The Brandenburg Gate

Discussions on the propaganda, architecture and culture in the Third Reich.
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Benoit Douville
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The Brandenburg Gate

#1

Post by Benoit Douville » 09 Aug 2003, 02:02

I was wondering what was the damage at that the Brandenburg Gate after the Battle of Berlin?

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Kephra
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#2

Post by Kephra » 09 Aug 2003, 02:21

If you want to see some pics which show, how it looked like during the 1953 GDR uprising, just klick:
http://www.thirdreichforum.com/viewtopi ... d36c114192

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17th June 1953

I don't think it really looked much different 8 years before...
Last edited by Kephra on 10 Aug 2003, 08:22, edited 2 times in total.


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Erik E
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#3

Post by Erik E » 09 Aug 2003, 02:25


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Gott
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#4

Post by Gott » 09 Aug 2003, 18:23

Try this link, http://www.dailysoft.com/east-berlin/mitte/bgate.htm . The buildings around the Gate was completely demolished as the Berlin Wall was built. During the late 40's to around the 60's, the quadriga was not present on top on the Gate. If you can read German, try the history section regarding the Gate.

The Brandenburg Gate back in the Third Reich era... from hitler.org.

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Exemplo ducemus
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#5

Post by Exemplo ducemus » 10 Aug 2003, 00:44

heres the Gate in 1987...
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Aufklarung
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#6

Post by Aufklarung » 10 Aug 2003, 02:10

It seems that the big columns in Gotts pic are gone too. Which way does the Chariot (Quadria?) face?

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A :)

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Erik E
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#7

Post by Erik E » 10 Aug 2003, 02:22

Which way does the Chariot (Quadria?) face?
Towards the West-Berlin.

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Aufklarung
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#8

Post by Aufklarung » 10 Aug 2003, 02:32

Image

It does not look that way in this picture. :?

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A :)

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Erik E
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#9

Post by Erik E » 10 Aug 2003, 03:37

Maybe I`m getting old..... (so soon 8O )

I once bought some DDR souvenirs at the eastern entrance, but i Really can`t remember it`s direction....Looking at all the photos makes me feel I`m wrong(or it was turned)

So you better use this as a reference :wink:
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Gott
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#10

Post by Gott » 10 Aug 2003, 04:13

From what I remember is that the quadriga does face Westberlin, but I believe the quadriga was moved (by the DDR) a few times, as the quadriga was not present for a while.

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Aufklarung
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#11

Post by Aufklarung » 10 Aug 2003, 04:33

Bingo. Gott is correct and Erik isn't going mad!! :lol:
http://www.atwtraveler.com/brndenmx.htm
Berlin, Germany - This is a semi-historic picture of the Brandenburg Gate. Usually the bronze sculpture, Quadria of Victory, a winged victory goddess and four-hors chariot are poised on the top of the Brandenburg Gate, but when this photo was taken it had been removed for restoration.

A controversy ensued when the Quadria was put back up, it was positioned facing the west side of Berlin. During the Cold War the East Berlin government had the sculpture repositioned to face east, and with re-unification the East Berliner’s took offense that the government would take all the trouble and return it to facing west. With all the numerous changes the East Berliner’s were having to adjust too, loss of flag, currency, and jobs, they wanted something of stature to stay the same.

This view is from the east side of the Brandenburg Gate.
So it did face east and the reds repositioned it? Then the reunification and it's been moved again? That's how I read that. Right? :?

Also I can't believe that any former East German would have anything to bitch about. Commies are out so reunification happens and " let's get the Easterners up to good German standard ". IMHO it happened too fast and those from the BRD had to shell out big money in the DDR from correcting the industrial pollution to giving each new German free money. How much was it each one got?
My european investments sure have slipped in the last decade too. :oops:

regards
A :)

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Windward
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#12

Post by Windward » 10 Aug 2003, 06:22

The Quadriga and the Viktoria face eastward before 1945 as the historical pictures (the one Erik E posted) above showed. The same when West Berlin City replace it in the 1950s, after the gate itself was repaired by East Berlin Government. But the Iron Cross and the Prussian Eagle of Schinkel were regarded as symbols of Prussian militarism by DDR, and they were removed from the Quadriga in the early 1960s, not re-installed till 1990.
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#13

Post by Windward » 10 Aug 2003, 07:08

Quiadriga with Iron Cross and Eagle.

There's a "1815" on the Iron Cross. Schinkel added it after the Quadriga was returned from France.
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#14

Post by Windward » 10 Aug 2003, 07:15

Part of an airview paint of Berlin, published in 1900. I scanned the part near the Brandenburg Tor, the Pariser Platz and Unter den Linden. You can identify that the Quadriga was eastward then.
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Windward
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#15

Post by Windward » 10 Aug 2003, 07:25

The Gate and the new Reichs Chancellery, model of Speel's Germania.

The Quadriga was also eastward.

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