The Reichstag is a historic edifice in Berlin, that was originally constructed to house the Imperial diet of the German Republic, and thanks to its historical significance, it has been declared as one of the most famous landmarks in Berlin. The Reichstag originally finished construction in 1894, however, what makes the Reichstag so well known is not due to its beautiful architecture, or the fact that is the current seat of the German Parliament, the thing that gathers curious onlookers from around the world has more to do with the dramatic events of its past, most importantly the role it played in the rise of the Nazi regime. in the Early 1930's the Reichstag mysteriously rose up in flames, in what has become one of the world's most discussed conspiracy theories. The story goes that an unemployed communist, named Marinus Van der Lubbe, took responsibility for the arson, which allowed Hitler to use this attack as a means to discredit the communists, resulting in the Nazi Party gaining power in Germany. Many believe that he Nazi's started the fire and blamed the communists to discredit them. The disused building sustained additional damage from Allied bombing during World War II and neglect in postwar years led to further deterioration. By the 1970s it had undergone partial restoration and became a museum of German history which then led to more extensive restoration and renovation to take place, after the reunification of West and East Germany in 1990. The building's huge glass dome, which was once its most recognizable feature, was even rebuilt and interior ramp spirals to the top of the dome were placed inside, which gave excellent views of the surrounding city. After the restoration was completed, the Reichstag became one of Berlin's most prominent tourist attractions, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The Reichstag Building is so important to the counterculture of Berlin, because like the Rathaus Schoneberg, the Reichstag was used by the Nazi Party as part of their rise to power in Germany. Some even believe that without the fire that occurred in the Reichstag, that the Nazis may have never even of rose to power, without being able to blame the communists for starting the fire, thus turning popular opinion in their favor. The Reichstag building was used by the Nazis, just like how they used the people of Germany, and because of that i fee that the Reichstag is a prominent figure that represents the counterculture movement of Berlin, since like its people they were left to move on from what the Nazis did to them and pick up the pieces and rebuild themselves for a much better and brighter future, particularly, one that began after the reunification of Berlin after the wall fell. The new glass dome that was built on top of the Reichstag has even been coined by the people of Berlin and Germany as a whole, as a symbol of a new and modern beginning for Germany, as the natural light that passes through the glass dome and lights up the building, is symbolic of the new bright future that is ahead for the city of Berlin and even all of Germany.

"Reichstag Building: Berlin, Germany" Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica.com (Accessed on March 29th, 2019) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Reichstag-building-Berlin-Germany

Cichanowicz, Lily. "A History of Berlins Most Famous Building: The Reichstag" Culture Trip. Culturetrip.com. (Accessed on March 29th, 2019) https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/berlins-most-famous-building-the-reichstag/

"The Reichstag Fire" The Holocaust Encyclopedia. (Accessed on March 29th, 2019) https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire