Local name: Reichstag

The Reichstag Building is one of the most characteristic buildings of Berlin. The remarkable building has mixed styles of architecture and was designed by Paul Wallot and completed in 1894.

A large part of it was destroyed in a fire in 1933, and arson by the Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was suspected, but never proven. He was sentenced to death by the Nazis. Hitler used the fire to declare a state of emergency and used to it seize power with his political party.

During the Cold War the severely damaged building was restored and renovated several times. The mixture of different styles of architecture is a symbol of ‘a divided country, with a divided capital’. In 1999 is returned to being the seat of the German parliament.

More information: www.bundestag.de