There is probably not a single person - well, perhaps except for very young children - who has never heard the word “Reichstag” and does not know what it is. The Reichstag building in Berlin is known all over the world, but not everyone knows how it was erected, what its history is, who its architect was. So, where and how did it all start?
What is the Reichstag
From German, the word “Reichstag” is translated as “people's assembly” or “state assembly”. And for those who may still be in the dark about what the German Reichstag is, it is worth explaining: in this building in the middle of the last century a government body with a similar name worked.
The organ no longer exists, but the Reichstag building remains in its place. It is not written with a capital letter by chance - this is a tradition that has been going on since ancient times. Now the Bundestag is located in this building.
Start
The history of the Reichstag building dates back to June 1884. But long before that, thirteen years earlier, Germany had finally been unified. On the occasion of this joyful event, they decided to erect the most majestic and beautiful structure of all that had existed before. This future building was to become the building of the country's parliament.
The first stone in the foundation of the building was laid by the then Kaiser, Wilhelm the First. However, even before this happened, a very unpleasant story happened. The fact is that a place was allocated for the construction of a new structure on Kaiser Square, near the river bank. This square was not a state site, it was under private management - it belonged to the diplomat Radzinsky. Tom did not like the fact that they were going to erect a building on his territory, and for the rest of his life he did not give permission for its construction. It was possible to reach an agreement only with his son - three years after the diplomat’s death. So if not for Radzinsky’s integrity, the Reichstag could have risen above the city square much earlier.
Construction
Construction of the structure lasted ten years. It was completed in 1894. Well, the founding date of the Reichstag building is usually considered to be the day of laying the foundation stone - June 9, 1984.
About twenty-four million Reichsmarks were spent on all work over the entire ten years. This money was not wasted - the building became truly unique: running water, toilets, an electric generator and much more. None of this existed in other houses in Germany, but in the Reichstag it all appeared. The construction, which according to the plan was supposed to become a symbol of German unity, was already accepted by Wilhelm II - the First did not live to see the completion of the work. Not everything went smoothly - for example, initially the huge dome of the building was dedicated to the new Kaiser, but Wilhelm did not like this idea, and that is why it was dedicated to parliament. He held his first meeting in the new building the same year the work was completed.
Already in the new century, during the First World War, the façade of the building acquired the inscription “To the German People.” This happened in 1916, and just two years later, after the declaration of the Weimar Republic, the Reichstag became the center of government.
Fire
The “golden years” of the Reichstag continued until 1933, when it was arsoned at the end of February. It is not known for certain who caused this, but the accusation was brought against the communists. The fact is that it was during that period that the Communists were defeated, but nevertheless gave the National Socialists reason to fear them. The fire in the Reichstag building, which destroyed the plenary hall and adjacent premises, gave Hitler and his comrades the opportunity to publicly blame their rivals for it and thus deal with them. Several people were arrested, including one Marinus van der Lubbe. It was he, according to the judges, who managed to set fire to the Reichstag building in fifty places at once - so many fires were discovered after inspecting the structure. Almost immediately after his arrest, van der Lubbe, who admitted to evil intent, was executed, and Hitler received popular love, being declared the savior and liberator of Germany. It is noteworthy that the fire in the Reichstag, the overthrow of the communists accused of it, the execution of Lubbe and the exaltation of Hitler occurred on the eve of the parliamentary elections - their date was set for March 5.
The Reichstag ceased to have any political significance, and meetings of the government agency were held in another building. This happened even though most of the Reichstag premises were not damaged in the fire. For several years (starting in 1935), various exhibitions were held in the building, and since 1939 it was used exclusively for military purposes.
The Second World War
During the Great War, the Reichstag building in Germany played the role of an air force base and a bomb shelter at the same time. In addition, there was a hospital and a maternity hospital there. In 1941, the corner towers were made anti-aircraft, and the windows were walled up. For Soviet soldiers, the destruction of the Reichstag was almost the main goal - this was equated with victory over the Nazis, since the Reichstag was perceived as the main symbol of Germany. It was possible to achieve what we wanted, as everyone knows, in April 1945 - on the thirtieth day, the first red flag flew over it, and two more at night. The Victory Banner is the fourth of them, which soared into the sky the next morning.
