Ground level view of the Brandenburg Gate by CyArkCyArk
Completed in 1791 by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans and sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow, Brandenburg Gate immediately became one of the most recognizable structures in Berlin.
Ground level view of the Brandenburg Gate by CyArkCyArk
Langhans modeled the Brandenburg Gate on the Propylaea, the entrance gate to the Athenian Acropolis, which includes Doric columns, a capped pediment, and adjoining temples.
Statue of Mars at the Brandenburg Gate by CyArkCyArk
In the small temple to the left of the Brandenburg Gate which once served as a guardhouse, there is a small statue of Mars, the Roman god of War, sheathing his sword, and thereby, bringing war to an end.
A close up of the Quadriga on top of the Brandenburg Gate by CyArkCyArk
Originally the bronze quadriga that crowns the gate was a depiction of Eirene, the goddess of peace. However, after the sculpture was captured by Napoleon and returned some years later, the goddess was refashioned. The goddess no longer represented peace, but military victory.
