Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin's most important monuments, a landmark and symbol with over two hundred years of history. Hardly any other sight is on so many tourist selfies as the great sandstone gate in the heart of the city. The Brandenburg Gate used to be memorial of division - after the construction of the Berlin Wall, it was located in the restricted area and could not be visited by East or West Germans. After the fall of the Wall, the gate became a symbol of German unity.

Berlin owes the Brandenburg Gate to King Frederick William II, who had commissioned the large sandstone gate as a dignified conclusion of the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden. The gate is widely considered one of the most beautiful buildings of classicism. It was built between 1788 and 1791 based on designs by Carl Gotthard Langhans the Elder, who was strongly inspired by the Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis. Two years after the Brandenburg Gate was completed, the so-called Quadriga - a chariot pulled by four horse - was placed on the roof of the gate.

The Brandenburg Gate acquired special symbolic power during the time when Berlin was divided. With the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, the monument led a lonely existence because it was henceforth in the restricted area and could be visited neither by East Berliners nor by people from the West. With the fall of the Wall in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate became a symbol of reunification. On December 22, 1989, the gate was opened to the cheers of more than 100,000 people. However, the Quadriga was so badly damaged by the reunification celebrations that it had to be restored two years later.

The Brandenburg Gate is located right in the center of the city, so damage to the substance of the sandstone is inevitable. The annual New Year's Eve fireworks over the gate also caused lasting damage to the structure. Therefore, after a restoration phase of almost two years, the Brandenburg Gate was ceremoniously unveiled again on October 3, 2002. Since then it has once again become a magnet for tourists from all over the world.

The Brandenburg Gate is located in the center of Berlin on Pariser Platz ("Parisian Square"), one of the most beautiful squares in the city. The magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden leads directly to the square, which is lined with numerous noteworthy buildings such as the luxury hotel Adlon Kempinski, the University of the Arts, and the US Embassy. The surrounding cafés and restaurants invite visitors to stay a while and take in the special atmosphere.