Having reached the Reichstag and hoisted the Soviet flag there, the soldiers of our army could not just leave. It was necessary to leave evidence of their stay, their triumph - so numerous inscriptions appeared on the walls of the Reichstag building, proving the triumph of the Russian children. Some of them reflected the happiness that gripped the soldiers, some recorded their names and ranks, and some were of a very obscene nature. For a long time, all the inscriptions remained inviolable, until in the mid-nineties the obscene ones were removed - the so-called restoration of “Soviet graffiti” took place. At the beginning of this century, the issue of eliminating the inscriptions was seriously discussed. The Germans would prefer not to see this evidence of their humiliation and shame, but for the Russians they are the sacred autographs of their ancestors, and therefore they still live on a kind of Memory Wall in the Reichstag, protected by a special solution from those who want to erase them. Almost all of these inscriptions are located in those premises where tourists can get, and accordingly, they are available for viewing.
After the war
In the first years after the war, the Reichstag building was in a destroyed state. Dilapidated, it was practically forgotten in West Berlin. Nobody paid attention to the former symbol of the country until there was a threat of collapse - this happened in fifty-four. Then what was left of the dome was blown up to avoid a possible tragedy. At the same time, a decision was made to restore the building and repair it, but it was not possible to agree on what to adapt the structure to. Work to restore the building was ultimately carried out only almost twenty years later. The plenary hall was restored, the dome was dismantled, and most of the ancient carved decorations were removed.
Of course, the Reichstag was no longer the seat of parliament. It became a historical institute and remained so until its next reconstruction, which took place in the nineties.
The nineties
The long-awaited reunification of Germany took place in 1990, and just six months later, in the summer of 1991, the Bundestag from Bonn moved to Berlin - to the Reichstag building. The question arose about a new reconstruction of the building, which was entrusted to a famous British architect named Foster. This man had weight in world architecture - it was he who owned the projects of the airport in Beijing, the Millennium Bridge in London and many others.
The former Reichstag dome was destroyed, and Foster initially did not plan to create a new one, hoping to make do with a flat roof. However, the Reichstag would not be the Reichstag without a dome, and ultimately the building received one - glass, forty meters in diameter and twenty-three and a half in height, with an observation deck where everyone can go. For his project, which made it possible to simultaneously preserve the historical appearance of the structure and introduce modern elements, Foster later received various awards.
Architect
The story of the search for the architect of the Reichstag building is also quite interesting. Since the decision to build the symbol of a united Germany was made back in the early seventies of the nineteenth century, a competition for the right to build it was held at the same time. Nobody expected that the diplomat Radzinsky would balk and time would be lost.
The competition was then won by a certain Russian architect who moved to live in Germany. His name was Bonstedt, but he never lived to receive permission to build the Reichstag. That is why in the eighty-second year the competition was held again. This time the winner was the German Paul Wallot, who ultimately designed the building, focusing on the style of the Italian Renaissance (by the way, Wallot beat one hundred and eighty-eight competitors in the competitive race).
The Reichstag has just such an appearance, since Germany, according to the architect, is a country of power, might and strength. The four corner towers on the building represent the four German kingdoms united into one.
Appearance
The Reichstag building today deserves a separate description. We have already discussed what the dome looks like today. However, it is additionally worth mentioning that the roof of the structure can be reached using two large elevators, and the observation deck offers a unique view of both the city itself and the meeting room.
It should be mentioned separately, but in direct connection with the Reichstag dome - after all, it is through it that light penetrates into the meeting room. By the way, there are solar panels on the roof of the building.
The appearance of the facade resembles the style of Ancient Rome - with a colonnade at the entrance, with a portico and bas-reliefs. On the Reichstag towers there are sixteen allegorical figures that depict various phenomena of social life - art, farming, the army, and so on.
In the building itself, everything is divided into levels, each of which has its own separate color. Thus, on the ground floor and in the basement there are rooms for the secretariat, the meeting room is located on the second level, and above it there is a level for visitors. Next - the presidium, the faction and, finally, the roof with a dome.
Tourists and the Reichstag
Currently, the Reichstag building is available for visiting by tourists - of course, not alone, but in organized groups. Excursions to the building, which was a symbol of Germany, are held daily from eight in the morning to twelve at night. You need to sign up for it in advance on the official website, preferably at least two days in advance. This is inconvenient for some, but there is no other way to get to the Reichstag. As a consolation, it can be noted that entrance to the building is free.
And now the Reichstag building is considered the most majestic not only in Berlin, but throughout Germany, being not just a beautiful architectural structure, but also a stunning monument to historical events. And if there is an opportunity to see it with your own eyes, then you should not miss it.
