However, it is inside the Reichstag that some inscriptions of Soviet soldiers still remain. Today, May 9, I propose to honor the memory of the dead and see how the main government building of modern Germany has become
In 2008, when I first came to Berlin for half a day, I met a kilometer-long queue at the Reichstag, and even in the rain, we left with nothing. When I returned there in 2011, it turned out that you can get inside the building only by prior appointment via the Internet. In 2012, I seemed to have signed up, but it turned out that the registration was only for a tour of the dome of the building. It turns out that you can visit the corridors of the Reichstag only by signing up for a tour, which is conducted only in German.
Late in the evening, March 4, we arrived on an excursion as part of a small group of Germans, we waited a very long time for the guide, who turned out to be terribly boring and even spoke rather incomprehensible (as for me) German.
The tour itself lasts one hour, and about half of this time you will stay in the meeting room, where they will talk for a long time about the procedure of these very meetings, the composition of parties, the activities of the government ... A lonely grandfather from the tour will be politically active and ask the guide a lot of questions
And the guide devoted only 5 minutes to the inscriptions of Soviet soldiers. During the total reconstruction of the building, it was planned to completely remove all the inscriptions, since the building was completely in them. But the Russian embassy demanded to leave the memory at least partially. As a result, the inscriptions fit quite harmoniously into the renovated interior of the Reichstag. 
If someone says that the Germans are great and honor the memory so much, then I would not say that this is actually the case. The guide (by the way, a real employee of the Bundestag) expressed the general opinion that they should have been removed from the walls long ago, that no one needs them, and in general, Russian obscenities are written there. The people generally approve. I corrected him, kindly translating some of the inscriptions, which made Monsieur a little embarrassed, obviously not expecting to see a descendant of a Soviet soldier among the excursion group. My great-grandfather participated in the storming of Berlin as part of the 216th Infantry Regiment of the 47th Army. And although he did not accept in the battles for the Reichstag buildings, he left his autograph there after, to know where ... 
Apparently, sometimes Russians also get on the tour, since some "fighter" tried not so long ago to leave his autograph there with a felt-tip pen, now there are surveillance cameras 
In fact, there are not many inscriptions left. 
By the way, I found some inscriptions from the Anglo-American soldiers, apparently they managed to sign until they divided Berlin into sectors 
In some places there were traces of bullets, bloody battles were going on inside the building 
Unfortunately, not everywhere you can walk freely, the tour route is directed in a slightly different vector 
We pass through the underground bridge to the new building of the Bundestag 
This part reminds me of the Senate from Star Wars. In fact, these are separate halls where party members hold their closed meetings. 
By the way, these green men (not to be confused with the Crimean ones) on the stairs symbolize the laundering of these same inscriptions as a symbol of the rebirth of the new Germany. Well we were told 
We are walking past the dome, a good night shot without a tripod 
Conference room. I'm giving an interview
Reichstag building.
Why does the Bundestag need a casino
The Reichstag was built in 1894 according to the design of the Frankfurt architect Paul Vallot. Parliament sat here until 1933, when the building burned down in a fire. It is symbolic that the National Socialists blamed the communists for the arson and used this accusation as a pretext for banning the German Communist Party. Later, the Nazis held propaganda rallies here.
After World War II, the Reichstag was in a dilapidated state for a long time and was completely reconstructed only by 1999. Today, the Reichstag is one of several buildings of the huge modern parliamentary complex of the Bundestag. There are many meeting rooms, offices of deputies, a gallery of modern art, airline offices, a first-aid post, a post office, etc. There is even a casino. These are not gambling halls at all, as it may seem, but only a “people's dining room”.
Foster Omnipresent
Alexey Yusupov.
- After the unification of the two German republics - the FRG and the GDR - in 1990, their parliaments decided: the Reichstag as the home of German parliamentarism must be restored- says Alexey. - Before German reunification, the building was in poor condition and was not used for its intended purpose, partly as a warehouse. They began to think about how to bring it to its original form, but at the same time give the building the appearance of a future parliament. Today, any visitor to Berlin can see the result of this work - from many points in the city, a glass dome over the Reichstag is visible, built according to the project architect Norman Foster. If you are inside the dome, then on the one hand you can admire the view of the reunified Berlin, and on the other hand, look into the Bundestag meeting room and see firsthand the transparency of the German parliamentary system.
