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One of the most recognizable landmarks in Europe is the Brandenburger Tor, or Brandenburg Gate.
The first time I ever laid eyes on this magnificent piece of architecture, it confirmed my presence in Berlin. Yes, I knew I was in Berlin, but standing before it…well, I was really there!
Built between 1788 and 1791 on the orders of the Prussian King, Frederick William II, by Carl Gotthard Langhans, it was the key entry point to the city, marking the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, the former capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
Located in the western part of the city center, the gate stands near the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament, and is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which leads to the Royal City Palace. Though most of Berlin was destroyed at the end of the war, the iconic gate survived, albeit with heavy damage. Though East and West Berlin attempted restoration, once the wall was erected, access to the gate, located in East Berlin was eliminated.
As you stand before the gate, its most notable feature is the Quadriga, the statue which depicts the goddess of victory driving a chariot pulled by four horses. The statue remained in place for over a decade before Napoleon decided that the statue be dismantled and shipped to Paris. Remaining in storage until 1814, it was returned to Berlin when Paris was captured by Prussian soldiers following Napoleon’s defeat. When the statue was remounted atop the gate, one change was made…an iron cross was added to represent Prussia’s military victory over France. During Berlin’s communist era, the cross was removed, but restored in 1990 during the unification of Germany. Today, the Quadrica grandly sits atop the gate for all to admire.
Many historical events have also taken place at the Brandenburg Gate.
When Hitler came to power in 1933, he was treated to a torchlight procession through Berlin which passed under the gate en route to the presidential palace.
Thirty years later, in 1963, after the Berlin Wall was erected, former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, delivered one of the most famous addresses of his presidency, to a crowd of more than 120,000 gathered near the Brandenburg Gate. Most people remember this speech for Kennedy’s one phrase, “I am a Berliner” as they do for former President Reagan’s speech, also at the Brandenburg Gate, where he challenged Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” in 1987.
Today, you can view a commemorative plaque which lies across Eberstrasse, which was unveiled at the 25th anniversary of Reagan’s historic address urging for peace.
- http://www.berlin.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/3560266-3558930-brandenburger-tor.html
- Address: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Hours: Open daily
- Admission: free