Brandenburger Tor, Berlin

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The Brandenburg Gate was commisioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. The Gate was designed by Karl Gotthard Langhans, the Court Superintendent of Buildings, and the main architectural design of this landmark hasn't changed since it was first constructed in 1791. Ironically the gate was incorporated into the Berlin wall during the years of Communist government. The Brandenburg gate is probably the most well-known landmark in Berlin, it now stands as a symbol of the reunification of the two sides of this great city.

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THE BRANDENBURG GATE WAS COMMISSIONED BY FRIEDRICH WILHEM II
AND BUILT BY CARL GOTTHARD IN 1791.
THIS IS THE LAST OF THE GREAT CITY GATES OF WHICH THERE WHERE 18.
THE GATE CONSISTS OF TWELVE COLUMNS, WHEN BUILT ONLY THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND HIS GUESTS WERE ALLOWED TO WALK THROUGH THE CENTRE PASSAGES.. NORMAL CITIZENS HAD TO USE THE OUTER TWO.
ON TOP OF THE GATE SITS THE STUNNING 6M HIGH SCULPTURE OF QUADRIGA "THE WINGED GODDESS OF VICTORY" IN 1806 NAPOLEON KIDNAPPED HER AND TOOK HER TO PARIS..
SHE WAS NOT TO RETURN TO BERLIN UNTIL 1814.
THE BRANDENBURG GATE DESIGN IS BASSED UPON PROPYLAEA, GATEWAY TO THE ACROPOLLUS IN ATHENS GREECE.
HERE ARE SOME HISTORICAL DATES IN THE GATES EXISTANCE..
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AUGUST 1961.. BERLIN WALL GOES UP CUTTING GATE OFF TO EAST BERLINERS.
1963.. PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY VISITS GATE.
JUNE 12TH 1987.. US PRESIDENT RONALD REGAN IN A SPEECH AT THE GATE, TELLS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT GORBACHEV TO "TEAR DOWN THE WALL"
JULY 12TH 1994.. US PRESIDENT CLINTON SPOKE AT THE GATE ABOUT POST WAR PEACE.
DEC 21ST 2000.. BRANDENBURG GATE REFURBISHED AT COST OF 6 MILLION DOLLARS
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THE BRANDENBURG GATE IS A TRUE SYMBOL OF BERLIN.. AND ONE THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH THE BEST AND WORST THAT THIS GREAT CITY CITY HAS WITNESSED.
NOW GO AND WITNESS IT FOR YOURSELF.

Berlin's iconic monument has to be the Brandenburg gate. Built by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace in 1791, it symbolises the reunification of Berlin as it was part of the city's divide pre 1990. It is a magnificent sculpture of a Roman chariot on top of the gate itself and is a must for photo oportunites.

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Brandenburger Tor is a former city gate that was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II at the end of 18th century. It was ment to be a sign of peace but it didn't really serve as one during the division of the city and the division of the world into two power blocs.
Since 1989 when the Berlin fell, it has become the symbol for reunification and lets hope it stays that way.

Right on the border between East and West Berlin at the Pariser Platz, the Brandenburger Gate was the symbol of the city's divide.

Since the fall of the wall, the Brandenburger Gate has become the symbol of a reunified Berlin. The desolate area that Pariser Platz was during the cold war, is now completely redeveloped and has regained much of its 19th century grandeur.

It was constructed between 1778 and 1791. The decorations, including bas scenes depicting Greek mythology took another 4 years to complete. The quadriga of victory crowning the gate was built in 1793 by Johann Gottfried Schadow. Originally it was a symbol of peace. During Berlin's occupation by France, in 1806 Napoleon ordered the quadriga to be taken to Paris.
After the Battle of Waterloo, the quadriga was triumphantly taken back to Berlin, and it was turned into a symbol of victory.

Situated at the end of Unter den Linden, the 60m tall gate was part of a wall surrounding the city and was the main entrance to the city. It is the only gate that remains of this former city wall.

After the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 which was built right next to the Brandenburger Tor, the Pariser Platz, on the East-Berlin side, became completely desolate. The gate symbolized Germany's division. With the fall of the wall in 1989, people flocked to the reopened Brandenburger Gate to celebrate.

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Upon arriving in Germany we headed straight to the Brandenburger Tor by walking intentionally along Unter den Linden (under the Lime tree). This historical walk was extremely marred by the heavy construction and we found ourselves walking under scattfolded pavement. in hindsight that did deserve a picture since it shows how Berlin is undergoing a huge makeover since the fall of the wall, coined "The Turn around". So Unter der Linden is not the beautiful avenue you thought with tree-lined avenues of shops and wonderful elegance. Nay. It a work in progress.

At Branderberger Tor (Brandenberg Gate) i recommend paying the communist uniform actor to have a great photograph with you holding the flag! Walk a little past, take a right, and there is the German Parliament building the Reichstags Building! There is huge field from the front of the parliament, so capture the building entirely, and notice the deutschebahn buildings to the left. The german trains are a pride of the german people, and an old joke is that at a new job you get to use the excuse "the trains were late" only once like "my grandma is sick".

Go south and you will find the Halocost memorial, lots of stone rectangular prisms of different height. A great photograph is you peeking behind one of the cubes in the distance. not much else to see here.

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The Brandenburg Gate is one of the main symbols of Berlin. Located between Pariser Platz and Platz des 18. März it's the only remaining gate of the many gates through which they used to enter Berlin.

Although I've seen the Brandenburg gate many times by now, it's always as impressive as it was the first time I saw it. It's something I never get tired of looking at!

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The Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin's most photographed landmarks. The gate was once the boundary between West and East Berlin and inaccessible. When the wall was knocked down, the gate became an important symbol of German reunification.

It is located at the end of the famous alley "Unter den Linden". On the other side you will find the Tiergarten.

On top you can see the Quadriga, a chariot pulled by four horses and driven by the goddess of victory.