Reichstagsgebaude and its glass dome above Berlin

Reichstagsgebaude in Berlin combines a nineteenth-century parliament with a glass dome, linking political history and open views.

Reichstagsgebaude rises beside the Spree in Berlin with a Neo-Renaissance façade and a glass dome above its parliamentary chamber. The building combines Paul Wallot’s nineteenth-century architecture with Norman Foster’s late twentieth-century reconstruction.

Reichstagsgebaude: a parliament beneath glass

Paul Wallot designed Reichstagsgebaude as a parliament building for the German Empire. Construction ran from 1884 to 1894, and the completed structure brought Renaissance, Baroque and Classical elements into a single composition.

The building stands at Platz der Republik, near the southern bank of the Spree. Tiergarten lies to the west, while the Brandenburg Gate is south of the building. The façade carries the inscription “Dem Deutschen Volke”, added in 1916.

From Imperial Diet to Bundestag

Reichstagsgebaude housed the Reichstag of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic from 1894 to 1933. Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the German Republic from the building on 9 November 1918.

A fire on 27 February 1933 severely damaged the building and became part of the political crisis surrounding the end of the Weimar Republic. War damage and post-war neglect left the structure altered for much of the twentieth century. Reichstag’s parliamentary history spans the German Empire and the Weimar Republic.

Norman Foster’s dome and the renewed interior

British architect Norman Foster directed the reconstruction after German reunification. The work brought the Bundestag back to Reichstagsgebaude, where the first session of the reunited German parliament took place on 4 October 1990.

The glass dome measures 40 metres across and 23.5 metres high. A mirrored cone occupies its centre, while spiral paths rise inside the dome above the plenary chamber. The reconstruction ended with the first session of the Bundestag in the renewed building on 19 April 1999. the glass dome’s dimensions give the modern addition a precise architectural scale.

The dome is attached to a building whose political identity reaches back to 1894. Its steel and glass form sits above Wallot’s masonry architecture, creating a visible contrast between historic parliament and reconstructed public interior.

Visiting Reichstagsgebaude: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Reichstagsgebaude stands at Platz der Republik beside the Spree. Berlin’s S-Bahn serves Brandenburger Tor, and the U5 serves stations near the parliamentary district.
• The dome includes ascending and descending spiral paths. The visit involves ramps and changes of level inside the glass structure.
• Tiergarten lies west of Reichstagsgebaude, while the Brandenburg Gate stands south of it. The Spree forms the northern setting.
• The official language is German and the currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Reichstagsgebaude

Where is Reichstagsgebaude?

Reichstagsgebaude is at Platz der Republik in Berlin, beside the Spree and near the Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten.

What can a visit include?

A visit can include the roof terrace and the glass dome, with spiral paths above the Bundestag’s plenary chamber.

What distinguishes the building?

Its Neo-Renaissance structure dates from 1884 to 1894, while Norman Foster’s steel-and-glass dome belongs to the reconstruction completed in 1999.