Without knowing the history, we can say that this is the usual triumphal gate, of which there are many in Europe. But when you remember our grandfathers, you understand that you need to visit here and stand nearby. The Brandenburg Gate is a symbol of victory, a symbol of the unification of people and their families. This is like the Kremlin in Moscow or Times Square in New York. Nearby are the Memorial to Soviet Warriors and the Reichstag.
Brandenburg Gate, photo by Raoni
The Brandenburger Tor is located at the end of Unter den Linden in front of the Tiergarten park. They became the main symbol of Berlin. Once it was one of several gates through which you could enter the city, but at the end of the XVIII century they were turned into a triumphal arch.
The architect of the construction was Karl Gottgard Langgans, and the gate was erected at the request of King of Prussia Frederick William II, heir to Frederick the Great. Langgans used the Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens as a model and designed the gates in the style of Berlin Classicism, which consist of 6 solid columns with five passages (ordinary people were allowed to go only to the extreme). The gates were built in the years 1778-1791; they had a width of 62.5 m, a depth of 11 m and a height of 20.3 m. After 2 years, a quadriga by Johann Gottfried Schadov was placed above the gate (their height reached 26 m).
Brandenburg Gate in June 1945, photo by Weinrother, Carl
Over the years, the design of the gate has remained unchanged, although they had to withstand a lot of shocks. In 1806, Napoleon took the chariot he liked to Paris, but after the defeat of France, the quadriga with the goddess Victoria returned to their place, but since then the iron cross has been in the hands of the goddess instead of the olive branch. In 1871, troops who defeated the French army returned through this gate, after which the square at the gate was called Paris. In 1933, the National Socialists celebrated their election success here. During the war, the gates stood, but were partially destroyed. In 1956 they were restored, and after a couple of years they returned to the place and the quadriga, the restoration of which was financed by West Berlin.
Quadriga, photo by Shirley de Jong
Since 1945, the USSR flag fluttered on the quadriga, and from the GDR in 1957. After the unification of Germany in 1989, the flag is no longer hoisted on the gates.
After the construction of the Berlin Wall, the gate turned out to be in the eastern part of the city, and the wall ugly rounded them. Today there is no wall, and the gates fit perfectly into urban architecture, becoming a symbol of a united Berlin. In 2001, the gates were restored and reopened on October 3, 2002.
How to get there
Take the S1, S2, S25 commuter train or U55 subway to Brandenburger Tor Station
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