He cited three examples where this was an important factor, the Stadtschloss, the Brandenburg Gate and the Kulturforum. The Stadtschloss, the old palace, located in the heart of the old settlement was heavily bombed in 1945 and in 1956 was demolished by the Communist government. It was replaced by the Palace der Republik, the new seat for Parliament and the people s meeting place. Already the previous Foreign Ministry building has been removed and there has been a competition for the Palace site. In addition a canvas representation of the facades of the old Palace has been erected to remind people of what had existed previously.
Feelings remain mixed about what to do and nothing has been decided.
The Brandenburg Gate was the most significant gate in Berlin s history linking the castle to the Tiergarten. Napoleon and the allies made their entrance through it. It became the centre for demonstrations and when the wall was demolished in 1989 this was where people naturally gathered. Schroth described the options for allowing traffic through the gate or around it. As there appear to be structural problems, a large detour is now proposed.