The Guardian A snowy night in Potsdam. A lone accordionist, muffled against the blizzard, plays in a cobbled alleyway. Yet utterly bizarre. The place has been taken over by giants.
None is less than six foot four.
Some are approaching seven foot. Wilhelm I, who ruled from 1713 to 1740, collected human beings as a hobby. Ten years ago, a Potsdam pathologist and military history enthusiast, got together with friends to recreate the corps. Anywhere else, the lange Kerls would be seen as a colourful, if eccentric, additions to the local scene. In Potsdam, too, they figure prominently on tourist postcards.