Reichstag
- Site:
- Berlin, Germany
- Student/Author:
- Natalie Morris ’27
Background
The Reichstag, Germany’s historic seat of parliament, has been consistently utilized to reflect monumental shifts in power, ultimately making it the physical representation of Germany’s political trajectory throughout its modern history. After serving as the central seat of government until parliament was disempowered by the Nazi regime in 1933, the Reichstag was selected to undergo reconstruction in 1995 to serve as the location for the contemporary German parliamentary chamber and Chancellor’s office. The Reichstag building—composed of steel, glass, and stone—covers a floor area of 61,166 square meters (658,385 square feet) and features a glass cupola of approximately 24 meters (79 feet) protruding from its center (Berlin Sights). The post-reunification reconstruction sought to actively contribute to the advancement of German society by promoting values perceived as paramount to the newly redefined nation.
Analysis
The modern Reichstag’s projection of contemporary values, associated predominantly with democracy and sustainable development, are tangible representations of Germany’s political trajectory and national aspirations. The Reichstag has consistently been noteworthy both for its capacity to reflect Germany’s evolution and its reinforcement of democratic and environmentalist ideals in the 21st century. Given that the 21st century has been characterized by global authoritarianism and a nascent climate crisis, this is particularly important. Originally built between 1884 and 1894, the Reichstag served as the seat of parliament in the German Empire. While this variation of the modern German state was the first to incorporate elements of democracy into its system of governance, the nation remained broadly imperialist during the reunification of Germany in 1871 (Deutscher Bundestag, “Parliament”). The Reichstag housed the German Empire’s first proto-democratic parliament, yet an unelected kaiser (“emperor” in English) acted as head of state. The Reichstag embodied both the hopes and frustrations of democrats, as the pseudo-parliament served as an institution to control democratic impulses without legitimate popular sovereignty (Mills 1999).
As the German Empire collapsed, the Reichstag’s evolution mirrored Germany’s political transformations. In 1918, Germany’s constitutional monarchy was replaced by a parliamentary democracy in an uprising known as the November Revolution. Throughout its existence, this new system—named the Weimar Republic—was continuously subjected to internal and external strains, essentially making it an ineffectual democratic nation (Deutscher Bundestag, “The Weimar Republic”). Similar to its function under the German Empire, the Reichstag housed the reformed central legislative body; however, the Reichstag during this period equally represented Germany’s democratization as well as the inherent weaknesses of the Weimar Republic. The troubled democracy eventually collapsed in 1933, when an arson attack on the Reichstag enabled Hitler to justify the Nazi Machtergreifung—“seizure of power”—and the conversion of Germany into the Third Reich (Berlin.de). Thus, the Reichstag stood as both a symbol of democracy and the physical catalyst of Germany’s devolution from the Weimar Republic to the Nazi regime. To consolidate power, the Nazis disempowered parliament and refused to utilize the Reichstag as the seat of the government due to its democratic associations. Even after the Third Reich’s demise, Germany’s political and ideological division during the Cold War rendered the Reichstag functionally obsolete; rather, it served only a ceremonial purpose after being refurbished as a monument to an idealized reunified German state.
In the 1990s, post-reunification reconstruction harnessed the Reichstag’s symbolic power in order to redefine Germany’s national aspirations by emphasizing contemporary values. The Reichstag was selected as the new seat of the German parliament—the Bundestag—during a series of substantive changes made to the reunified government. After hosting a competition for international architects to submit designs for the newly remodeled Reichstag, British architect Norman Foster spearheaded reconstruction efforts. His objective was to convey Germany’s newfound unity without concealing the shameful past of Nazism that marked the building (Keener 2016).