To visit Berlin and not see the Reichstag would probably be wrong. So we decided not to break traditions and went to inspect it. There was no goal to get inside, especially since to do this you need to sign up in advance on the website. So we just walked around and, in addition to the Reichstag, looked at three more parliamentary buildings located nearby.
So, let's go to the Reichstag...
Living sculpture. This is the first time I've seen someone portray a beggar. That is, throw a coin into the bucket, and I’ll just lie by the fence))) 
And behind the fence there is a real, but strange sculpture: 
We approach the Reichstag from the rear: 
The facade of the building is decorated with quite classical sculptures: 
And I really like this view of the Reichstag: 
When walking around Berlin, don't forget to look at your step. You might see some interesting things. For example, a sewer hatch with a picture of a local TV tower. The leg in the frame is not mine))) 
Or the place where the Berlin Wall used to be erected: 
But still, we pay all our attention to the Reichstag building: 
And a little historical chronicle.
On December 5, 1894, the grand opening of the Reichstag building took place after 10 years of construction. The architect was Paul Wallot: 
On November 9, 1918, Social Democratic politician Philipp Scheidemann proclaims Germany a republic from the window of the Reichstag after Reich Chancellor Max von Baden voluntarily announced the abdication of Wilhelm II at noon of the same day: 
On February 27, 1933, after the National Socialists came to power under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the fire in the Reichstag became a symbol of the end of parliamentary democracy in Germany and a pretext for the persecution of political opponents: 
In memory of the victims of these persecutions, a memorial was erected at the Reichstag entitled “Monument to the 96 Reichstag Deputies Killed by the Nazis.” It is a series of vertical cast iron slabs, each of which is a monument to a Reichstag deputy who became a victim of the Nazis in the period 1933-1945 from the moment the Nazis came to power in Germany until the victory over Nazism: 
The memorial was erected in 1992, although the idea to install a monument arose back in 1985.
Among the 96 victims, 90 were men and 6 women.
Most of the victims were members of the Communist Party of Germany (43 people) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (41 people): 
If you get closer, you can see that on the top edge of each slab is the name of the victim, date of death and party affiliation: 
But let's continue with the Reichstag chronicles.
May 1945 - end of World War II. The red banner of the Soviet Army flies on the Reichstag building as a sign of victory over National Socialist Germany.
And already on September 9, 1948, over 350,000 Berliners gathered at a rally in front of the Reichstag building during the blockade of Berlin organized by the Soviet Union. Mayor Ernst Reuther, against the backdrop of a heavily damaged building, delivers his famous speech, which contains the call: “Peoples of the world... Look at this city”: 
On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected in close proximity to the Reichstag. However, the restoration of the building was completed, since 1973 it has provided premises for a historical exhibition, as well as meeting rooms for the bodies and factions of the Bundestag: 
On October 4, 1990, the first meeting of the first all-German Bundestag takes place in the Reichstag building.
And on June 20, 1991, the German Bundestag in Bonn decided by 338 votes to 320 to move to Berlin to the Reichstag building. After a competition, architect Norman Foster is entrusted with rebuilding the building.
And in May 1995, the council of elders, after controversial debates, decided to erect a modern glass dome, inside which people can walk: 
Between June 24 and July 6, 1995, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude shroud the Reichstag building, turning it into a work of art and attracting approximately five million visitors. After the artistic event, the reconstruction of the building begins: 
And so on April 19, 1999, the Bundestag received the rebuilt Reichstag building in Berlin. Norman Foster gives the President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse a symbolic key to the building.
And in the summer of 1999, the Bundestag moved from Bonn to Berlin. The first session week of the Bundestag in Berlin begins on September 6: 
But the parliamentary quarter is not limited to just the Reichstag building. After the decision was made to move the parliament and government to Berlin from Bonn, three new parliamentary buildings appeared around the Reichstag: the Jakob-Kaiser-House, the Paul-Löbe-House and the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus. They combine transparent architecture, a high level of functionality and innovative technologies that do not harm the environment.
Pictured below is the Paul Löbe House, named after the last democratic president of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic, Paul Löbe. This building, about 200 meters long and about 100 meters wide, houses two-level meeting rooms for parliamentary committees in eight rotundas: 
And this new Bundestag building, named after the liberal politician Marie-Elisabeth Lüders, houses the parliament's information and service center, including a library, archive, press documentation department and scientific services: 
I did not photograph the Jacob Kaiser House. I can only say that this is the largest of the new parliamentary buildings, and it primarily houses the factions and their employees. The complex of this building consists of eight buildings.
