Regierungsviertel

The Government District: Where German-German History Became Reality

Where the inner-German border once drew a deep furrow through the cityscape, today the Government District of reunited Germany stretches between Berlin Mitte and Tiergarten. Hardly any other place in Berlin condenses German-German history as directly as this one. Those who stroll here literally walk over the former death strip of the Berlin Wall. However, one has to look closely to recognize this: superficially, among the impressive architectural works, little today initially reminds one of the area’s bleak past as the former death strip.

The core of the district is the Reichstag building, home to the German Bundestag since 1999. The building tells the story of Germany’s division and its overcoming, tracing how the Reichstag building was constructed, destroyed, repaired, shrouded, and rebuilt as a parliamentary seat over time, finally to be revived in 1999 as the all-German parliamentary seat. Sir Norman Foster’s iconic glass dome can be ascended after free advance registration. The panoramic view over Berlin is a bonus and not the actual reason for the ascent.

Band des Bundes (Federal Ribbon) and Parliament of Trees

Also indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the history of German division is the so-called Band des Bundes (Federal Ribbon). It symbolizes reunification with three buildings: the Federal Chancellery, the Paul-Löbe-Haus, and the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus are connected within it. The structure runs in a straight line across the eastern and western banks of the Spree, both banks once separated by the Wall.

Those who walk a little further will come across one of Berlin’s most touching memorials, which few people know about. The “Parliament of Trees” is a living memorial against war and violence, developed by artist Ben Wagin in 1990. It commemorates the victims of the Berlin Wall and condemns all warlike violence. Wagin secured original Wall sections and planted trees in the former death strip as a reminder of peaceful coexistence. Granite slabs commemorate the 258 victims of the Wall, and original parts of the Berlin Wall surround the garden. Access to this memorial site is free, and its very silence makes it one of the most impressive places in the entire government district.