The Reichstag is a monumental building from the founder time of the German Reich; it is over 100 years old has an interesting history and has a succinct silhouette. The founding of the German Reich in 1871 was the main factor in the creation of the splendour building at the Tiergarten.

The Reich's government was looking at that time for a new residence. The arguments about the blueprints for the building took for ever, until in 1884 the building started with the plans by Paul Wallot. It took ten years before the Reich's government was able to move into this splendid house.

Its most politically important time had the Reichstag from 1918-1933. The social democrat Scheidemann proclaimed from here, after the 1st World War, the Weimar Republic. Until Hitler came to power in 1933 the Reichstag was a stage of German's first democracy. The Reichstag fire in 1933 was used by the Nazis as opportunity to abolish the most important base rights of the Weimar Constitution. After the fire, the Reichstag building wasn't used anymore. Hitler's pretend parliament moved into the house in the Krolloper opposite the Reichstag.

The Reichstag fell victim to fierce bombing during the 2nd World War and was nearly totally destroyed. Fierce fighting took place in Berlin for the capture of the symbolic Reichstag. The photo of the flag hoisting by soldiers of the Red Army at the main cornice of the Reichstag's east facade became world famous.

The cupola had to be detonated in 1954. It was rebuilt in the sixties in a simplified version. The Reichstag housed until the eighties the permanent exhibition 'Questions to the German History'.

image author: Gisela Pape

But, the Reichstag was also tragic place. There were many attempts to cross the border over to West Berlin, since the construction of the wall in 1961. The crosses next to the Reichstag in the Tiergarten act as a memorial to the people who lost their lives on the wall.