Zeughaus

The Zeughaus (Old Arsenal) in Berlin-Mitte is one of the city's most important historic buildings, located on the famous boulevard Unter den Linden. As part of the Forum Fridericianum, it shapes the cityscape with its monumental Baroque architecture. The building was originally constructed in the early 18th century as an arsenal for the Brandenburg-Prussian army. Today it houses the German Historical Museum, which tells the story of Germany from the Stone Age to the present. It is considered one of the oldest buildings on this prestigious street and reflects the ambitions of the rulers of the time to turn Berlin into a showpiece royal residence.

The building's history began as early as the 17th century, when Elector Frederick William expressed the wish to build a magnificent arsenal. It was not until his son, Elector Frederick III, who was crowned King in Prussia in 1701, that the foundation stone was laid in 1695. In the first few years, the construction management changed frequently, which led to considerable delays and technical problems. After the death of the first master builder, Johann Arnold Nering, Martin Grünberg took over but soon left the project. The renowned sculptor and architect Andreas Schlüter then directed the work, before the young French architect Jean de Bodt assumed full responsibility in 1699. De Bodt, who had fled France to escape the persecution of his fellow Protestants, gradually altered the plans and incorporated influences from French classicism and English architecture.

The main portal, with its gilded bust of King Frederick I, was completed in 1706, but at that point the building was still far from finished. The state's finances were strained, and the king's policy of promoting Berlin through lavish display overtaxed the treasury. After Frederick I died in 1713, his son Frederick William I, known as the Soldier King, insisted on strict thrift. He no longer treated the Zeughaus as a prestige project but as a purely functional building. The interior therefore remained plain and utilitarian, in sharp contrast to the splendid facades. The last funds were not approved until 1729, so the building could be put to its intended use after 35 years of construction.

Architecturally, the Zeughaus is a strictly structured two-story building with an almost square floor plan. The facade is richly decorated with sculptures that take up the theme of the art of war and homage to the ruler. Andreas Schlüter played a major role in designing the sculptural program, especially the 76 keystones of the exterior facades. Beneath ornate Baroque helmets, these show motifs such as lions, eagles, and mythical creatures. The pediment reliefs on the three main facades tell mythological and allegorical stories symbolizing the king's victory and power. On the roof balustrade, numerous groups of trophies and individual trophies made of weapons, helmets, and other military objects are arranged.

The inner courtyard contains some of the Zeughaus's most famous works, the so-called Heads of Dying Warriors by Andreas Schlüter. These 22 high reliefs form the keystones of the round-arched windows on the ground floor and depict the warriors' death throes with startling realism. They are regarded as masterpieces of Baroque sculpture and have survived almost undamaged to this day. They were originally conceived as trophies, representing a gallery of defeated enemies, in the center of which a statue of the victorious commander was meant to stand. That statue, however, was never installed in the courtyard, which makes the intended connection hard to recognize today.

During World War II, the building suffered heavy damage from bombs and shells. The facades were breached, the attic burned out, and much of the sculpture was damaged. After the war, the Soviet occupation authorities decided on a rapid reconstruction. From 1948 to 1965, the building was restored as the Museum of German History. The original form was reconstructed without the later additions of the Hall of Fame. Because the building fabric was in worse condition than expected, the interior had to be completely gutted and replaced with a modern steel-and-concrete structure. Only the Baroque exterior walls with their sculptural decoration were preserved.

After German reunification, the Zeughaus underwent extensive renovation. The rose-colored facade was restored, and the Baroque sculptural decoration was reinstated. One important architectural intervention was the construction of a postmodern exhibition building at the rear, designed by the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei. This new building is connected to the historic Zeughaus by an underground passage and houses additional exhibition space. Pei also designed the vaulted glass roof over the inner courtyard, which joins the historic building with modern technology.

Since 1990, the Zeughaus has housed the German Historical Museum, which took over the extensive holdings of the former Museum of German History. The new permanent exhibition opened in 2006 and takes visitors through the whole of German history. The historic building is currently closed for repair work and a redesign of the exhibition. During this time, the museum is operating in the neighboring Pei Building. Construction work on the historic Zeughaus is not expected to be completed until 2031, which points to the complexity of the renovation of this historic monument.