Snapshot: Brandenburger Tor – The Brandenburg Gate At Night

The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is arguably one of the world’s most recognisable structures and has become a symbol for the city of Berlin.

I remember visiting the Brandenburg Gate on my first morning in Berlin and looking up at the stonework marvelling at the fact that it was completed in 1791.

Throughout history, the Brandenburg Gate has been the backdrop to political upheaval, flashpoints and celebrations.

In 1806 Napoleon removed the Quadriga, the statue of the goddess Victoria driving a chariot drawn by four horses that sits atop the gate, and took it back with him to Paris.

In 1987 Ronald Reagan delivered the line “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall” from a podium set up near the gate.  The spot is now marked by a memorial.

And who could forget the images beamed around the world in 1989 of the celebrations atop the wall here when travel restrictions between East and West were lifted.