Reichstag building

• 1. Imperial Construction And Design

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  The foundation stone for the Reichstag building was laid on the 9th of June 1884 by Wilhelm I. This event took place at the east side of Königsplatz in Berlin. The project began well after Germany unified in 1871. An architectural contest with 200 participating architects determined the final design. Paul Wallot won this competition held in 1882. His Neo-Baroque plan drew direct inspiration from Philadelphia's Memorial Hall. Wallot adorned the façade with crowns and eagles to symbolize imperial strength. Four corner towers represented Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg. Sculptor Otto Lessing created decorative sculptures and reliefs for the exterior. Construction finished in 1894 under Philipp Holzmann A.G. Wilhelm II viewed parliamentary democracy with more jaundiced eyes than his grandfather. The original steel and glass cupola stood as an engineering feat. Critics widely condemned its mixture of architectural styles.

• 2. The Reichstag Fire Of 1933

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  An arson attack gutted most of the Reichstag building on the 27th of February 1933. This occurred precisely four weeks after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Marinus van der Lubbe appeared to be the Dutch council communist culprit. Hitler used the fire as a pretext to claim Communists plotted against the government. He induced President Paul von Hindenburg to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree. This decree suspended civil liberties across the nation. The building remained unused for parliamentary sessions during the next 12 years of Nazi rule. The nearby Kroll Opera House served as the legislative chamber instead. By 1943, the structure functioned as a hospital and radio tube manufacturing facility by AEG. The fire became a pivotal event in entrenching the Nazi regime. It allowed the suspension of democratic rights through legal decrees. The Red Army later targeted the ruins due to their symbolic significance.

• 3. War Damage And Cold War Ruins

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  West Berliners assembled before the ruined building on the 9th of September 1948 during the Berlin Blockade. Mayor Ernst Reuter delivered a famous speech ending with words urging the world to look upon the city. The cupola had been heavily damaged in the war and was dismantled. Reconstruction started in 1961 under the guidance of Paul Baumgarten. The outside façade became simpler with ornaments and statues removed. The project completed by 1971. The Four Power Agreement placed Berlin formally outside East or West Germany bounds. The West German parliament could not assemble there until 1990. Occasional representative meetings occurred within the ruins. British rock band Barclay James Harvest gave a free concert on the 30th of August 1980. Tangerine Dream performed another concert on the 29th of August 1981. The Bethke brothers landed ultralight airplanes in front of the Reichstag on the 26th of May 1989. They used these planes to defect from East Germany.

• 4. Reunification And Parliamentary Return

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  The official German reunification ceremony took place at the Reichstag building on the 3rd of October 1990. Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Richard von Weizsäcker attended this event. Huge firework displays marked the occasion. The united German parliament assembled there as a symbolic act the following day. A fierce debate determined whether government and parliament would return to Berlin from Bonn. This session concluded on the 20th of June 1991 with a slim majority favoring the move back to Berlin. Norman Foster was asked to include a dome solution on the 21st of June 1994. His plans were submitted on the 10th of February 1995. Before reconstruction began, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the entire building in 1995. Millions of visitors viewed this project financed by selling preparatory drawings and collages. The keys were ceremonially handed over to Wolfgang Thierse on the 19th of April 1999.

• 5. Norman Foster Reconstruction Project

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  Norman Foster fundamentally redesigned the Reichstag between 1995 and 1999 for permanent parliamentary use. The building was almost completely gutted during construction. Only outer walls remained including all changes made by Baumgarten in the 1960s. Bullet holes and graffiti left by Soviet soldiers after the final battle were retained visibly. Graffiti considered offensive was removed in agreement with Russian diplomats. Respect for historic aspects was a condition stipulated to the architects. Traces of historical events had to be visible in a state. Reconstruction finished in 1999 when the Bundestag convened there officially for the first time. The seat of parliament transferred to the new facility in April of that year. The project preserved scars while adding modern facilities. This approach honored the building's complex history through physical preservation.

• 6. The Glass Dome And Public Access

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  A large glass dome now sits at the very top of the Reichstag structure. It offers a 360° view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. Natural light from above radiates down to the parliament floor below. A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically. This system blocks direct sunlight which would cause solar gain or dazzle those inside. Construction work on the dome finished in 1999. The dome is open to visitors by prior registration. The main hall debating chamber can also be seen from inside the dome. The redesigned walk-in glass dome was proposed by artist and architect Gottfried Böhm. The Reichstag stands as the second most visited attraction in Germany today. Visitors gain an impressive view over the city especially at night.