Brandenburger Tor, Berlin

And still another lovely picture of Brandenburg Gate. :o)

There is so much more to the city, but I was only there for about 6 hours plus sleeping.

Many gorgeous monuments and Cathedrals and Museums are in Berlin.

One of Berlin's most photographed locations, Brandenburger Tor once marked the impenetrable boundary between East and West Berlin. Built in 1791, Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) has often been a centre-stage for Berlin's militant political rallies, including the memorable celebrations in November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down.
In 1989, after the dissolution of the border, the area was reopened to the public.

Brandenberg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is the icon of Berlin city. This landmark of Berlin is located betweenParisen Platz and Platz des 18 Marz. Formerly it was a city gate which was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm in 1791. This gate was designed by famous architect Karl Gothard. The Quadrga on top of this gate was designed by Johann Gottfried Schaclow.
The quadriga was taken away to France by Nepoleon, but was brought back to Germany after his defeat.

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The Brandenburg Gate is the most recogniseable sight in Berlin - and a true symbol of German Unity - once it was stuack between East and West Berlin - and after World War 2 it was pocked with bullet holes. Fortunately, it is now in its full glory again. Just the pure privilege of being able to walk through the Brandenburg Gate is worth doing - admittedly now it is something which we can take for granted, but for so many it wasn't possible. A lot of the souvenir stands have gone, which were so prolific in the 1990s after the Wall came down - they have moved to Checkpoint Charlie.

In glorious sunshine the stroll through it from the West down Unten den Linden can help take you back to the glory days. In the wet it is moody and enigmatic, a reminder of all that is good and bad with Germany from throughout recent European history.

Well worth visiting!

The symbol of Berlin, if not the entire German nation, this gate which is on the German euro coins is a very moving place. The area around it was bombed almost flat in WWII and there are plenty of pictures showing this in various museums around the city. It was then along the line dividing eastern and western Berlin, with the wall running just west of it for many years. It is a very odd feeling to be able to walk through it today, thinking of all those who couldn't.

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Since in its construction in 1791 the Brandenburg Gate has played a leading role in all of the City's major historical events. Commissioned originally by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a symbol of peace the statue of Victoria on the Quadriga's chariot on top of the gate was designed with a laurel wreath. In 1806 Napoleon looted the statue and had it transported to Paris. After Napoleon's defeat the Quadriga was returned to Berling and Victoria's wreath replaced by the Germanic symbols of victory - an Iron Cross and an Eagle.

During Prussian rule and later during that of Hitler the gate came to represent the nation's militaristic stregnth with major parades celebrating military triumphs passing through and down the wide boulevard of Unter den Linden.

Towards the end of World War II the gate was severely damaged, but remained structurally intact. After the war the gate became located in the Soviet sector and was once again used as a city gate but this time between the now divided East and West Berlin. In 1958 the gate was restored with the East Germans funding the main structure and the West Berlin Senate replacing the Quadriga. However before the Quadriga was reinstated the East German authorities had the Iron Cross and Eagle removed.

When The Wall went up in 1961 the area around the gate became part of the restricted area of no-man's land between the main wall and the "baby" wall.

With the fall of The Wall the gate became a symbol of the desire to reunite the two Germany's and on the night of the announcement, November 9th 1989, Pariser Platz hosted a major celebratory demonstration. On December 22nd that year the gate was reopened and symbolically one of the first to pass through was the West German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, where he was greeted by his Eastern counterpart Hans Modrow.

After the country's re-unification the following year the gate reverted to its original status as symbolic of peace and that of the re-united nation.

Napoleon marched through it, as did the Nazis and then the Soviets. It is a short walk from the Reichstag.
This gate has seen much action, and is a big attraction today. It stands at the end of Unter den Linden and was the gateway to Brandenburg.(It has a namesake in Potsdam.)
Here you see the boyfriend pretending to be one of those Berlin traffic light men! See my General Tip on it...

This is what Brandenburg Gate looked before the wall came down. There were soldiers walking around the area and they were the only ones who were allowed to go through.

Standing here I always longed to go through once ... I didn't know it was only a few years until I could :-)