About this place
Completed in 1894 to a Neo-Renaissance design by Paul Wallot, the Reichstag housed the parliament of the German Empire and later the Weimar Republic. On the evening of 27 February 1933, less than a month after Hitler became Chancellor, flames gutted the plenary chamber. A young Dutch man, Marinus van der Lubbe, was arrested inside, but the Nazi leadership immediately blamed a Communist conspiracy and seized the moment. The very next day President Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree, suspending freedom of the press, assembly, and protection from arbitrary arrest. Thousands of political opponents were detained, and the legal foundations of the republic collapsed almost overnight. The building stood damaged and disused through the Nazi years and the Battle of Berlin. Only after reunification did British architect Norman Foster restore it, adding the great glass dome that today symbolises a democracy meant to be watched by its citizens.
Key facts
- 1894 year — The original building was completed under architect Paul Wallot
- 1933 year — The fire on 27 February triggered the decree that suspended civil liberties
- 23.5 meters — Height of Norman Foster's glass dome, a symbol of transparent government
📍 Platz der Republik 1, 10557, Berlin