During the restoration of the Reichstag, wooden panels were removed that covered the walls damaged in 1945. Under them, especially on the 1st and 2nd floors, a large number of inscriptions of Soviet soldiers were found.
- A special historical commission was created, which included diplomats from Russia, and chaired from the German side Rita Suesmuth - Speaker of the Bundestag. Then it was decided to preserve these inscriptions as a memory of the very complex and fateful history of the two countries - the Russian Federation as the heir to the Soviet Union and Germany- explains Yusupov. - The capture of the Reichstag in 1945, in the first place in the Soviet Union, was considered the triumphant finale of the war. And the capture of Berlin and the victory over Germany in general are associated with it. Although, from the point of view of military and political influence, neither the Reichstag building nor the German parliament itself 70 years ago had any special significance.
How did it all happen?
F : Alexey, the preservation of the inscriptions of Soviet soldiers in the Reichstag should constantly remind of the most terrible war and heavy defeat. Why did the Germans go for it?
In the early 2000s, there was a question about removing the inscriptions. It was even put to a vote in the Bundestag, but the proposal was rejected by an absolute majority. And for very "German" reasons. After all, Germany went through a unique process not so much of repentance as of intellectual and moral awareness of its own history, the crimes committed under National Socialism. The country wondered: how could it reach such a state in which it caused harm, brought destruction, death, humiliation and plunder to almost all European neighbors, and especially in the eastern direction?
It was a long process of realization. It began in the 1960s, when the first generation of post-war Germans became students. There was a big social upheaval and a big reversal of consciousness. After 1945 there was, of course, both the Nuremberg trials and denazification. But only 20 years later, in 1967-68, the question arose in society: how could this happen?
The country had to admit its guilt. And the fault of the vast majority of the population. After all, the arguments that the Germans did not know about the Holocaust, about the crimes against gypsies, communists, enemies of the regime, people with non-traditional sexual orientation, and disabled people are untenable. It is now well known that the Germans knew a lot. Support for the Third Reich and the regime Adolf Hitler was massive. Germany had to admit that all this is the flesh of the flesh of German history and culture, and not some kind of misunderstanding or mistake.
And this leads to a completely different view of their own role in the world, of responsibility to their neighbors. In the spirit of this time in the 1960s, with Willy Brandte and other chancellors of the FRG began rapprochement with Poland, the GDR, the USSR. The main continental enemy and enemy - France - has become the closest partner and ally, part of the "European motor".
Not a shame, but a release
Dome over the Reichstag.
F : Is it right to judge children and grandchildren for the crimes of their parents and grandfathers?
No. And it was from the awareness of their own guilt that the Germans came to understand: this guilt cannot be inherited. But Germany is aware of its historical responsibility. And the preservation of visible artifacts and reminders of what was the role of the Third Reich in European history in the twentieth century is part of today's German culture and identity. This includes the preservation of the inscriptions on the Reichstag.
Federal President Richard von Weizsacker, who passed away in January 2015, was one of the moral authorities of post-war and modern Germany. It was he who brought the German internal discourse to the understanding that May 8 (on the territory of the post-Soviet space - May 9) is not so much a day of defeat as, first of all, a day of liberation, including the liberation of German society from its mistakes, the fascist regime and horrors war. And these events are also part of the history of modern Germany, as well as the history of Russia and other post-Soviet countries. And the capture of the Reichstag is a turning point in the history of Germany.
And the process of restoring the Reichstag and turning it into the seat of a modern parliament is especially interesting because neither during the time of the Kaiser's Empire, nor during the Second and Third Reichs, the parliament was an absolute center of power. But now the FRG is a parliamentary republic, and the Reichstag is the building that houses the main constitutional body of the country.
The present through the prism of the past
F : Rumor has it that there is an inscription left by a Belarusian soldier who frankly threatens, to put it mildly, to abuse Hitler. I didn't see the graffiti.
