Inside Reichstag, Berlin

The Reichstag building, with the famous glass dome, is one of the most frequently visited sights in Berlin. It is the seat of the German parliament, the Bundestag, and has been 1999. Since 1994, the German parliament has also convened every five years to elect the German Federal President. The Reichstag building was completed in 1894 following German national unity and the establishment of the German Reich in 1871. After reunification and the Bundestag's move from Bonn to Berlin, it became necessary to equip and thoroughly modernise the languishing building. The original design of a baldachin roof covering the entire building was rejected in 1995, and the Bundestag voted for a slightly more conservative reconstruction of the original dome in modern guise. In fact the Reichstag's new dome - or cupola - with its vast central glass cylinder is amongst the most impressive features, visually and technically, designed to reflect natural light into the plenary chamber. It provides natural ventilation and light with a mirror system which directs light inside the chamber during the day and reflects it back at night.