Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument in Berlin, completed in 1791 as a city entrance. It later became a symbol of German division and reunification.

Carl Gotthard Langhans: Carl Gotthard Langhans was a Prussian architect who designed the Brandenburg Gate. His design translated classical architecture into a monumental entrance for Berlin.
Berlin Wall: The Berlin Wall was a fortified barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. The gate stood in the restricted border zone beside the Wall during the division of Berlin.
Napoleon's entry into Berlin: Napoleon's entry into Berlin was the French emperor’s occupation of the Prussian capital in 1806. Napoleon took the gate’s Quadriga to Paris as a trophy after occupying Berlin.
Doric order: The Doric order is a classical architectural style characterized by sturdy columns and simple capitals. The gate’s columns draw on this ancient Greek architectural vocabulary.
Berlin Palace: Berlin Palace is a historic royal residence reconstructed in central Berlin as the Humboldt Forum. Like the gate, it raises questions about restoring Prussian monuments in a modern capital.
Frederick William II of Prussia: Frederick William II was king of Prussia from 1786 to 1797. He commissioned the gate during a period of ambitious royal building in Berlin.
German reunification: German reunification was the 1990 process that united the German Democratic Republic with the Federal Republic of Germany. The gate became a prominent public setting for celebrations of reunification.
Quadriga's return to Berlin: The Quadriga's return to Berlin was its restoration to the Brandenburg Gate after Napoleon’s defeat. Its return in 1814 attached the gate to Prussia’s victory and the end of French occupation.
Berlin city gates: Berlin city gates were entrances through the city’s former fortifications and customs boundary. The Brandenburg Gate was one of several gateways regulating entry into the old city.
Pariser Platz: Pariser Platz is the square immediately inside Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. Its reconstruction after reunification turned the gate’s setting into a renewed civic space.

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