Of course, not all inscriptions have been preserved, but only about 150. The commission I was talking about agreed to remove obscene inscriptions - there were a lot of obscenities and racist statements. Now the surviving inscriptions can be seen by any visitor to the Reichstag. There are “Hitler Kaput”, and “We are from Astrakhan”, as well as division numbers, personal messages, etc.
F : There is an opinion that memories of the Nazi period of history are quite painful for the Germans. Do these inscriptions increase the pain?
The preserved inscriptions show that the attitude towards the fascist period of history is the attitude of a country that has recovered and understands the full scope and depth of historical events. It's like with a person: the deepest defeat and the recognition of our own mistakes is the most difficult thing for us. Germany lost everything: major cities were in ruins, millions of people died, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition occupied and divided the country for almost half a century. The truth about the crimes of the Wehrmacht, the Gestapo, the SS gave a sense of common guilt, and this had to be lived with. Therefore, Germany, unlike other countries, cannot define itself through previous military victories, through the imperial past, through the history of expansion. Because in Germany, all these events eventually led to the ovens of Auschwitz and to numerous other horrors. The Second World War is the defining period of Germany, without which it is impossible to imagine the country. And much of German history is viewed through the prism of what ultimately led to disaster.
This also determines the current foreign policy of the country, the development of its defense complex, diplomacy, and so on. Take at least German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his team. They are trying to maintain diplomatic channels with Moscow even after the war in Ukraine.
Reports on the Reichstag. PartIII
Parliament belongs to the people. "Dem deutschen Volke" - "To the German people" - is written above the entrance to the Reichstag in Berlin. The architect Paul Wallot wanted to place this kind of dedicatory inscription as early as 1894, for the opening of the imperial parliament building on its facade, but faced resistance from the German Kaiser Wilhelm II (Wilhelm II.). He did not like the mention of "the people" in this context.
The place provided for the dedication remained empty for more than ten years. Only at the height of the First World War, when in 1916 the deputies from the Social Democratic Party agreed to vote for war loans, and Germany was already pretty tired of the war, did the Kaiser decide to respond with a grand gesture. The letters were cast in a fashionable calligraphic font in those days from the bronze of two French cannons taken during the liberation wars of 1813-1815.
From 1894 to 1918, the imperial parliament of Kaiser Germany worked in the Reichstag building in Berlin, and then, until the fire of 1933, the parliament of the Weimar Republic, from the window of which it was once proclaimed. The building was destined to become the seat of parliament again only in 1999.
On the facade of the Reichstag there are still original letters - silent witnesses of the arson of 1933, the coming to power of the National Socialists, the holding of anti-Semitic and anti-communist exhibitions in the damaged building such as "The Eternal Jew" ("Der ewige Jude") or "Bolshevism without a mask" ( "Bolschewismus ohne Maske"). Later, models of "Germany" ("Welthauptstadt Germania"), the new "capital of the world", which Adolf Hitler's court architect Albert Speer was going to build on the site of Berlin, were later shown here.
The arson of the Reichstag served as a formal pretext for the crackdown on the opposition and the seizure of power by the National Socialists, and its circumstances have not yet been fully investigated. Hitler blamed the communists for the arson, and the communists blamed Hitler. During the fire, the meeting room of the Reichstag was almost completely burned out. The next one-party "parliament" (here it is already necessary to put quotation marks), which included only deputies from the NSDAP, held its meetings at the Krolloper near the Brandenburg Gate. Berliners sarcastically called this operetta "parliament" "the highest paid male choir in the world" ("höchstbezahlter Männergesangsverein").
Interesting fact. During the search for a site for the construction of the Reichstag, which took more than ten years after the decision was made in 1871 (we talked about this in the previous part of the report), the deputies were offered to purchase the Kroll Opera and build a building in its place. They put the issue to the vote several times, but invariably rejected this option. The deputies did not want the building of the Kaiser's parliament to stand on the site of the former entertainment establishment ...
