Reichstag Building: Dome and Programmes for School Classes

Foundation stone 1884, proclamation of the Republic 1918, fire 1933, rebuilt by Norman Foster until 1999: hardly any building tells German history as densely as the Reichstag Building. In the dome, 360 mirrors direct daylight into the plenary hall. For school classes in Berlin, lectures, dome visits and the simulation game are free but need registration.

Reichstag Building: Architecture and History of German Democracy

Paul Wallot designed the building in the 1880s; the foundation stone was laid in 1884, and the keystone in 1894. Wallot’s dome was 75 meters high, and the plenary hall offered space for 397 members of parliament. The inscription „Dem Deutschen Volke” (To the German People) was added at the end of 1916. On November 9, 1918, Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the Republic from a balcony on the west front, and on the night of February 28, 1933, the plenary hall burned down.

After the war, the damaged dome was blown up. It was not until the Bundestag’s decision of June 20, 1991, that Parliament and government returned to Berlin. Norman Foster rebuilt the building, and since September 1999, the Bundestag has reconvened here. The new dome is approximately 23 meters high and 40 meters wide; two counter-rotating ramps lead to a platform at a height of 40 meters, and 360 individually aligned mirrors direct daylight into the plenary hall.

Visitor Service Offers for School Classes in the Reichstag Building

All offers from the visitor service are free of charge but require registration, including a visit to the dome and roof terrace alone. This includes a free audio guide that leads through the ascent in twenty minutes and is available in twelve languages. During non-sitting periods, there is a 45-minute lecture every hour on the visitors’ tribune of the plenary hall.

For grades 7 and 8, the student seminar lasts two hours and combines a guided tour, dome visit, Member of Parliament’s office, and a quiz. Grades 9 and 10 receive a three-hour format including a discussion with a Member of Parliament. From grade 10 upwards, there is a simulation game where 25 to 45 young people simulate the working methods of the Bundestag. For registration: Everyone aged 16 and over needs a valid official photo ID; copies are not accepted. For group events, the minimum age is generally 15 years.