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The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the
Imperial Diet, of the German Empire. This imposing building houses the Federal German
Parliament or "Bundestag" and was originally completed in 1894 to meet the need of the
newly-unified German Empire of the Kaisers' for a larger parliamentary building. The Reichstag
was intended to resemble a Renaissance palace, and its architect, Paul Wallot, dedicated
the building to the German people.
The Nazi leader Adolf Hitler exploited the fire which gutted the Reichstag building in
1933 by blaming the Communists for the arson and for attempted revolution. There is good
evidence to suggest, however, that his followers were actually responsible and that this was
a manufactured crisis. When German reunification became a reality, the new republic was proclaimed
here at midnight on the 2nd October 1990.
The Reichstag has undergone considerable restoration and alteration. The building is now the second
most visited attraction in Germany (after the Cologne Cathedral), not least because
the addition of a spectacular glass dome designed by the British architect Norman Foster. The
large glass dome at the very top of the Reichstag has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin
cityscape. The main hall of the parliament below can also be seen from inside the dome,
and natural light from above radiates down to the parliament floor.
The Reichstag building is well known in the art world thanks to Paris-based Bulgarian
artist Christo's mammoth 'Wrapped Reichstag' project in 1995. The entire building was swathed
in silver cloth for two weeks that summer. You can visit the dome for free but you will
need to register online in advance in order to do so.