Germany: Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
"Here, for two centuries, this gate stood tall as the world around it convulsed."
- Barack Obama
Former President of the United States of America
Quadriga
Overview
Construction: 1788 - 1791
Location: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Architect: Carl Gotthard Langhans
Architectural Style: Greek Revival: Neo-Classical
Commissioned By: Friedrich Wilhelm II
Reason: Prussian King, Friedrich Wilhelm II wished for the triumphal arch to be constructed as a key entry point to the city of Berlin.
Brief History: The Brandenburg Gate has been a continuous presence throughout Germany’s tumultuous history. It was there in 1806 when the Quadriga was taken by Napoleon during the occupation of Berlin by the French. It was there in 1933 when the Nazis used the glorious gateway for their propaganda tactics. It was there in 1945 during the Battle of Berlin in World War II. This list can continue endlessly. Through being present during the tale of Germany, the Brandenburg Gate stands as a scintillating symbol, ageless.
Berlin Wall
The Brandenburg Gate had been built as the magnificent entryway into the city of Berlin. However, during World War II, this gate of national pride was used to symbolize the power of the Nazis. At the end of the war, the gate was in complete and utter ruin, and managed to be repaired only through the efforts of both West and East government. However, by 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed, and access to the gate was closed. This mutilation of the country separated West Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany and East Germany, the German Democratic Republic. The Soviet Union controlled the former while the Western Powers, including the United States of America, United Kingdom, and France, controlled the latter. It was during the early hours of August 13th, 1961, that East Germany built the wall, starting at the Brandenburg Gate. Berliners awoke to find that they now resided in a divided country. However, even through such horrors like the country's division, the Brandenburg Gate stood as a signal for hope. Both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan delivered speeches in front of this gate.
Finally, when the Berlin Wall toppled down in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate began to symbolize freedom, unity, and perhaps most importantly, democracy. After all, the two sectors of the country, West and East, had united in its name. The split had not only represented a separation in a geographic sense, but a governmental one. While East Germany was a socialist state, West Germany was democratic; the wall had been built to prevent emigrants fleeing from the East to the West. When the Communist government of the GDR reopened relationships with the democratic one of FRG, both East and West Berliners flooded to the gate, chanting “Tor Auf,” or “Open the gate.”
Midnight of November 9th, 1989, the Berliners finally reunited. Free elections were held on the 18th of March 1990, and the two jagged pieces of Germany formed a whole on October 3rd of that year. The gate will forever remain to be perhaps one of the most remembered and known structures in the built environment of Germany, contributing immensely to the idea of democracy within the hearts and minds of the people. The Brandenburg Gate is now a beacon of light, standing not only as a testament to the plethora of conflicts the country has experienced, but also the overcoming of such obstacles, resulting in one of the most successful democratic countries today.
Germany: Reichstag Building
Reichstag Building
“DEM DEUTSCHEN VOLK”
- "TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE"
Inscription on the front of the Reichstag Building by Peter Behrens, German architect and designer
Reichstag Building Inscription
Overview
Construction: 1995 – 1999 (Original Building: 1884 – 1894)
Location: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin, Germany
Architect: Norman Foster (Original Building: Paul Wallot)
Architectural Style: Italian High Renaissance
Commissioned By: Kaiser Wilhelm II
Reason: The Reichstag building was constructed in order to house the Imperial Diet, or in other words, the parliament of the German empire. This parliament was then called the Reichstag.
Brief History: The time period of construction mentioned above is only for the most modern version of the Reichstag building; there have been far many reconstructions and versions. Evidently, the Reichstag building has experience its own share of renovation and reconstruction. Although it was completed in 1894 to house the Reichstag, the building underwent collateral damage through a fire in 1933 and World War II. By the time of the Cold War, the structure had no use; although it was within West Germany boundaries, a new capital had been formed in Bonn in 1949. After the fall of the Wall, Sir Norman Foster reintroduced the cupola, made from glass. I will be discussiong this version of the Reichstag building in particular.
Reichstag Building Dome Interior
Revival of Democracy
The Reichstag building was constructed from Germany’s centralization of government after the Franco-Prussian War. On April 14th 1871, the German constitution was adopted by the country’s parliament, the Reichstag. This new German empire had some democratic features, such as the allowance of the development of different political parties. Therefore when Paul Wallot finished the first version of the parliament building in 1894, it was done so from the fundamental seeds of democracy. The magnificent structure was crafted into a grand piece of artwork, already having a steel and glass dome in place of the modern form of the Reichstag. An important aspect of the edifice during this specific time period is an engraving that can still be seen towering above the titanic entranceway into the building. Peter Behrens, a German architect and designer, inscribed the words “DEM DEUTSCHEN VOLK,” or, in English, “To the German People.” This signifies not only the growth of nationalism during this time but also the blossoming of a democratic mindset about how the duty of the government must be to the people. These words relate to Abraham Lincoln’s famous words: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
During the Cold War period, the Reichstag had no purpose. Although it was in West Germany, the capital was Bonn, not Berlin. Nevertheless, along with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the official reunification took place at the Reichstah on October 3rd 1990. As previously discussed for the Brandenburg Gate, this reunification was completed in the name of democracy; the communist West and the democratic East combined to form a democratic Germany. The first parliament representing all German citizens met in the Plenary chamber of this building. Furthermore, 2 months later on December 20th, a freely elected German Bundestag held its first session. Soon in 1995, the Reichstag bulding was modernized for the purpose of this newly democratic country by Norman Foster. This blending of old and new, of the acceptance of yesterday and the welcoming of tomorrow, is what drives German democracy today.
Glass Dome
Norman Foster created a masterpiece from the previous style of the Reichstag; the current form was completed in 1999. One of the foremost aspects that enhanced the building, both aesthetically and symbolically, is the glass dome. This dome, made of 800 tons of steel and 3,000 square meters of glass, is now an international symbol for the government of Germany. If one climbs up to the inner area of this dome, the main hall of the parliament below can be viewed as well as an unparalleled 360-degree view of Berlin. In a sense, this dome represents the country as a whole as well as the democratic government, including its Bundestag, or parliament, that the nation supports and stands for.
Furthermore, the clear dome stands for the transparency and clarity between the government and the people it represents. A direct relationship between the democratic government and the people is necessary, and the dome captures the essence of this truth. The clear glass dome shines light upon the plenary chamber, with the usage of mirrors, as it will continue to illuminate Germany and its Bundestag with the people as an integral part of the spiritually nurturing environment of Germany.
