Halfway between the Hauptbahnhof and the Altstadt, the Alter Markt is the site where Potsdam's settlement began. Under Frederick the Great, it evolved into one of Europe's most beautiful squares and, until its destruction in WWII, remained the city's commercial and social hub. In 2005, Potsdam's government decided to tear down the GDR-era buildings and reconstruct the historic ensemble. Nearly completed, it includes the Potsdam city palace, the Museum Barberini, the old town hall and the St Nikolai-Kirche.