Berlin House of Representatives

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The Berlin House of Representatives is located in the immediate vicinity of Potsdamer Platz and is the seat of the Berlin State Parliament. The building is over 100 years old and tells a lot about the history of Germany.

The Berlin House of Representatives is the seat of the Berlin State Parliament – as opposed to the Bundestag, which is the Federal Parliament and sits in the Reichstag. The complex of buildings was erected at the end of the 19th century in the style of the Italian High Renaissance.

A Building with an Eventful History

When the monarchy was abolished in Germany at the end of World War I in 1918, the 1st Congress of Imperial Councils met in the building and set the course for parliamentary democracy as the future form of government. On March 13, 1919, the Prussian State Assembly met here for the first time, and on March 10, 1921, the first state parliament elected under the new constitution was constituted. Incidentally, the KPD was founded in the ballroom of the building. In the following years of the Weimar Republic, the building lived up to its original function: the parliament of that time, namely the Prussian Parliament, met here.

From Nazi Officers' Mess to Stasi Listening Post

In 1933, the dictatorial National Socialists took power in Germany and in May the Prussian Parliament met for the last time, being dissolved in 1934. Under Nazi rule, the infamous People's Court was established in the plenary hall in June 1934, and from 1936 the building functioned as an officers' mess under the name "House of the Airmen." In the last days of the Second World War the building was severely damaged, and on the orders of the Soviet Military Administration it was repaired from 1949. After that, the building was the seat of the first GDR government under Otto Grotewohl. From 1960 until the fall of the Wall, the Stasi used the site as an eavesdropping post.

Exhibitions and Gallery of Busts

Since 1999, visitors can learn more about the interesting history of the building and the state parliament in a permanent exhibition. Located in the foyer of the House of Representative, the exhibitions also shines a light on the political history of Prussia, Germany and Berlin from the middle of the 19th century to the present. Temporary exhibitions are regularly held in the rooms of the House of Representatives al well. On the third floor of the building is a gallery of 17 busts of former presidents of the House of Representatives, former governing mayors and other notable political figures.

Information

• Address:
  Niederkirchnerstraße 5
  10117 Berlin
  City map
• Please Note: Visitors need to present a valid photo I.D. to enter the building. Prior registration not required.
• Phone: [phone]
• Internet: www.parlament-berlin.de
• Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Accessibility: The house is equipped for visitors with disabilities.
• Guided Tours: Free guided tours on Wednesdays (11 a.m.) and Fridays (4:30 p.m.), no prior registration necessary. Other guided tours by appointment.