The Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin’s most famous historical landmarks. Located in Pariser Platz in East Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate has stood through 200 years of Berlin history. Once a haunting representation of political division, the Brandenburg Gate is now a symbol of Germany’s strength and unity after Soviet control.
The Gate was commissioned in 1788 by Frederick William II to be a grand entrance to the Prussian palace (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). It took three years to construct the Greek-style structure, consisting of 12 Doric columns and stretching 66 feet high (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). Atop the Gate is a statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, put in place in 1793. The statue itself has faced a great deal of historical transitions, including a move to Paris during the French occupation of Berlin from 1806-1814 as well as being featured in a great deal of Nazi propaganda during the 1930s (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016) .
On August 13, 1961, the construction of the Berlin Wall enclosed the Brandenburg Gate within East Berlin (A View on Cities, 2016). The Gate was shut down, leaving Pariser Platz as a desolate space symbolizing the political division of Berlin (A View on Cities, 2016). The space to the west of the gate became a notable area for American presidential speeches. Two years after the construction of the wall, John F. Kennedy delivered a famous speech near the Brandenburg Gate reassuring the people of Berlin and Germany that the wall did not signify any plans of war (BBC News, 2013).Twenty-four years later in 1987, millions of Americans watched as a crowd of more than 20,000 gathered at the Brandenburg Gate to hear Ronald Reagan tell Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” (A&E Networks, 2016).
On November 9, 1989, Reagan’s request was finally answered and the Berlin Wall was opened. To celebrate the occasion, American conductor Leonard Bernstein held a series of concerts featuring artists from all four countries that had occupied Berlin. The first concert was broadcast live to tens of thousands of viewers gathered at the Brandenburg Gate and throughout Berlin, marking the first television event transmitted to both East and West Germany in over 30 years (A&E Networks, 2016).
With its vast history, the Brandenburg Gate is more than just a tourist attraction. The gate stands as a reminder that despite a turbulent past, Berlin is now a beacon of unity and peace.