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REICHSTAG
Reichstag |
The Reichstag, Seat of the German Parliament, was originally designed by Paul Wallot and completed in 1894, mainly funded with the reparation money from France.
The famous inscription 'Dem Deutschen Volke' (To the German People) was added only in 1916. In 1933 a fire destroyed much of the Reichstag, it was futher damaged
at the end of the War, when the Soviets entered in Berlin. The picture of a Red Army Soldier raising the Soviet flag on the
Inside the Reichstag |
Reichstag is one of the most famous 20th century images and symbolized Germany's defeat. The latest reconstruction started at 1995 and was completed in 1999. A glass dome designed by Sir Norman Foster were added over the plenary hall . At first the subject of much controversy, the dome has become one of the city's most recognized landmarks. Since April 1999, the Reichstag is once again the seat of the Bundestag (Parliament). You can visit the Reichstag and reach the top of the dome. |
POTSDAMER PLATZ
Potsdamer Platz |
The Potsdamer Platz evolved from a green park in 1831. During the Twenties the Potsdamer Platz was Europe’s busiest and liveliest plaza. The area contained a lot of bars, cafes and cinemas. But during the Second World War it was left to ruins. The Berlin Wall that divided the city for so many years turned the square into a wide open space, a no-man's land. In 1990 the square was redeveloped under the plan of the architects Wilmer and Sattler. The projects included several landmark towers, a shopping arcade, an entertainment center and residential buildings. Interesting is the Sony Center, a business concern designed by Helmut Jahn which includes an Imax theater and an office tower. With the new underground station, the shopping arcade and the entertainment center, the Potsdamer Platz is a real interesting place for tourist attractions. |
SONY CENTER
Sony Center |
Berlin’s most exciting new architectural complex, designed by the architect Helmut Jahn, is the Sony Center, a glitzy steel and glass construction. It consists of seven individual buildings including offices, apartments, cinemas, restaurants, a “Filmhaus” and the Sony European headquarters. At the heart of the Center is the oval Piazza which is set under a tent-like roof. A very interesting element is the 103 meters high glass tower block. Remarkable is also the façade on Bellevuestrasse. It’s suspended on a steel bridge overhanging the neo- baroque façade of the high class Hotel Esplanade. Inside the Center is the small “Kaisersaal” (Imperial room), a dining hall which was once part of the Grand Hotel Esplanade. Originally the historic ensemble stood some 46 m away, 1996 it was moved on air cushions to its present location. The Kaisersaal is dominated by a portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. |
GEMÄLDEGALERIE
The Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery) was opened in 1830 in the "Royal Museum" next to the Lustgarten. The paintings were originally part of the Altes Museum collection and in 1904 they were moved to the Bodemuseum. The continuous development of the collection ended with the beginning of the Second World War. The museum was damaged and more than 400 works were destroyed. After the division of the city the collection was split in two parts. One part remained in the Bodenmuseum while the second part ended up in the Dahlem Museum. After the reunification of Germany, the splendid paintings have been united again in the newly built Picture Gallery at the Kulturforum Potsdamer Platz. The Gemäldegalerie includes one of the world´s finest collections of European art from the 13th to 18th century with masterpieces by artists from every age of art history. The four major sections are formed by German Paintings, where you can find works from Albrecht Dürer, Hans Süss von Klumbach, Hans Baldung Grien and Albrecht Altdorfer, Dutch and Flemish Painting where you can admire the celebrated Madonna in a Church, French, English and Spanish Painting with works from Jean Fouquet, Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain, and Italian Painting including masterpieces of Giotto, Pietro Lorenzetti, Sandro Botticelli and Raphael. |
SIEGESSÄULE
Siegessäule |
The Triumphal Column was built from 1864 to 1873 based on a design by Johann Heinrich Strack to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Prusso-Danish war of 1864. Later, the 8 m gilded figure, known as the “Golden Else” was added to the top. The 69 m tall column originally stood in front of the Reichstag building, but in 1938 it was moved by the Nazi government to its current location at the Großer Stern. The base is decorated with bas-reliefs of battles and higher up the column a mosaic frieze by Anton von Werner illustrates the founding of the German Empire in 1871. At the top of the column is a panoramic terrace, which offers great views over Berlin. |
ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN
The zoological Garden in Berlin is Germany´s oldest zoo dating back to 1844. The first animals were gifted by Prussian's King Frederick William IV from the menagerie of the Tiergarten. Today it´s home to more than 14.000 animals belonging to 1.500 different species. Highlights of the zoo are the giant pandas which can be seen only in few zoos of the world, the monkey house, which contains a family of gorillas, a darkened pavilion for nocturnal animals and an hippopotamus pool with these enormous animals underwater. The attached aquarium is one of the largest in Europe, there are sharks, piranhas and many unusual animals. There is also a terrarium where you can admire a group of crocodiles. |
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