Impact of the Physical on the Emotional

Impact of the Physical on the Emotional

by Sarah Wilson

A look at the physical and emotional effect produced by the Reichstag building and dome in Berlin, Germany before and after its reconstruction

Reichstag, after renovation in 1992

Berlin is well known not only for the major historical events that transpired there in the 20^th century, but also for the resulting effects on the architecture of the city. Following the rise and fall of the Third Reich and later the Berlin Wall, there was a very palpable transition in the style of architecture in both East and West Berlin. This transition can be found in not only new construction, but reconstruction and renovation, namely, the Reichstag building. Built in 1894 following the neoclassical style by Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot, this hall was and still is the meeting place for members of the republic (now the parliament) to conduct government business. As a symbol of the German republic, the Reichstag was an imposingly large work fronted by an enormous Greek temple front, bound by four towers, and topped with a colossal dome. It is this vastness, this sheer size, which manipulates the emotion of passersby. The physical presence the Reichstag commands leads to its capability to command attention and respect. Emotional effect is a highly important element to architecture of any location, and this Berlin building wielded such an effect as to become an object of importance to the Germans in its original construction the 20^th century and in its reconstruction today. 

Reichstag, August 1932, before fires

The Reichstag was heavily damaged by arson in 1933 and later by Russian shelling in the 1960s. The burning of the Reichstag in 1933 was considered a symbol of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, and he himself described the fire as “a beacon from heaven. ‘You are now witnessing the beginning of a great epoch in German history…This fire is the beginning’” ("Rise of Adolf Hitler" 1996). Hitler never used the Reichstag as a place from which to conduct his revolution, and it is in fact speculated that his own men conducted the arson so that he may blame it on the Communists and gain further power. The physical symbol remained, however, and even it its damaged state, the building likely had an ominous presence in Berlin to those not in the Nazi party. For such an enormous and seemingly indestructible building to be burned thus, it served as a reminder of Hitler’s dominance over the republic that preceded him. 

Interior of Reichstag's glass dome

In 1992, architect Sir Norman Foster won by competition the opportunity to renovate the Reichstag, which had already been refurbished to an extant in the 1980s. It was a difficult task for Foster to not only renovate the building and what it symbolized, but also to remain true to its history. "A lot of events have passed over that building and left their imprint on the fabric," says Sir Norman Foster. "I think it has more integrity to reveal and accept the history, making it tangibly visible for present and future generations." ("Reichstag: A turbulent history " 1999) Foster found the Reichstag’s surviving nineteenth century interiors, complete with Soviet soldiers’ graffiti, already hidden under plaster. Foster preserved these original walls and also reinstated the original courtyards. The greatest change of all was the dome, in which Foster traded the masonry for transparent glass. From within ramps running up and along the inside of the dome, the public can look down at their government officials at work and out at the city of Berlin. The clarity and openness of the dome was a symbolic departure from the oppression of the Third Reich; in its place, the glass dome becomes the new beacon of a brighter future. After the renovation’s completion in 1999, the Reichstag had become a different building and inspired a different set of emotions. Though the strength of the Reichstag’s masonry, columns, and towers remains, the glass dome shines with hope, opportunity, and change.

Sources:  

The History Place, "The Rise of Adolf Hitler." Last modified 1996. Accessed August 31, 2012. http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/burns.htm. 

"The Reichstag: A turbulent history ." BBC News. (1999). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/322967.stm (accessed August 31, 2012).