The Reichstag building in Berlin

DEUTSCHKURSE | Harry-Folge-042-Landeskunde-Bild
null DW

Tom Fauser wants to demonstrate in front of the world-famous Reichstag building in Berlin – and not just because it has been the seat of the German parliament since 1999. It also made headlines worldwide in the summer of 1995, when artists Jeanne-Claude and Christo wrapped it in 100,000 square meters of fabric. Five million people came to see the temporarily wrapped Reichstag.

The German border in the city used to run just outside the eastern side of the Reichstag building. It marked the division between East and West, not only in terms of the two German nations but also the city itself. The "Mauer" (Wall) was built in the middle of Berlin in 1961. The Reichstag was in the western sector and located right next to it was the dangerous no man's land known as the "Todesstreifen" (death strip). East German border guards were under orders to shoot anyone who attempted to cross the border without a permit. More than 130 people lost their lives this way. Nowadays, people can move freely throughout the city. On October 3, 1990, the flag of the united German was raised above the Reichstag. There, it flies to this day. It is spectacular, but not only in terms of size (60 m²) - it is a symbol of the unified nation of Germany.