And I really hope that I didn’t confuse the names of the other two buildings with their photographs)))
That's all I wanted to tell you about our walk through the parliamentary quarter around the Reichstag.
There is one more photo left, which I took while in that area. This tower, located in the north-eastern part of the Tiergarten park, houses a carillon: 
The Berlin carillon is a large hand-held musical instrument that consists of 68 bells weighing 48 tons, connected to a keyboard. The largest bell here weighs 7.8 tons. The carillon was cast in Holland at the Royal Eisbouts Foundry and is one of the largest carillons in Europe and the fourth largest number of bells in the world. The carillonneur sits in a special room in the middle of the bells and plays with his hands and feet on a keyboard with keys and pedals. The mechanical control system allows you to play in all dynamic ranges - from the quietest to the loudest.
This concludes our walk around the Reichstag, but I still have something to tell about Berlin itself.
Therefore, see you in the capital of Germany!
The permanent address of my photo reports on all trips is here: veryold.ru
The storming of the Reichstag is a military operation of Red Army units against German troops to capture the building of the German parliament.
It was carried out at the final stage of the Berlin offensive operation from April 28 to May 2, 1945 by the forces of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front...
The Reichstag was never Hitler's refuge - since the last remnants of parliamentary democracy were destroyed in Germany in 1935, the Reichstag has lost any significance. 
The Reichstag building was built in 1894 according to the design of the architecture of Paul Wallo.
The Fuhrer, before his appointment to the post of Reich Chancellor, appeared in this building only a few times - he, in principle, despised the Reichstag building as a symbol of parliamentarism and the Weimar Republic. Therefore, during the existence of the Third Reich, meetings of the puppet “parliament” were held in the back of the nearby Kroll Opera. 
A meeting of the Nazi “Reichstag” in the hall of the Kroll Opera “decorated” with swastikas.
Why did the call of Soviet soldiers sound exactly like this - “To the Reichstag!”? Why did the Red Army receive the order to hoist the red banner of Victory here?
The answers to these questions can be found in the memoirs of Colonel Fyodor Zinchenko, commander of the 756th Infantry Regiment, who directly stormed the Reichstag.
“From here in 1933, the fascists, in front of the whole world, began their bloody campaign against communism,” wrote Fyodor Zinchenko. - Here we must confirm the fall of fascism. For me there is only one order - the flag must fly over the Reichstag!
The Reichstag has become a symbol of German Nazism since 1933, when Hitler, who had been in power for only four weeks, decided to use the fire in the plenary hall that broke out on February 27, 1933, as a reason to exterminate supporters of the Communist Party and Social Democrats. 
Burnt Reichstag. In the same 1933, the Berlin police detained the mentally ill Dutchman Marinus van der Lubbe for this crime, who admitted to the crime in court.
Thousands of political opponents of the NSDAP were detained within 48 hours, most of them were tortured in the following weeks, and dozens were killed.
Hitler's real bunker was located in the garden of the Reich Chancellery, about a kilometer southeast of the Reichstag. As it turned out, until the very last moment its location was unknown to either Soviet or American intelligence. Only on May 2, Soviet soldiers, in search of trophies, stumbled upon an underground structure, and only a week later the location of the Fuhrer’s bunker became known. 
The Red Army soldiers are advancing.
This is how they stormed the Reichmtag
The assault on the Reichstag began on the evening of April 28, when Soviet troops of the 150th division of the 1st Belorussian Front approached the Spree River in the area of the Moltke Bridge. The division's fighters were no more than a kilometer away from the Reichstag.
The width of the Spree in the area of the bridge was not very large - no more than 50 meters. However, high banks lined with granite served as an obstacle to crossing using available means. The fighters had to cross the river on a bridge that was targeted and mined. 
Soviet IS-2 tanks of the 7th Guards Tank Brigade at the Reichstag.
The attack was preceded by artillery fire, which fired directly at enemy positions on the southern bank. Two platoons of the 756th Infantry Regiment immediately rushed to the other side, then sappers came out to the bridge. 
A Soviet soldier walks past a killed SS Hauptsturmführer.
