Description of the attraction
The term "Reichstag" refers to the state assembly, a collective advisory and legislative body. The first informal gatherings at the court of the German king were recorded in 754, and from the 12th century the meeting was fixed by an agreement between representatives of different segments of the population and the Kaiser. Since 1663, the Reichstag has operated on a permanent basis in the city of Regensburg in Bavaria.
Construction of the Reichstag building
The history of the modern Reichstag in Germany begins with the laying of the foundation - the first stone by William I in 1884. The complex was built according to the project of Paul Volot, in the style of the High Renaissance, symmetrical, with an obligatory central uniting dome. The grandiose construction continued until 1894 and William II took over the parliament building. Four towers at the corners symbolized Bavaria, Prussia, Württemberg and Saxony, and the dome in the center symbolized the Kaiser. Wilhelm himself refused such a dedication and called the dome a symbol of the people.
The Kaiser did not like the building, he called it a hearse and seriously quarreled with the architect, and by the end of the construction it reached the point of mutual insults. In the end, Wilhelm II refused Volot in payments and awards.
Despite the rejection of the Reichstag by Kaiser Wilhelm, the building was a model of technological progress of that time - it was equipped with toilets, running water, it had its own electric generator, double-glazed windows, central heating with temperature indicators, as well as pneumatically operated telephones and post office.
Reichstag in the twentieth century
In 1918, a revolution took place in Germany and parliament was taken over by the proletariat. Parliamentarians headed by Philip Scheidemann hastily proclaim Germany a bourgeois democratic republic. The number of deputies changed to six hundred against two hundred earlier, and there was not enough room for everyone.
At the end of February 1933, the decoration of the main hall of the Reichstag was almost completely destroyed as a result of a fire, which was blamed on the communists. The government no longer works in the building, but there are various propaganda centers there. The new government also does not consider the Reichstag its headquarters, therefore it does not restore it. During the war years, from 1941, the complex housed the central office of the German air force under the leadership of Goering.
In 1945 Berlin fell, the Reichstag was taken by storm by the allied armies. The walls after bombing and artillery shelling were partially turned into ruins, the dome practically collapsed, and the interior was covered with commemorative inscriptions. A red flag was hoisted over the remains of the dome.
Reconstruction of the Reichstag building
After the division of the city, the Reichstag found itself on the side of West Berlin. For a long time, the building was not used for its intended purpose, since the 70s some parts of the government sat there and an exhibition operated. The first meeting of the Bundestag of a united Germany was held in the Reichstag in October 1990. In the same year, a large-scale reconstruction of the architectural monument began under the leadership of Norman Foster. The historical interior and exterior of the building was restored to the maximum extent possible, and new premises for the work of officials were built. The famous dome was rebuilt, a key moment in recreating the original appearance of the Reichstag. The dome, which is accessed by two lifts, offers a 360-degree panorama of Berlin. In addition, the meeting room can be seen from the domed terraces.
The towers contain offices for meetings of government factions, the office of the Chancellor of the Bundestag, a bar, debate rooms and other premises. The Reichstag is connected to the new part by underground and overground passages over the Spree River. Nearby is the Chancellor's Office, the Swiss Embassy and the Bundestag kindergarten.
In memory of the East Germans who died trying to escape to the west, white crosses are visible on the fence of the Reichstag.
On a note
- Location: Platz der Republik 1, Berlin
- Nearest underground stations: Brandenburger Tor line U55.
- Official website:
- Opening hours: daily from 8-00 to 23-00.
- Tickets: free. The excursion must be ordered in advance (one month in advance) on the website.
