When Protestantism was banned in France in 1685 by the Edict of Fontainebleau, Elector Frederick William responded with the so-called “Edict of Potsdam,” which guaranteed French Protestants a welcome in Brandenburg. About 20,000 people accepted this invitation, and roughly one-third of them came to Berlin.
The French Church in Berlin (also known as the Huguenot Church) has existed since 1672; its initial membership of 150 grew steadily, leading to the addition of many buildings and facilities. In addition to this “Cemetery I,” there are two others; it is located in the Oranienburger Vorstadt neighborhood alongside the neighboring Dorotheenstädtisch-Friedrichswerder Cemetery and is considered the most significant preserved and still-used 18th-century cemetery complex in Berlin.