By morning, the soldiers of the 756th regiment cleared most of the Swiss embassy building and some other buildings located in the block closest to the Moltke Bridge from the enemy. Particularly fierce battles took place for the “Himmler House” - the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and for the Krol Opera Theater.
The Germans even attempted a counterattack: about 500 sailor cadets from Rostock tried to break through to the Moltke Bridge in order to cut off Soviet units on the southern bank of the Spree from the main forces. The battle turned out to be very fleeting: Soviet soldiers chopped up the cadets like cabbage. 
A broken German 88-mm FlaK 37 anti-aircraft gun next to the destroyed Reichstag.
Artillery preparation was scheduled for 11.00 on April 30, the assault on the Reichstag at 13.30. A total of 89 guns were aimed at the gray, massive Reichstag building, including tanks and self-propelled guns. Several groups were tasked with hoisting the banner on the dome, including soldiers of the reconnaissance platoon of the 756th regiment: Sergeant Mikhail Egorov and Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantaria. A small group led by Lieutenant Berest was assigned to cover the standard bearers.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, after artillery preparation, the infantry of the 674th, 713th and 756th regiments rushed into the attack through a ditch filled with water. They crossed it, some by swimming, some by pipes and rails sticking out of the water. 
A Soviet assault group with a banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
At 14.20 the first Soviet soldiers made their way through the German trenches to the southwest corner of the Reichstag. Five minutes later, our soldiers occupied the front – triumphal – entrance. The soldiers who stormed the Reichstag had to clear room by room almost blindly: the windows were walled up, and small loopholes let in very little light. 
A captured German soldier at the Reichstag.
It became known from defectors that the Reichstag garrison numbers about one and a half thousand soldiers and officers, most of whom are located in the basement. At the same moment, there were almost 10 times fewer Soviet soldiers in the Reichstag. But the fascists, sitting in the dungeon, no longer had enough fortitude or dedication to make a breakthrough.
At about 16 o'clock, the Germans, trying to unblock the Reichstag, launched another counterattack from the Brandenburg Gate, but were destroyed by the forces of the 33rd Infantry Division. By 21.00, the entire second floor was cleared. At 21.50, Colonel Zinchenko, commander of the 756th regiment, reported to the commander of the 150th division, Shatilov, that the Victory Banner had been hoisted on the Reichstag dome.
Later it turned out that it was an assault group consisting of senior sergeants M. Minin, G. Zagitov, A. Lisimenko and Sergeant A. Bobrov under the command of Captain V. Makov. The assault group of Egorova and Kantaria made their way to the Reichstag dome at one in the morning on May 1. 
Mikhail Egorov and Meliton Kantaria come out with a banner onto the roof of the Reichstag. Although this was not the first red banner installed on the Reichstag, it was the one that became the Victory Banner.
Victory Banner on the defeated Reichstag on May 1, 1945
Banner of Victory over the Reichstag. A lesser known photo.
The enemy units remaining in Berlin began to surrender en masse only a day later. 
German soldiers in Berlin surrender to Soviet troops.
View of Hermann Goering Strasse in Berlin after the end of the fighting for the city. The building in the background is the destroyed Reichstag. The photo was taken from the roof of the Brandenburg Gate.
Wounded Soviet infantrymen on a T-34-85 tank in Berlin.
Officers of the 136th cannon artillery brigade resting near the Reichstag building.
View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.
Interior of the Reichstag building.
Reichstag interior.
Reichstag interior.
Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the Reichstag column: “We are in Berlin! Nikolai, Peter, Nina and Sashka. 11.05.45.”
Autographs of Soviet soldiers.
Soviet mortar soldier Sergei Ivanovich Platov leaves his autograph.
Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph.
The son of the regiment, Volodya Tarnovsky, signs an autograph on a Reichstag column. He wrote: “Seversky Donets - Berlin,” and signed for himself, the regiment commander and his fellow soldier who supported him from below: “Artillerymen Doroshenko, Tarnovsky and Sumtsov.”
Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General Pavel Mendeleevich Shafarenko (far right) in the Reichstag with his colleagues.
A British soldier leaves his autograph.
A group of Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.
Berlin residents walk along Hermann Goering Street past broken military equipment.
The Reichstag building in July 1945. The picture clearly shows window openings blocked with bricks with loopholes left in them for the defense of the building. The inscription above the entrance: “Dem Deutschen Volke” - “To the German people.”
Lidia Ruslanova performs “Katyusha” against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.
