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The Brandenburg Gate ( German: Brandenburger Tor) is a triumphal arch, the symbol of Berlin, Germany. Located on the Pariser Platz , it is the only remaining one of the series of gates through which one entered Berlin. It constitutes the monumental termination of Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which led directly to the royal residence. It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a sign of peace and built by Karl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791.
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| Brandenburg Gate (June 2003) | Brandenburg Gate at sunset (August 2003)
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Brandenburg Gate consists of twelve Greek Doric columns, six on each side. This allows for five roadways, although originally ordinary citizens were only allowed to use the outer two. Above the gate is the Quadriga, consisting of the goddess of peace, driving a four-horse chariot in triumph.
Design of the gate was based on the Propylea , the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. In a city with a long tradition of classicism, a classicist Baroque followed by neo-Palladian architecture, this was the first Greek revival neo-classical construction in Berlin, which would become the Spreeathen ("Athens on the River Spree') by the 1830s, shaped by the severe neoclassicism of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
| The Quadriga atop the Brandenbrug Gate (August 2003)
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The Brandenburg Gate appears on the 'tail' side of the 50, 20 and 10 cent German euro coinsThe euro EUR or is the common currency for twelve countries within the European Union, including Germany. The euro coins have two different sides; one common, European side showing the value of the coin and one national side featuring a design chosen by t
While the main design of the Brandenburg Gate has remained the same since it was completed, the gate has played varying roles in Germany's history. First, Napoleon took the Quadriga back to ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to in 1806Events January 8 Cape Colony becomes a British colony January 10 Dutch in Cape Town surrender to the British January 19 The United Kingdom occupies the Cape of Good Hope March 23 After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocea after conquering Berlin. When it returned to Berlin in 1814Events January 14 Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden January 29 French army of Emperor Napoleon I wins the Battle of Brienne January 31 Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of Argentina. February Congress of Chatillon see George Hamilton Gordo, the statue exchanged her olive wreath for the Iron CrossThe Iron Cross Eisernes Kreuz was established as a military honor by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in 1813 in the Napoleonic Wars. The Iron Cross was designed by the neo-classical architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The decoration is comprised on a and became the goddess of victoryIn Greek mythology, Nike ( Greek Νικη, pronounced /'nike/ "Nee-keh", meaning "Victory") ( Roman equivalent: Victoria), was a goddess who personified triumph and victory. She was a companion of Athena. She was capable of running and flyin. When the Nazis rose to power, they used the gate to symbolize their power. The only structure left standing in the ruins of Pariser Platz in 1945, apart from the ruined Academy of Fine Arts, the gate was restored by the East Berlin and West Berlin Governments. However, in 1961, the gate was closed off as part of the Berlin Wall. "The German issue will remain open as long as the Brandenburg Gate is closed" was how the Mayor of West Berlin, Richard von Weizsäcker, described the situation in the early 1980s.
Finally, when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the gate symbolized freedom and the unity of the city, re-opening on 22 December when the West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl walked through to be greeted by the East German Prime Minister, Hans Modrow.
See also: Brandenburg
