Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor)

Built in 1791 as a triumphal arch, the Brandenburg Gate, the only remaining town gate in the country, is an enduring symbol of Berlin. The design, by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, is modelled on the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens, and is crowned by a statue of a horse-drawn chariot, which symbolises Victory. The overall effect was intended to testify to the might and power of the Prussian Empire. It has survived multiple wars, including the long Cold War, during which it was sealed off in no-man’s land by the Berlin Wall, and became a symbol of division between east and west. In 1989 it was reopened to the public following the destruction of the Berlin Wall.