Brandenburg Gate, 1791, Berlin Germany, Greek Architecture, Carl Gotthard Langhans, Johann Gottfried Schadow
Brandenburg Gate History The Brandenburg gate was built between 1788 and 1791 by Prussian king Frederick William II as key entry to the city of Berlin. The gate topped of a statue which depicted the goddess of victory driving a chariot pulled by four horses, called the “Quadriga”. The statue stayed there until Napoleon Bonaparte and his grand army occupied berlin and decided to steal it, shipping it to Paris. Napoleon forgot about the statue, and it stayed in storage until the Prussian army took over Paris after his defeat. The statue was returned to the gate and became a symbol of the Prussian army’s victory over France. During world war II, the gate received heavy damages, and after the berlin wall was erected both east and west Germany worked together to restore the gate. After the restoration, the gate was completely shut off from west berlin. It wasn’t 1963 when John Kennedy said his “I am a jelly donut Speech” right near the gate that the wall was torn down. ...