The REICHSTAG

Commissioned to celebrate the Re unification of the German Empire in 1871, it wasn’t until 1894 that the Reichstag opened as the home to the Parliament of the German Empire. It functioned as such until 1933 when it was set on fire.

In 1916 the iconic words Dem deutschen Volke (“To the German People”) were placed above the main façade of the building,  The building continued to be the seat of the parliament of the Weimar Republic until 1933.

At the end of the Second World War , with Berlin in ruins , Russian troops entered the Reichstag  and damaged it further .

A famous photo of a Russian soldier holding a bust of Hitler from the sacked interior was snapped outside

Like much of Berlin, The Reichstag was in ruins.

The ruined building fell into disuse but was made safe against the elements and partially refurbished in the 1960s.

But no attempt at full restoration was made until after German re unification  in 1990, when it underwent a reconstruction

British architect Norman Foster designed an extraordinary dome on top to replace the original damaged one which has become a signature of the building, and are united city and country.