From 1933 to 1942, the Nazi Reichstag met for its propaganda and demonstration meetings only 19 times - including on September 15, 1935, for an exit session in the "city of NSDAP party congresses" Nuremberg, to vote for the "racial laws" that marked the beginning of mass destruction European Jews.
Video: Inscriptions of Soviet soldiers
During the Second World War, the windows of the Reichstag, which did not play any role in the system of architectural and ideological symbols of the National Socialist dictatorship, were walled up. In some of its premises, AEG established the production of radio tubes, in others they placed a military infirmary and an obstetric department of the Berlin clinic "Charite" (Charité).
During the first post-war decade, the building, which ended up in the western part of Berlin, was in a dilapidated form. In 1954, due to the threat of collapse, the remains of the dome were blown up, although, according to some architects, without much need. Soon they decided to carry out repairs, however, in the conditions of a divided Germany, it was not clear for what purposes the Reichstag building should be used.
Repair work dragged on until 1973. The West German architect Paul Baumgarten, who won the competition, refused to restore the dome, and, in keeping with the pragmatic spirit of the 60s, removed many neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque carvings and stucco decorations, referring to the fact that they already were badly damaged during the war and gradually destroyed after it.
Inscriptions in Russian
The walls inside were lined with white panels, under which they hid the traces of battles, as well as the autographs of Soviet soldiers, thus - voluntarily or involuntarily - preserving them for the future. The former meeting room, which burned down in 1933, was restored, moreover, with the expectation of German reunification, so that there would be enough space for all deputies. In some rooms there was a historical exposition telling about the history of the building.
In 1971, the victorious powers adopted a new Quadripartite Agreement for West Berlin (Viermächteabkommen über Berlin) on the status of this part of the divided city. During the period of detente, the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and France agreed that West Berlin was not an integral part of the FRG, but the Federal Republic of Germany received the right to represent its interests in the international arena, if they did not affect strategic issues and security problems.
This treaty prevented plans to hold some plenary sessions of the Bundestag in West Berlin. True, meetings of factions and hearings of commissions were sometimes held in the renovated Reichstag building, to which deputies flew in from Bonn. But these events were rather symbolic: they demonstrated the desire of the FRG to unite the country.
German unification
One of the most significant events in modern German history took place near the Reichstag building on October 3, 1990. At midnight, the black-red-gold flag of united Germany was hoisted on the flagpole in front of the western portal. It was on this day, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, that the formal legal reunification of the country took place. Newsreels show the steps of the Reichstag illuminated by searchlights. Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his wife surrounded by German politicians. Thousands of people in the dark sing the national anthem about unity, justice and freedom: "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit ..."
During the renovation of the building in 1995-1999, before the German capital moved from Bonn to Berlin, almost all of the changes made by Baumgarten were corrected, focusing on Wallo's original plans. But the reconstruction, of course, did not pursue the goal of restoring the Reichstag in its former form. The preservation of traces of history was one of the conditions for an open international competition, which was won by British architect Norman Foster.
Visitors and deputies are reminded of the capture of the Reichstag in 1945 by inscriptions made by soldiers of the Red Army. Now, thanks to a special restoration technology, they look like they appeared only yesterday. All the soldiers' autographs found on the walls after the removal of the "Baumgarten" cladding were first photographed and then translated into German.
Some of the inscriptions were left for viewing, some had to be removed under plaster, but in such a way as to preserve them, that is, to conserve them. The inscriptions containing obscene words and obscenities were removed, having previously coordinated this with Russian diplomats.
During tours of the building, guides like to repeat the story about the first deputies who got into the Reichstag after the parliament moved from Bonn to Berlin. One of them, seeing the autographs of Soviet soldiers, thought that these were fresh traces left by some hooligans in the newly renovated premises. The deputy called the parliamentary administration to tell about this blatant disgrace, but they explained to him the origin and meaning of these inscriptions. It should be noted that not all deputies liked the idea of preserving historical reminders then, but they did not receive support.
See also:
History of the Brandenburg Gate
Symbol of unity
Until the middle of the 19th century, Berlin was surrounded by a city customs wall. It was possible to enter its territory through eighteen gates, which were later dismantled - with the exception of one and only. Today they are the most popular attraction of the German capital and the architectural symbol of the united Germany.