From April 28 to May 2, 1945, forces The 150th and 171st rifle divisions of the 79th rifle corps of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front carried out an operation to capture the Reichstag. To this event, my friends, I dedicate this photo collection.
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1. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
2. Fireworks in honor of the Victory on the roof of the Reichstag. Soldiers of the battalion under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union S. Neustroev.
3. Soviet trucks and cars on a destroyed street in Berlin. The Reichstag building can be seen behind the ruins.
4. The head of the River Emergency Rescue Department of the USSR Navy, Rear Admiral Fotiy Ivanovich Krylov (1896-1948), awards a diver with an order for clearing mines from the Spree River in Berlin. In the background is the Reichstag building.
6. View of the Reichstag after the end of hostilities.
7. A group of Soviet officers inside the Reichstag.
8. Soviet soldiers with a banner on the roof of the Reichstag.
9. The Soviet assault group with a banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
10. The Soviet assault group with a banner is moving towards the Reichstag.
11. Commander of the 23rd Guards Rifle Division, Major General P.M. Shafarenko in the Reichstag with colleagues.
12. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag
13. Soldiers of the 150th Idritsko-Berlin Rifle, Order of Kutuzov 2nd degree division on the steps of the Reichstag (among those depicted are scouts M. Kantaria, M. Egorov and the division’s Komsomol organizer Captain M. Zholudev). In the foreground is the 14-year-old son of the regiment, Zhora Artemenkov.
14. The Reichstag building in July 1945.
15. Interior of the Reichstag building after Germany’s defeat in the war. On the walls and columns are inscriptions left by Soviet soldiers.
16. Interior of the Reichstag building after Germany's defeat in the war. On the walls and columns are inscriptions left by Soviet soldiers. The photo shows the southern entrance of the building.
17. Soviet photojournalists and cameramen near the Reichstag building.
18. The wreckage of an inverted German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter with the Reichstag in the background.
19. Autograph of Soviet soldiers on the Reichstag column: “We are in Berlin! Nikolai, Peter, Nina and Sashka. 11.05.45.”
20. A group of political workers of the 385th Infantry Division, led by the head of the political department, Colonel Mikhailov, at the Reichstag.
21. German anti-aircraft guns and a dead German soldier at the Reichstag.
23. Soviet soldiers on the square near the Reichstag.
24. Red Army signalman Mikhail Usachev leaves his autograph on the wall of the Reichstag.
25. A British soldier leaves his autograph among the autographs of Soviet soldiers inside the Reichstag.
26. Mikhail Egorov and Meliton Kantaria come out with a banner onto the roof of the Reichstag.
27. Soviet soldiers hoist the banner over the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. This is one of the banners installed on the Reistag in addition to the official hoisting of the banner by Egorov and Kantaria.
28. The famous Soviet singer Lydia Ruslanova performs “Katyusha” against the backdrop of the destroyed Reichstag.
29. The son of the regiment, Volodya Tarnovsky, signs an autograph on a Reichstag column.
30. Heavy tank IS-2 against the backdrop of the Reichstag.
31. Captured German soldier at the Reichstag. A famous photograph, often published in books and on posters in the USSR under the title "Ende" (German: "The End").
32. Fellow soldiers of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment near the Reichstag wall, in the assault of which the regiment took part.
33. Banner of Victory over the Reichstag.
34. Two Soviet officers on the steps of the Reichstag.
35. Two Soviet officers on the square in front of the Reichstag building.
Address: Germany Berlin
Start of construction: 1884
Completion of construction: 1894
Architect: Paul Wallot, Norman Foster
Height: 47 m
Coordinates: 52°31"07.0"N 13°22"33.9"E
Short description
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Berlin Reichstag building? The bloodiest wars in the history of mankind, the name of the tyrant Adolf Hitler and the scarlet banner flying over the building at the end of April 1945, as a symbol of victory over Nazi Germany.
Reichstag from above
However, the Reichstag, which literally translates as “state assembly building,” is also a symbol of modern Germany, an architectural structure that has its own long and difficult history. At the moment, most tourists who come to Berlin to get acquainted with its sights, first of all, rush to the restored Reichstag. Almost all visitors to the city want to take pictures of themselves against the backdrop of a building built in the style of the Italian Renaissance, for which tens of thousands of soldiers gave their lives at one time.
