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Many wait for weeks to secure a reservation to the Reichstag in Berlin.
We talked our way in!
Let me explain…
A friend of mine, Vadim, showed me a historic photograph, taken on May 2, 1945 by Yevgeny Khaldei, of two Soviet soldiers raising the flag of the Soviet Union atop the Reichstag building during the Battle of Berlin on May 2, 1945. Regarded as one of the most recognizable images of World War II, I remembered seeing it before, but never realized that it had been taken up on the Reichstag.
Vadim, a Russian by birth, wanted to visit the site of this picture, an important point in Soviet history, symbolizing the victory of the USSR over Germany. Checking the Reichstag website and discovering that visits were allowed by reservation only, he also discovered that the only reservations available for the next day were much earlier than our scheduled arrival.
Deciding to fill out the reservation form despite not being able to make the time slot and applying for a party of five, he included a note explaining that we would not actually be arriving in Berlin until much later…”Would it be okay to use the reservation later in the day?” Though he received a confirmation, it was apparent that it was auto-generated and no one had actually read his comments.
Later in the day, we made our way to the Reichstag, confirmation in hand, not really expecting to be allowed admittance. Approaching a security official, we explained our situation and we were allowed us inside to speak to another official.
First hurdle down…our foot was in the door.
Relating our story once again, we were shocked when the official returned, after checking with another person of authority, and informed us that we would be allowed inside. YES!
“Passports please.”
What? No one told us that we needed to bring our passports! Explaining that we did not realize that passports were necessary, we offered our drivers licenses. Thankfully, this was acceptable!
Second hurdle down.
As the official checked off our names, it was apparent that Vadim had made up our birthdays (I love him…he thinks I am eight years younger!). Crossing off the registered dates, surprisingly, he corrected each and uttered no complaint…until…the last name. One of the women registered to visit was not present…instead, another had come in her place.
A look of frustration crossed his face and I think we all half-expected to be thrown out of the building. Again, he left the table to speak with his superior.
We all thought, “This is where he returns with a big, fat, German NO”. “Nein!”
As he returned to his chair, he looked down at his manifest, crossed out the erroneous name, wrote in the replacement and directed us to the security checkpoint.
We were in!
Now what? Honestly, I have to admit that aside from knowing that this was a historic building, we really did not know what we were going in to see. After ascending to the roof and receiving our complimentary audio guide, we headed out to the dome to find out.
The Reichstag building was opened in 1894 and was modeled after the Memorial Hall in Philidelphia to house the Imperial Diet of the German Empire. After being severely damaged by fire in 1933, the building was abandoned for its original intent, as the parliament of the German Democratic Republic (the Volkskammer) met in the Palast der Republik in East Berlin and the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany (the Bundestag) met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn. The building was further damaged by air raids and during the Battle of Berlin in 1945, it was captured by the Red Army.
Although an attempt was made in the 1960s to refurbish the building, a full restoration was finally completed after the German reunification on October 3, 1990. At the culmination of the project, the building once again became the meeting place of the Bundestag.
As we entered the large dome which sits atop the Reichstag, we admired the 360-degree views of Berlin while ascending the steel ramps that curve upwards to the top of the dome. Our audio guides continued to give commentary, but changed from the history of the building to the surrounding landscapes and buildings in the city. At the top of the dome, the opening allows for ventilation and there is seating available for those wishing to take a rest and enjoy the views.
The main hall and debating chamber of the Bundestag could be seen through the glass enclosure beneath the mirrored cone at the center of the dome. This cone directs light into the Riechstag, increasing energy efficiency and giving visitors a view of the parliamentary proceedings when in action. Reservations can also be made to witness a pleinary session from within the chamber when available.
Visiting the Reichstag dome is something that all should try to accomplish while in Berlin. Although we were extremely excited that we were able to gain entry to this historic monument, I do wish that we had been a little better informed. One of the items of interest, that I realized later that we had missed, was the cyrillic graffiti left behind by Soviet soldiers after the seige in 1945. This historical defacing has been carefully preserved and can be seen during visits to the Reichstag.
I guess we will have talk our way in again on a future visit!
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The Reichstag Building
- https://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/registration/245686
- Address: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin, Germany
- Hours: Daily from 0800 until 2400 with last admission at 2200. Closed all day on December 24 and after 1600 on December 31. Also, the dome will be closed from March 13-17, July 17-21 and from October 9-13 for cleaning and maintenance. The roof terrace will still be accessible.
- Admission: free with admission (by reservation) every quarter of the hour
- Registration requests must be submitted online with a complete list of participants. The following information is required for each person: surname, first name and date of birth. For those who have not booked in advance, you may register at the service center near the Reichstag Building. If any free spots are available, you will be issued a booking confirmation. You can also register to visit with the next two days. Registration requires first and last names and date of birth. Identification matching reservations will be required for admittance.
- Getting There: Bus number 100 and the M41 both stop at the Reichstag. The nearest U-Bahn station is the Bundestag. The Reichstag is also a short walk from Berlin’s main rail station, Hauptbahnhof.