Brandenburg Gate
Architecture

Facts about Brandenburg Gate

We found 19 facts about Brandenburg Gate

Symbol of German unity

It is one of the most characteristic buildings of Berlin. It was built on the site of the former city gate leading to Brandenburg. During the cold war it was the border between East and West Berlin.

The Brandenburg Gate was the only Berlin city gate to be spared from war damage. Reconstructed by both parts of the divided city, today it stands impressively between Pariser Platz and Großer Tiergarten.

Brandenburg Gate
1
It was designed by the German architect Carl Gotthard Langhans.
2
Construction began in 1788 and lasted 3 years.
3
The Brandenburg Gate is 26 meters high, 65.5 meters wide and 11 meters deep.
4
The previous gate on which the Brandenburg Gate was built was built in 1734.
5
It was originally painted white and called the Peace Gate.
6
The gate is made of Elbe sandstone and sandstone from the vicinity of Lwówek Śląski.
7
In 1793, a monument to a quadriga driven by the winged goddess Nike was placed on the gate.
8
After the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt fought on October 14, 1806, the victorious Napoleon Bonaparte took the quadriga figure to Paris, where it was to be placed permanently.
9
After the fall of Napoleon, thanks to the efforts of Ernst von Pfuel, who was the commander of the Prussian sector in captured Paris, the quadriga figure was packed and sent back to Berlin.

During the renovation of the statue, a new symbol of power was added to it, namely the Iron Cross.

10
Until 1918, passage through the middle of the gate was reserved exclusively for members of the imperial family, the Pfuel family and their guests.
11
On January 30, 1933, the Sturmabteilung NSDAP units celebrated the party's victory with an evening torchlight march, including to the Brandenburg Gate.
12
Despite many destructions, the Brandenburg Gate was the only preserved city gate after World War II.
13
The renovated gate was put into operation on December 14, 1957.
14
During the operation of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate was located in the middle of the border between east and west and crossing it was strictly prohibited.
15
During his visit to Berlin on June 12, 1987, US President Ronald Reagan said: "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!”
16
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, on December 22, 1989, the Brandenburg Gate was officially opened. Over 100.000 people took part in the ceremony.
17
The image of the Brandenburg Gate was on the reverse of the last series of German marks, with a denomination of 5.
18
The Brandenburg Gate appears on the reverse of German euro cents in denominations of 10, 20 and 50.
19
The maintenance costs of the quadriga statue amount to approximately €200,000 per year.
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