Reichstag Building

Berlin, Germany

The Reichstag building (Reichstagsgebäude) is a historical edifice in Berlin, constructed to house the Imperial Diet of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Diet until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. After World War II, the building fell into disuse; the parliament of the German Democratic Republic met in the Palast der Republik in East Berlin, while the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn.

In 1894, after ten years of construction, the Reichstag was completed and its dome towered above the city castle. Yet the Parliament building remained and, from that point onwards, it has reflected the turbulence of German history. On 9 November 1918, Deputy Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed from the window the creation of a republic. On 27 February 1933 under mysterious circumstances that still have yet to be explained, the Reichstag caught on fire, destroying the chamber and the dome. The Reichstag fire served as a pretext for the Nazi regime to persecute their political opponents.

After being destroyed in the war, it was rebuilt between 1961 and 1971 in a simplified form without the dome, which was blown up in 1945, according to plans by Paul Baumgarten. After German reunification, the German Bundestag decided to use the building as a seat of Parliament again.

Between 1994 and 1999, the Reichstag was redesigned and expanded by the British architect Sir Norman Foster as a modern Parliament building while retaining its extensive, historical dimensions. The accessible glass dome, which initially generated a lot of controversy, has since become one of the landmarks of Berlin. Since 1999, the German Bundestag has been convening in the Reichstag building.

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Address

Scheidemannstraße 1, Berlin, Germany
See all sites in Berlin

Details

Founded: 1884-1894
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Germany
Historical period: German Empire (Germany)

More Information

www.bundestag.de
www.visitberlin.de
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Brandenburg Gate (0,3 km)
Berlin Cathedral (1,7 km)
Altes Museum (1,5 km)
Neues Museum (1,5 km)
Alte Nationalgalerie (1,5 km)
Pergamon Museum (1,4 km)
DDR Museum (1,8 km)
Holocaust Memorial (0,6 km)
St. Mary's Church (2,1 km)


Sanssouci Palace (26,2 km)
Spandau Citadel (11,3 km)
New Palace (27,7 km)
New Chambers (26,4 km)
Church of Peace (26,1 km)
Orangery Palace (26,6 km)
Cecilienhof Palace (23,4 km)
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp (28,7 km)
Köpenick Palace (15,7 km)

User Reviews

Jools (8 months ago)
Great views of the city. Remember your passport ID to get in (even if you’ve booked). However, I preferred the TV Tower and if you visit during a quiet period (look online) it’s even better!
Gomathy Natarajan (8 months ago)
360 degree views of the city from an impressive dome. The audio guide pretty much points out most of the points of interest in the city as you traverse through the dome.Plan to spend some time here to read the history of the building. The roof is very windy and cold during evenings.
Tonko Lacmanovic (9 months ago)
Beautiful building with a lot of history and modernistic dome. If you want to visit inside you need to reserve in advance before coming to Berlin and it will be free of charge. Even from outside it is impressive building and always full of tourists.
Corissa George (9 months ago)
Wonderful tour. I visited it first over 15 years ago & was glad to visited it once again, this time with my family, in 2017. The headset voice tour is done so well. Really enjoyed it & learned a lot! Really good views of Berlin too. Ontario, Canada
Aejaz Loonat (9 months ago)
Awesome government building that is free to visit. Just get your pass from the office and they will give you a time slot to visit, make sure you have phot id. The dome at the top is remarkable with 360° views of the city. An audio guide is also given which tell you the history of the building and its surroundings as you walk up the dome. Highly recommend visiting this place!
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