Brandenburg Gate, Germany

The Brandenburg Gate was commissioned by Prussian Emperor Frederick William II to commemorate the peace that was restored after the Batavian Revolution. After the Prussians were defeated by Napoleon in 1806, Napoleon used the Brandenburg Gate for his triumphal procession, and removed the quadriga to bring to Paris. The quadriga was returned with the Prussian occupation of Paris, and the gate was used mainly by royal family members. When the Nazis took power in the 20th century, the gate became a symbol of Nazi power. The gate was damaged all throughout World War II, and a replica was even produced and placed away from the center of Berlin in order to confuse Allied bombers. Many different flags have flown atop the gate itself throughout the course of its history, and was the backdrop of many important speeches and events, including Ronald Regan’s famous speech requesting the removal of the Berlin Wall.

Originally the bronze quadriga that crowns the gate was a depiction of Eirene, the goddess of peace. Her iconography included a scepter of leadership and a wreath of olive leaves. However, after the sculpture was captured by Napoleon and returned some years later, the goddess was refashioned. By placing the Iron Cross inside the wreath and topping it with the Prussian Black Eagle, the goddess no longer represented peace, but military victory. Although the iconography of the goddess statue changed from peace to victory not long after it was built, the relief sculptures on the Gate still reflect the original message of peace. The panel below the bronze quadriga depicts the goddess Eirene surrounded by the personifications of virtues such as Friendship, Joy, and Public Policy. 

CyArk partnered with the Landesdenkmalamt Berlin and the Institute of Photogrammetry at the University of Stuttgart to scan Brandenburg Gate as well as the entire Pariser Platz in 2015 in preparation for Germany’s 25th anniversary of reunification. Using LiDAR technology and photogrammetry, the site was digitally recorded to complement a historical archive of documentation and conservation materials housed in Berlin's Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt (Senate House for Urban Development and Environment). The project was completed through the generous support of Iron Mountain.