Know About Brandenburg Gate: Architectural Attraction of Berlin, Germany

In 1946, due to war Germany and Berlin divided then it was in the Soviet sector. In 1961, the Berlin Wall went up then Gate acted as a separation zone. When the Wall dropped, 100,000 people assembled there for the Brandenburg Gate’s official opening on 22 December 1989. Then afterwards, crowds started gathering at gate to celebrate New Year’s Eve every year. Today, the Brandenburg Gate has become the most important landmark of Germany which symbolises a reunited Berlin.

Architecture of the Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate faces Pariser Platz, regarded as one of the city’s most attractive squares. It was designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans back in 1791 and commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm. The gate is 26 metres high, 65.5 metres long and 11 metres deep, and supported by two rows of six Doric columns and there are five walkways through the gate. By the end of the Second World War, the buildings around this historical square were in ruins.

Later in In 1990s, the reconstruction started after German reunification, and the building was further renovated with stylish townhouses, US embassies and the luxurious five-star Hotel Adlon.

The design of the Brandenburg Gate was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens. It was the grand entrance to the boulevard Unter den Linden which led to the palace of the Prussian monarchs.

Other Facts:

• Brandenburg Gate was renovated by Berlin’s Foundation for the Protection of Monument till 2002.

• In 2006, around 130,000 people gathered at the Gate following the attacks on an Orlando gay club to express their resentment. The Gate was lit up in rainbow colours in the memory of 49 victims.

• The luxurious Adlon Hotel, the French and the US embassies are those the buildings which surround the Gate, in its prime location at Pariser Platz.

It was said that gate was heavily damaged in the Second World War but later with every passing year it was renovated. Today, Brandenburg Gate is popular all over the world as the symbol of freedom, peace, tolerance and universalism. Visiting the Brandenburg Gate at night is a special treat, and undoubtedly one of the top free things to do in Berlin.

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