Deutscher Dom

The German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom) on Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin-Mitte is a striking domed tower that was added to the New Church, also known as the German Church, between 1780 and 1785. On the orders of Frederick II, Carl von Gontard designed the building in the Baroque style. The name "Dom" here does not indicate a bishop's church but is derived from the French word for dome. Together with the French Cathedral opposite, the tower forms a symmetrical ensemble meant to symbolize religious tolerance and the spirit of the Enlightenment. The adjoining church, built between 1701 and 1708, originally served Reformed and Lutheran congregations.

The building's history is marked by destruction and reconstruction. After heavy damage from air raids in World War II, which left the building gutted down to its outer walls, it was comprehensively rebuilt between 1983 and 1996. The facade was restored true to the original, while the interior was given a modern design. Architecturally, the cathedral impresses with its Palladian dome, which rests on a temple-like rotunda and is crowned by a gilded statue of Virtue.

Since 2002, the German Cathedral has housed the German Bundestag's exhibition on parliamentary history. Across five levels, it documents the history of German legislation and parliamentary democracy. Here you can delve into the development of Germany's political institutions and understand the historical significance of the site as a stage for political events, such as the lying in state of the March Revolution victims in 1848.