The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-11-15
new GERMAN CAPITOL
The Great Structure Formally
Dedicated Today,
THOUGH NOT FULLY COMPLETED.

Building Typical of the March of Ger
many in Science, Art and Architecture,
the Total Cost of which WI be About
sixty Million Marks.
BERLIN, Nov. 15-The massive govern
ment building the new relchstag
structure, was formally opened today.
It Is by no means complete, but 1t
is the young kaiser's earnest wish that the
German parliament should hold its next
session in the great hall designed for 1t,
and thousands are therefore at work to
see that his desire In the matter is at least
made possible. There Is fully another
years work within the building in the
way Of great decorations and the making
and placing of the statuary designed to
fill the thousand inches in the massive
corridors of this monumental structure
For twelve years the workmen have
been busted on this building, which, with
Its graceful front, faces the famous green
sward of the still more famous Thiergar-
ten, and with its terraced rear looks down
upon the hustle and turmoil of busy Der
lin. 1t is an ideal location, selected as 1t
was by the greatest Of Germany's land
scape artists. From its top, on which the
imperial crown rests like gem set In the
sky, the view of the great city is entranc-
ing. 1t towers even above the great col
umn of Victory, which commentaries the
result of the Franco German war.
The statue Of Germania holds the place
of honor on the facade, and the friezes un-
derneath it are adorned with the German
arms and NEUROLOGICAL figures telling the
story of early Teutonic times. Underneath
this is the dedicatory inscription: ITO the
German People" Its German letters form
the words "Dem Deutschen Woke" The
ornamental work and the statuary which
already adorn the outside Of the structure
are the work Of host of Ger1nnny's mas
teis among whom towers the sculptor of
the Germania statue, Reinhold Vegas.
1t was in 1880 that the reichsrath first
gave to the world the conception of this
new structure. 1t seemed to be an i'm
pulse OF the nation and the German popu-
lation showed in unmistakable ways that
nothing would tend more to completely
cement the German federation than "a
monumental structure which would be-
long to the nation and BIO typical not alone
of Its unity, but of its great advance in
science, art and architecture. 1t was to
be a browning event in the history of the
new Germany, and this indeed it has
old emperor, William I, laid the corner
stone, his impressive words, few as they
were, breathcd the noble spirit of patriot
ism, and were much in the nature of pre-
diction that the completion of the struct-
IRE would find reunited Germany the
strongest nation on the face Of the earth
Not until 1852 was the prize architectural
competition decided. Hundreds of plans
had been submitted by the greatest and
the least, and 1t remained for man
practically unknown to even his own
nation to win the great prize. 1t was to
Paul Wall OF that the honor was accorded.
He was born at Oppenheim on the Rhine,
was educated at Darmstadt, in the tech
biological institutes of Berlin and Hanover,
and later perfected himself in his art In
the studies Of Gropius, Lucae and Hitzig.
He is not alone great architect but a
talented landscape artist and remarkably
clever civil engineer.
In the first conception of the building
the architect had designed the main hall
directly under the great cupola, intending
that 1t should be flooded with light 1t was
almost within Of the old emperor that oc-
casioned a change in the design SO far as
this idea WAS concerned. At gathering
Of all those interested the old emperor re-
marked that 1t would be very hard on
Mr.. Windhort, the great clerical leader, DC
climb the stairs to great hall directly
under the cupola. And SO the plan was
changed to conform in many respects tc
that Of the government building of the
United States, where congress meets in
the wings.
The cost of the building will, when com
pleted, reach perhaps, 60,0000O0 marks
This is exactly double the amount at first
voted TO carry ont the colossal project
Had the original design for interior deco
ration and statuary been carried out, it /.
likely that the building would have cos
over 100, 900, 600 marks.