Culture Berlin

House of Representatives

Berlin’s parliament house where empire, dictatorship, and democracy all left fingerprints.

1 min readNiederkirchnerstraße 5

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The Abgeordnetenhaus, also known as the House of Representatives, plays a central role in Berlin politics. It is located in the historic building of the Prussian Landtag in the Berlin-Mitte district and holds great historical significance. Since 1808, when the Prussian municipalities gained self-government, this site has witnessed political change. In 1920, Berlin became both the capital of Germany and an independent federal state.

In 1934, under Adolf Hitler, the democratic structure was abolished, but elections were briefly held after World War II. In 1950, the parliament was officially renamed the Abgeordnetenhaus with a new constitution. After German reunification in 1990, city-wide elections became possible again, which had been impossible for years due to the city's division during the Cold War. The Abgeordnetenhaus is not only a political symbol but also the legislative body of the state of Berlin.

It elects the Regierender Bürgermeister, who heads the city government, known as the Senate. On the ground floor of the building, there is an exhibition on German history that gives visitors insight into the layered past of both the House of Representatives and Germany itself.

Map showing Niederkirchnerstraße 5, 10117 Berlin
Niederkirchnerstraße 5, 10117 BerlinBerlin
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Sources. Story: Source Story: Wikipedia - AEG Turbine Factory Photos: Source Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Abgeordnetenhaus.jpg Abghs, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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