"Athens on the Spree"
This is how the place looked in 1764. About a quarter of a century later, the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm II ordered the construction of a new gate here. The architect Karl Gotthard Langhans prepared a project in the classicist style, taking as a model for imitation the antique gate that decorated the entrance to the Acropolis. Berlin at that time was the center of the cultural life of Europe and was even called "Athens on the Spree".
Gate of the world
The gate was completed in August 1791. In 1793, a quadriga was installed on them, which is now controlled by the goddess of victory, Victoria. But originally this place on the Gates of the World (Friedenstor), as they were then called, was occupied by Eirene - the daughter of Zeus, the goddess of the world in ancient Greek mythology. The project of a triumphal chariot drawn by four horses was developed by the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow.
image" src="https://dw.com/image/19408937_303.jpg" title="(!LANG:1814" alt="1814">!}
triumphant return
In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon's troops by a coalition led by Russia and Prussia, the quadriga was solemnly returned from Paris to Berlin. The gates have been given a new look. They became the Prussian triumphal arch. The author of the project was the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The quadriga was now ruled not by the goddess of peace, but by the goddess of victory, Victoria, who received an iron cross and a wreath of oak leaves as a reward.
Nazi propaganda
During the Third Reich, the National Socialists used the Brandenburg Gate for their propaganda. Immediately after the seizure of power by Hitler in January 1933, they staged a torchlight procession here. Berlin was to become the "Capital of the World". Plans for the creation of "Germany" included the construction of a new giant triumphal arch, the demolition of entire neighborhoods, but not the Brandenburg Gate.
After the war
During the bombing of World War II and the capture of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was seriously damaged. In a divided city, they ended up in the Soviet occupation zone. Until 1957, the flag of the USSR flew over them, and then the GDR. The quadriga was completely destroyed. Only the head of one of the horses survived from it. Now she is in the museum.
Reconstruction
The sculpture had to be restored. On this issue, East and West Berlin, despite the political confrontation, agreed to cooperate. To do this, they used casts made during the war shortly before the start of the massive bombing of Berlin. An exact copy of the quadriga was installed in 1957. However, the GDR authorities soon made adjustments: they removed the cross and the Prussian eagle.
no man's land
On August 13, 1961, the construction of the wall began. As a result, the Brandenburg Gate was on the forbidden strip between East and West Berlin. The wall passed right in front of them. Only East German border guards now had access here, and this historic gate itself became a symbol of the division of Germany.
"Tear down this Wall!"
The speech delivered here on June 12, 1987 by US President Ronald Reagan went down in history. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!" he urged the Soviet leader. "Open these gates!" Reagan's words, amplified by powerful speakers, were heard throughout East Berlin. At that time, no one knew what would happen in just two years.
The fall of the Belinsky wall
Immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, thousands of people went to the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the event. The symbol of the division of Germany has become a symbol of the reunification of the country.
Meeting point
Today, the Brandenburg Gate is not only a popular attraction, but also a place for concerts, celebrations, and demonstrations. In 2006, during the world football championship held in Germany, for the first time they staged the so-called mile for fans - a multi-day fan celebration with live broadcasts of matches on giant screens.
Solidarity
Every autumn, the Festival of Lights takes place in Berlin, the program of which includes the Brandenburg Gate. They also become a place of expression of solidarity after terrorist attacks and other emergencies. This photo was taken in June 2016 after an attack on a gay club in the US city of Orlando.
Hanukkah
A 10-meter Hanukkah was installed in front of the Brandenburg Gate in December 2015. According to the traditions of Judaism, the candles of this lamp are lit during the eight days of Hanukkah. The commissioner of the German government for culture and media, Monika Grütters, took part in the ceremony. At the moment, about 12 thousand Jews live in the German capital.
Symbol
The Brandenburg Gate is a monument of European and German history, witnesses of numerous wars and a symbol of hope. "Frieden" - "Peace". This light installation could be seen at the Brandenburg Gate in 2014 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Berlin building, where after the unification of Germany (since 1999) the German parliament - the Bundestag sits, has a very interesting fate. The past is tragic, the present is "reconstructive", and the future, as it should be, is unknown.
