Reichstag Building

The Reichstag Building is famously crowned by a striking glass dome designed by British architect Norman Foster. Constructed in the 1990s during the building's massive renovation, the dome was built to symbolize the transparency of the democratic German government. Visitors can walk up a spiral ramp inside the dome to get panoramic views of Berlin.

The original Reichstag Building was designed by architect Paul Wallot and officially opened in 1894. It served as the legislative house for the German Empire and later the Weimar Republic. The building was severely damaged by a suspicious fire in 1933 and fell into heavy disuse and disrepair during the Nazi era and the subsequent Cold War.

The Reichstag Building serves as the official meeting place for the Bundestag, the modern federal parliament of Germany. Following the reunification of the country and extensive renovations, the parliament officially moved back into the building in 1999. It is now the permanent, active seat of German legislative power in Berlin.

During one of the final, brutal battles of World War II in Europe, the Soviet Red Army captured the heavily defended Reichstag building in April 1945. Soviet soldiers famously raised a red victory flag over the ruined roof to symbolize the absolute defeat of Nazi Germany. This moment was staged and photographed, becoming one of the most iconic images of the 20th century.