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History

The Brandenburg Gate

September 9, 2021

More than just a landmark in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is a national symbol. Like no other building, it stands for Germany’s division and reunification.

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Deutschland Berlin | Coronavirus | Brandenburger Tor, wenige Menschen
Image: picture-alliance/Fotostand

But while everyone recognizes the Brandenburg Gate, hardly anyone knows much about it.

Charles Meynier - Napoleon in Berlin
Image: Gemeinfrei

Built in 1793, the Brandenburg Gate received little attention at first. That changed when Napoleon triumphantly entered the city through the gate after his victory over Prussia in 1806 - and took its Quadriga to Paris as a spoil of war. After the charioteer returned to Berlin in 1814, the Brandenburg Gate became a national symbol of triumph. 

Deutschland, Britische Militärpolizei vor abgeriegeltem Brandenburger Tor
Image: picture-alliance/G.Bratke


Following the Second World War, the gate stood at the place where two opposing political systems met. Here, East and West confronted each other, from either side of the Wall. That changed in 1989, when people from East and West crossed the Wall at the Brandenburg Gate to embrace each other.

Berlin Vorher-Nachher Bildergalerie 30 Jahre Wiedervereinigung


More than any other German monument, the Brandenburg Gate has been exploited again and again for the politics of power; its symbolism has been reinterpreted numerous times; and it has been used and abused as a backdrop by countless political groups.



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