For almost 112 years now, the Reichstag has stood in the very center of Berlin, and most of the time it is a reminder of terrible times, not only for Germany, but for the whole world. About times that should never happen again. Nowadays, the Reichstag building has become a kind of symbol of a new independent state with a developed economy and a democratic system.
As we know from history, in 1990 the unification of Germany took place, and the nation faced a rather difficult question: “Which city should the capital be located in, and where should the country’s Parliament sit?” The government of the new Germany almost unanimously decided that Berlin should become the capital.
Reichstag facade
But the Parliament building has become a “bone of contention” among many politicians. Some of them argued that the Reichstag building was not suitable for these purposes, because it was in the minds of the Germans that it was associated with a terrible war and shameful defeat. Their opponents said that parallels cannot be drawn between the Reichstag and Adolf Hitler, because according to historical documents, the tyrant never made his speeches in the building built back in 1894. It was not immediately possible to come to a consensus: three forums were held at which the history of the building during the Second World War was examined in detail. After the end of the debate, it was decided to carry out a large-scale reconstruction and restore the Reichstag for the work of the German Parliament.
History of the Reichstag
The architectural structure in the center of Berlin dates back to June 9, 1884. It was then that William I solemnly laid the first stone and began grandiose construction. To be fair, it is worth noting that a scandal was associated with the construction of the Reichstag. The place where the building was to appear was in the private property of Duke Radzinsky, who held the post of diplomat at that time.
View of the Reichstag from the Spree River
Radzinsky did not agree with the authorities’ decision and until his death did not allow construction work to begin on his site. Three years after his death, the diplomat's son gave official permission to the authorities to build a new building for the German Parliament. It is interesting that the competition for a Russian architect won the development of the Reichstag project back in 1871, who did not live to see the dispute between the authorities and the Radzinsky family completed. For this reason, a new competition was held in 1882, in which the German architect Paul Wolloth won.
Wilhelm I, who, as mentioned above, laid the first stone in the construction of the Reichstag, also did not live to see the completion of construction work. The building was already accepted by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had his own view of how the building should look and what its architectural elements should be dedicated to. Paul Wolloth said about the Reichstag: “This building is a symbol of the great Kaiser’s empire. The corner towers I designed represent the four great German kingdoms, and I dedicate the huge dome to Kaiser Wilhelm II.” Wilhelm II did not like the idea of the dome, and he forced it to be “dedicated” to the Parliament, for which, in fact, the Reichstag was built.
View of the Reichstag at night
In 1894, the construction, which caused a lot of controversy, was finally completed. After the Great October Revolution in Russia, workers' uprisings swept across Europe, and Germany did not stand aside: in 1918, the Reichstag building was occupied by revolutionaries. Parliament, fearing the communists, quickly decides to proclaim the empire a bourgeois-democratic republic.
The communists were defeated in those days, but no one knew then that very soon power in Germany would pass to the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler also feared the influence of the communists, and in 1933 the symbol of a united Germany was engulfed in flames. The dictator and his closest ally Joseph Goebbels from the rostrum accuse the Communist Party of setting fire to the Reichstag. Arrests take place, one of the four accused of arson confesses under pressure. Hitler becomes even more popular among the people and is recognized as the savior of free Germany. And this despite the fact that the conclusion of the examination was that the flames spread throughout the Reichstag from 50 (!) fires. The four “conspirators” were unable to set fire to the building. The court also ignored the fact that the Reichstag was connected by an underground passage to the palace of Nazi Hermann Goering.
Main entrance
Modern historians have no doubt about the version that the Reichstag fire was a clearly planned action by the Nazis aimed at reducing the influence of communists in Germany. Three of the accused never admitted to their crime and were acquitted by a “fair German court,” and a Dutchman named Marinus van der Lubbe, who by some unimaginable miracle set fire to the Reichstag in 50 places with his own hands, was executed almost immediately after the announcement sentence.
The Reichstag fire became a symbol of the collapse of old and “helpless” Germany, and marked the rise to power of Adolf Hitler. A year later, a dictatorship is established in Germany, a ban on the existence and founding of new parties is introduced: all power is now concentrated in the NSDAP. Hitler did not want to reconstruct the old Reichstag. The power of the new powerful and “strongest in the world” country was henceforth to be located in the new Reichstag. The design of the building, 290 meters high, was developed by Industry Minister Albert Speer. True, very soon Hitler’s ambitions will unleash the Second World War and the construction of the new Reichstag, which was assigned the role of a symbol of the superiority of the great Aryan race, will be postponed indefinitely.
Reichstag dome
During the Second World War, the Reichstag was not the center of political life; only occasionally were speeches made about the “inferiority” of the Jews and the issue of their complete extermination was decided. Since 1941, the Reichstag only served as a base for the air force of Nazi Germany, led by the odious Hermann Goering. By and large, the Reichstag was a goal for Soviet soldiers, destroying and destroying which was comparable to victory over fascism. Numerous shells and armored vehicles had the following inscriptions in white paint: “According to the Reichstag!” and “To the Reichstag!”
In 1945, the Reichstag building, built in 1894, was almost completely destroyed as a result of Soviet air raids and artillery shelling. The ruins of the architectural structure were literally littered with the corpses of German soldiers, most of whom were barely 15 years old. The Germans fought with Soviet troops for their “symbol” tooth and nail. In turn, each Soviet soldier poured out all their hatred on the building, which in their eyes personified universal evil. Riddled with bullets and with its dome destroyed, the Reichstag became one of the last arenas where the bloodiest battles of the Second World War were fought.
Inside the dome
Fascism fell, and at the end of April a red flag fluttered on the destroyed building, and the soldiers who managed to survive the terrible war and reach Berlin left numerous inscriptions on its ruins. By the way, many of these inscriptions contained obscene words addressed to Hitler and his army. Subsequently, these “autographs” were erased, only those that passed censorship were left.
Rebuilding the Reichstag
After the end of World War II, the Germans could not make a decision for a long time: whether to restore the Reichstag or leave it in ruins, as a reminder to descendants of the consequences of the fascist regime. In 1954, the ruins of the building where the German Parliament once met were completely blown up, and two years later the German government decided to restore the symbol of their country.
As before the construction of the Reichstag, a competition was announced among architects. It was won by the talented architect Paul Baumgarten. The building was restored only in 1972, but Parliament no longer met there. The Reichstag became a German historical institution. Until 1992, the long-suffering architectural structure did not perform the functions that were assigned to it at the end of the 19th century.
Reichstag dome illuminated at night
In 1992, Norman Foster from Foggy Albion won a new competition and began the fourth reconstruction of the Reichstag. In his original opinion, the building should have had a flat roof.
However, without the legendary dome, the Reichstag could no longer be called a symbol of a united Germany. The architect, who was knighted in his homeland by the Queen of Great Britain herself, creates a unique glass dome for the Reichstag with a diameter of 40 meters and a height of 23.5 meters, which is still called “Foster’s” in our time. There is an observation deck on this dome, which offers stunning views of Berlin. The mirror cone, which starts on the first floor and ends at the base of the dome, also deserves special attention. This kind of “funnel” evokes in words indescribable feelings of delight and admiration for the talent of the brilliant architect among tourists who come to see the Reichstag. For his work, Norman Foster received the Pritzker Prize and the German Order of Merit.
The year 1995 became a landmark year for the Reichstag; American artist Hristo Yavoshev wrapped the entire Reichstag building in a shiny silver material - polypropylene.
The inscription on the central portal of the Reichstag Dem Deutschen Volke - To the German people
The total area of the canvas was more than 100,000 square meters, and its weight exceeded 60 tons. More than 5 million people gathered to watch this event.
Reichstag - "Wall of Memory"
When describing the Reichstag, one cannot fail to mention the fate of the inscriptions left by Soviet soldiers in May 1945. For every person living in a country that was formerly part of the USSR, these inscriptions are sacred. For Germans, they serve as a constant reminder of the shame and tyranny that Germany produced and supported. In the 90s of the last century, Norman Foster was required to destroy all so-called “Russian graffiti.” The English architect understood perfectly well what these “autographs” meant for the descendants of Soviet soldiers and did not dare to remove many of them, for which he was accused by some radical German politicians. Tourists who are now visiting the Reichstag can see these inscriptions, protected from weather and vandals with a special transparent solution. No matter how the Germans treated them, and no matter what feelings overwhelmed them at the sight of the words of the victors, they should forever remain on the wall of memory, as a reminder of the horrors that fascism brought to our planet.
One of the walls with inscriptions of Soviet soldiers
Reminder for tourists
In order to visit the Reichstag, a visitor to Berlin should take care of an excursion to the historical and architectural monument in advance. There is a special website on the World Wide Web where you can book a place in one of the excursion groups. It is now impossible to enter the Reichstag building without prior registration on the website.