The Reichstag was not lucky throughout its rather short history.
The headquarters of the German parliamentarians, finally united in 1871, the German Empire ordered to create another Kaiser Wilhelm I . The construction of the building, made in the style of the High Renaissance, with a luxurious glass dome, was completed already under the next Kaiser - Wilhelm II in 1894. It lasted almost 12 years: the competition was announced back in 1882, out of 183 projects they chose the one presented by the Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot .
View of the Reichstag in the photo of the late XIX century:
Interestingly, the inscription on the pediment of the building "Dem Deutschen Volke" ("To the German people"), conceived by the architect, the Kaiser forbade. It appeared above the central portal of the Reichstag only in 1916.
The further fate of the Reichstag was rather sad. Less than 40 years after its opening, having somehow survived the First World War and the revolution, it literally burned to the ground. 1933 fire , which completely destroyed the meeting room, is a textbook example of provocation: apparently, it was organized by the Nazis, but all the blame was immediately shifted to the Communists.
After the fire, the Reichstag lay in ruins for a long time, and Hitler’s decorative parliament met nearby, in the so-called Opera Kroll (this building did not survive, it was destroyed by Allied aircraft in November 1943, and its ruins were finally demolished in 1951).
Meeting of the Reichstag at the Opera Croll October 6, 1939,
in which Hitler announces the end of the campaign against Poland:
In 1942, the meetings of the Hitlerite Parliament ceased altogether, and the restored Reichstag building was used by the Nazis for all sorts of propaganda meetings.
During the storming of Berlin by Soviet troops in late April - early May 1945, the Reichstag was significantly damaged during artillery shelling.
For Soviet soldiers, the Reichstag was one of the symbols of Nazi Germany,
although in fact parliament played almost no role in the Third Reich.
But how could the Soviet soldiers know this, motivated by a thirst for revenge for all that
what did the Nazis do in the occupied territories of the USSR?
The first attempts to reconstruct the Reichstag were made only in 1954. Moreover, they are somewhat peculiar: because of the threat of collapse, they blew up the frame of the dome - the "brand name" of the Reichstag.
After the construction of the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961, the Reichstag ended up on the territory of West Berlin. And in the same year, the architect took over the reconstruction of the building Paul Baumgarten , through his efforts, the German parliament was expanded and substantially rebuilt by 1969, however, finishing work continued until 1973. The deviation from the original Renaissance plan consisted in the fact that the building finally lost its dome, and the corner towers were shortened by several meters. As a result, the Reichstag began to resemble a fortified castle.
Reichstag without dome:
Tellingly, before the reunification of Germany, it was not possible to use the Reichstag for its intended purpose: the special status of West Berlin did not allow the transfer of the Bundestag there. Such an opportunity appeared only in 1990, and in 1992 the Reichstag underwent another restructuring.
The competition for the reconstruction of the Reichstag was attended by 80 applicants, but in 1995 it was won by the famous English architect Norman Foster .
Modern building of the Reichstag:
In 1999, the Reichstag again acquired a glass dome inside which there were observation galleries. Now anyone (by appointment, of course) can watch the work of the German parliamentarians, if he is interested.
The new dome of the Reichstag is a typical example of Norman Foster's work:
Inside the dome of the Reichstag:
The most heated debate during the reconstruction of the 1990s erupted over the inscriptions on the walls of the Reichstag, left by Soviet soldiers in May 1945, and the name of the new seat of the German parliament.
As a result, the inscriptions were preserved, conserved using a special technology, - "for posterity as an example" .
Inscriptions of Soviet soldiers on (and in) the Reichstag:
And the name of the Reichstag was left the same.
Although there were many options - from the Bundeshaus to the Plenary Building.
But the German authorities decided that the word "Reichstag" does not carry any negative connotation.
Perhaps they were right, because one should not forget one's history, although I would argue about the "negative coloring".
Thank you for attention.
Sergei Vorobyov.
