The Potsdam town hall was just about to put the services back online step by step after a cyber attack, when further attacks followed. The administration has been completely offline again since the beginning of last week. It is not yet clear when this will change. Until then, the services of the citizen service, car office and registry office will be severely restricted. The most important questions and answers at a glance.
How can I currently contact the administration?
E-mail contact with the town hall is currently not possible, but the telephones and fax machines are working. Telephone contact is via the central number (0331) 2890 or the authority number 115, where callers are forwarded. Anyone who still sends an email will receive an error message within 48 hours, sometimes in the spam folder.
How can I apply for benefits such as housing benefit or parental benefit?
Currently, applications can only be submitted by post. Printed-out applications can also be dropped in the blue-grey mailbox in front of the town hall entrance.
What do I have to do if I submitted an application by e-mail that has not arrived?
The town hall did not receive any emails sent to the administration between December 29th and January 15th and from January 24th. The administration assumes that this mail will not appear again even after the systems have been started up. The town hall therefore recommends submitting the application again by post and printing out and enclosing the outgoing mail and the error message. The e-mail sent is considered the day of the application.
Are social benefits paid out?
The press office assures: The payouts are guaranteed and the payments were made on time.
Is the citizen service still working and how do I get appointments?
The Citizen Service is open, the agreed dates continue to apply. However, the service cannot currently offer all services. Appointments can be made by telephone, the Citizens’ Service is also accessible without an appointment – but there may be waiting times.
Which citizen service services are currently possible and which are not?
Identity cards, travel and children’s passports can be applied for but not issued. Documents that are already available can be picked up and resident parking permits can be issued. The list of services that cannot be provided is much longer: applying for temporary and express passports, registration, de-registration, re-registration of vehicles, business registrations, information from the population register – all of this is currently not possible.
I’m going on vacation and urgently need an identity card or passport – what can I do?
The citizen service can issue provisional identity cards or passports. Anyone who needs an express passport must first make an appointment at the Potsdam Citizens’ Registration Office. This will issue a so-called passport authorization. With this paper, the traveler can then turn to another passport authority in the surrounding area – these are Schwielowsee, Nuthetal, Werder (Havel), Falkensee, Dalgow-Döberitz, Ketzin and Michendorf. However, this will be expensive: for the express passport, which already costs a surcharge of 32 euros, twice the fee is charged, i.e. 120 euros. “The state capital is trying to find a more citizen-friendly solution here,” it says online.
I urgently need a certificate of good conduct, what can I do?
Certificates of good conduct can be requested online directly from the Federal Office of Justice via the Internet. However, this is only possible if you have previously activated the online function of the ID card.
Where do I go to get a birth or death certificate?
The documents for birth and death certificates can be sent by post to the Potsdam registry office, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 79/81, 14469 Potsdam. However, processing is currently taking about two days longer than usual because the documents are notarized in the surrounding communities.
Is it possible to register or re-register your car?
No, that is currently not possible and the city has not yet been able to offer a solution. “As soon as a technical solution has been found and implemented, both the major customer counter and the processing of registration matters for natural persons will be activated again,” said city spokesman Markus Klier when asked. He does not name a date. Vehicles can only be de-registered at other registration offices.
Where can child abuse be reported?
The child protection hotline at (0331) 2893030 can currently only be used to report child endangerments.
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