Brandenburg Gate (Germany) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
 |
| Brandenburg Gate in the light of the autumn sun, Berlin |
Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome or the Tower of London, the Brandenburg Gate is the symbol and hallmark of Berlin. This is the most recognizable Berlin landmark, from which construction began in the so-called Berlin Classicist style. They are located in the heart of the capital of Germany and adjoin the legendary Linden Alley, which connects the gate with the former royal residence, and are also one of the tallest buildings on Paris Square, their height is more than twenty-five meters.
The Brandenburg Gate was erected by order of the German king Friedrich Wilhelm II in 1791. Their continuous construction was carried out for three years, and they were led by the architect Karl Gottgard Langgans. It was he who designed this triumphal arch, taking as a model the front gate of the Athenian Acropolis. According to the initial idea, they were supposed to become a symbol of peace, hence their second name - the Gates of the World.
According to this concept, the main decoration of the gate is the bronze figure of the ancient Greek goddess of peace Irena, riding on an antique chariot drawn by four horses, she appeared above the gate only two years after their construction. This sculptural composition pleased Napoleon Bonaparte so much that after the conquest of Berlin in 1806, he took it with him to Paris, but eight years later it was recaptured and took its original place. True, since then, instead of an olive branch, she holds a cross in her hands, and is called the goddess of victory Victoria.
 |
| Brandenburg Gate in Spring, Berlin |
Later, the gate became the personification of the absolute power of the Nazi party in Germany. And after a while they were part of the Berlin Wall, which did not prevent them from becoming a symbol of the reunification of West and East Berlin. After all, it was through these gates that the Prime Minister of the GDR Hans Modrow came out to meet the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Once upon a time it was possible to enter Berlin through eighteen gates, but they were all destroyed, and only the main Brandenburg ones remained timeless. Although this statement is very conditional, because during the Second World War they underwent serious destruction and were completely restored only by the second half of the fifties of the last century. During the war years, the statue of Irena-Victoria was also destroyed, but the original casts were preserved, according to which the sculpture was created at one time, so it was not difficult to restore it to almost its original form.
Today, the Brandenburg Gate on Paris Square attracts not only visitors to the city, but also Berliners themselves; they come to the Hall of Silence, located in the north wing of the gate, to once again remember their history and the lessons it taught them.
For the first time in Berlin. Where to go, what to try: