Berlin has a rich heritage of historical buildings and sites and the Reichstag building happens to be a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, which was constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It served as the house for Reichstag from 1894 to 1933, when a fire broke out to causing much damage to the building. The exact cause or the culprit behind the fire is still unknown but the Communists were blamed for it them. It gave a boost to Hitler’s Party, the NSDAP, who would soon come to power.
The building was damaged even more at the end of the war, when the Soviets entered Berlin. The picture of a Red Army Soldier raising the Soviet flag on the Reichstag is one of the most famous 20th century images and symbolized Germany’s defeat. Reichstag building became totally useless after the Second World War when the parliament of the German Democratic Republic met in the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin and the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn.
The building was made safe against the elements and partially refurbished in the 1960s. When Germany reunified on October 3, 1990, the attempt to restore and reconstruct the building was made under the directions of the world famous architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it became the meeting place of the modern German parliament, the Bundestag.
The major draw of this building is the large glass dome at the very top of the building. The dome has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. The main hall of the parliament below can also be seen from the cupola, and natural light from above radiates down to the parliament floor. A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically and blocks direct sunlight which would not only cause large solar gain, but bedazzle those below. However, the dome is not open for anyone now-a-days without prior registration.