Spanning five distinct periods in German history—imperialism, a troubled democracy, Nazism, division, and finally a unified Germany—the Reichstag now reflects Germany’s collective memory and commitment to democratic ideals. Public transparency in the legislative process is exemplified by the placement of the Bundestag chamber within a circular glass dome. Hanging above the chamber floor, a multitude of seating galleries give the public full access to witness parliamentary debates firsthand. The location of the viewing gallery is meant to illustrate how the people are metaphorically “above” the government, symbolizing that the public, those who vote in lawmakers and therefore embody the will of democratic Germany, watches down on its parliament. It imposes transparency and accountability within the legislative process. The implications of the Reichstag symbolizing Germany’s transformation is significant in an era characterized by international democratic erosion, when countries across the globe are experiencing democratic backsliding at an unprecedented rate and autocratic nations are accumulating geopolitical influence and affluence (Global State of Democracy Initiative 2022). For Germany to transition from imperialism to authoritarianism to the largest and wealthiest democracy in Europe showcases that democracy can prevail in spite of repression, and countries experiencing democratic backsliding now are not hopeless. The Reichstag encapsulates a proud symbol of a democracy rebuilt from the ashes, mirroring the building’s own physical revitalization.
Furthermore, beyond democratic ideals, the Reichstag demonstrates Germany’s contemporary emphasis on sustainability. The building, the very seat of government, is fuelled by renewable energy, reinforcing Germany’s commitment to combating the climate crisis. The Reichstag’s dome contains self-operating solar panels that adjust according to the sun’s position. The photovoltaic panels, serving the practical purposes of fueling and regulating the temperature of the building, were also implemented to illustrate Germany’s commitment to its transition to renewables. They encapsulate the federal government’s willingness to prioritize sustainable energy. The Energiewende, the long-term strategy to move Germany towards a climate-neutral energy system by 2045, made history when it was passed in 2000 as the first comprehensive national climate strategy initiated by any country (Agora Energiewende). It has since become the conceptual framework for other nations’ climate policies—bolstering Germany’s leadership status within the sustainable development sphere. With anthropogenic climate change increasingly causing devastation around the world, Germany’s unique commitment to environmental protection, a fundamental component of its modern identity, has significant implications for the international community as it engineers innovative steps toward carbon neutrality. The Reichstag has encapsulated Germany’s ambitious climate aspirations by incorporating sustainability into the foundation of its reconstructed design, symbolizing how the government is driven—or “fueled”—by innovative sustainability.
Works Cited
Agora Energiewende. “What is the German Energiewende?” Agora Energiewende. https://www.agora-energiewende.org/about-us/the-german-energiewende/q1-what-is-the-german-energiewende.
Berlin.de. “Reichstag.” Berlin.de: The Official Website of Berlin. https://www.berlin.de/en/attractions-and-sights/3560965-3104052-reichstag.en.html.
Berlin Sights. “Reichstag Berlin.” Berlin Sights. https://www.sehenswuerdigkeiten-berlin.info/en/reichstag-berlin/.
Deutscher Bundestag. “Parliament: The Empire (1871-1918).” Deutscher Bundestag. https://www.bundestag.de/en/parliament/history/parliamentarism/empire/empire-200352.
Deutscher Bundestag. “The Weimar Republic (1918-1933).” Deutscher Bundestag. https://www.bundestag.de/en/parliament/history/parliamentarism/weimar/weimar-200326.
Global State of Democracy Initiative. 2022. The Global State of Democracy in 2022: Forging Social Contracts in a Time of Discontent.
Keener, Mikayla. April 18, 2016. “The Reichstag in Berlin: Self-Representation of a New Germany.” Undergraduate Research Symposium. Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Mills, Stephen F. 1999. Review of The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape, by Brian Lad. Urban Studies 36, no.9: 1626–29.
About the author
Natalie Morris '27 is studying global affairs and Arabic with minors in European studies and peace studies. She traveled to Berlin, Germany, and wrote about the Reichstag for the Sites of Memory in Contemporary Europe project. Natalie was in Germany as part of a summer study abroad program in the 2024 NDBerlin cohort.