General Information
| Name in local language: | Reichstagsgebäude |
|---|---|
| Beginning of works: | 9 June 1884 |
| Completion: | 5 December 1894 |
| Status: | in use |
Project Type
| Structure: |
Dome |
|---|---|
| Function / usage: |
Parliament building |
| Architectural style: |
Neoclassical |
Location
| Location: |
Berlin-Tiergarten, Mitte, Berlin, Germany |
|---|---|
| Address: | Platz der Republik 1 |
| Coordinates: | 52° 31' 7.03" N 13° 22' 34.27" E |
Technical Information
Dimensions
| Initial construction | ||
|---|---|---|
| dome | height to tip of dome | 75 m |
| Reconfiguration | ||
| gross floor area | 61 166 m² | |
| dome | diameter | 40 m |
| height | 23.5 m | |
| height to observation deck | 59 m | |
| height to platform | 40.7 m | |
| glazed surface | 3 000 m² | |
| height to tip of dome | 47 m | |
| plenary hall | height | 25 m |
| seats | 669 | |
| gross floor area | ca. 1 200 m² | |
Quantities
| dome | structural steel | 800 t |
Materials
| dome |
steel
|
|---|
Chronology
| 1 July 1884 | Emperor Wilhelm I. lays the first stone. |
|---|---|
| 5 December 1894 | The final stone is laid by Emperor Wilhelm II. |
| End of 1916 | After the emperor quits opposing it the inscription "Dem Deutschen Volke" (for the German People) is added to the building. |
| 9 November 1918, 14:00 | The social-democrat delegate Philipp Scheidemann proclaims the first democratic and parlamentary republic of the unified Germany. |
| 1920 | After the constitution of the Weimar Republic the parliament returns to capital Berlin for regular sessions. |
| 27 February 1933 | The building burns out after being set on fire. Dutchman Marinus van der Lubbe is arrested for the arson. |
| 28 February 1933 | Adolf Hitler gets President Hindenburg to pass the "Reichstagsbrand-Verordnung" which abolishes most political rights in the Republic. |
| 23 March 1933 | Forced to have its sessions in the nearby Kroll Opera building, the Reichstag takes away its own powers, transfers them to Adolf Hitler and becomes a show parliament for the Führer and the Third Reich without any political weight. |
| 2 May 1945 | Soviet troops capture the building. |
| 1955 | The Bundestag decides to have the building reconstructed. |
| 13 June 1961 | The construction of the Berlin wall shows that the building is right at the border to East Berlin. |
| 3 September 1971 | The "Vier-Mächte-Abkommen" comes into force and changes the status of West-Berlin and also prohibits plenary sessions of the Bundestag in the soon-to-be-reconstructed Reichstag. |
| 1972 | Reconstruction of the building is completed based on plans by Paul Baumgarten. It serves until 1994 as space for an historical exhibit called "Questions on German History". |
| 1995 — 1999 | Renovation of the building and reconstruction of the dome in a new form. |
| June 1995 | The building is wrapped by Christo. |
| April 1999 | The Bundestag inaugurates the building in a ceremonial session. |
| 23 May 1999 | The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) constituted by the Bundestag and representatives of the states elects the new president of the Federal Republic in the building. |
| September 1999 | The Bundestag's move from Bonn to Berlin is complete. |
Participants
- Paul Wallot (architect)
- Mathias Koenen (structural engineer)
- Amstein + Walthert AG
- fischer energie + haustechnik consult Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH
- Kuehn Bauer Partner
- PKA Planungsgesellschaft Karnasch mbH
- W. Stucke (checking engineer)
- Götz GmbH (dome)
- Paul Baumgarten (architect)
Relevant Web Sites
Relevant Publications
- (2006): Architektur und Geschichte in Deutschland. Heike Werner Verlag, Munich (Germany), pp. 158-159.
- (2001): Architekturführer Berlin. 6th edition, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin (Germany), ISBN 978-3496012115, pp. 144.
- (2003): Architekturführer Bundesbauten Berlin. 3rd edition, Stadtwandel Verlag, Berlin (Germany), pp. 6-9.
- Der Bau des deutschen Reichstagshauses in Berlin. In: Schweizerische Bauzeitung (1883-1946), v. 2, n. 2 (14 July 1883).
- Der Bau des deutschen Reichstagshauses in Berlin. In: Schweizerische Bauzeitung (1883-1946), v. 2, n. 1 (7 July 1883).
- About this
data sheet - Structure-ID
20000601 - Published on:
21/01/2000 - Last updated on:
06/06/2023
