the tension between the dancers’ apparent invincibility on stage and their vulnerability in the face of aging. The focus is on the body—the most important means of expression and, at the same time, a place where time, experience, and change become visible. The intergenerational cast unfolds an athletic and moving reflection on identity, perseverance, and the personal development of street dancers. As a dancer, choreographer, and mentor, Crazy Smooth has been one of the defining figures of Canadian street dance since 1997 and has played a key role in shaping its development far beyond the country’s borders.

The fabrik Potsdam is offering free tickets for this event. On the ticket page, enter the code UP-START under “Promotional Code.” You can then select a seat and book a “KulturFreiTag Special Ticket.”

November 19, 2026 | Reading | LIT:potsdam @ Nikolaisaal Potsdam

Powerful Words in Beautiful Places

On November 19, Dörte Hansen will present her new novel, “Broder,” at the Nikolaisaal. For 14 years, the LIT:potsdam festival has been bringing top-tier authors to Potsdam. In 2027, LIT:potsdam will take place from June 1–6. Save the date and sign up for the “Get to Know LIT:potsdam” promotion: Students, apprentices, and FSJ participants pay €8 instead of €25 for a reading ticket.

The Potsdam Literature Festival invites you and is giving away 4 free tickets to the fall reading with Dörte Hansen to kick off the semester! If you’d like to attend the reading, please register via the form.