Germany - Berlin, Brandenburger Tor

The ‘Brandenburger Tor’ (Brandenburg Gate) is one of Berlin's most well known monuments; a landmark with over 200 years of history. The gate is the only remaining city gate of the former city wall.

The Brandenburg Gate - a replacement of an older gate - was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm II. The design of this neoclassical triumphal arch - 65.5 meters wide and 28 meters tall - was based on the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. The construction started in 1788 and was officially opened in 1791. The Quadriga, a sculpture representing the Goddess of Victory was erected on the Gate in 1793.

In World War II Brandenburg Gate was damaged but not destroyed by allied bombing. During the Cold War the gate was located right near the border between East and West Berlin and became a symbol of a divided city, which drew visitors who could get a glimpse of the world behind the Iron Curtain from an observation platform.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 the ‘Brandenburger Tor’ quickly reinvented itself into the symbol of a reunited Germany. The gate was thoroughly renovated in 2000 - 2002 and regained its 19th century grandeur.