Bon voyage Bonaparte!
Pariser Platz
Pariser Platz has always been a hallmark of Berlin’s urban design, since anyone moving from the Tiergarten park to the historic centre and the Spree would have to pass through the Brandenburg Gate and then Pariser Platz. The square's name, however, has changed a lot through the years; known simply as Viereck, a literal translation of the word 'square', Pariser Platz was so named in honour of a military victory. In 1814, the Prussians and their allies captured Paris, marking the first end of Napoleon’s reign. Overthrown and exiled on the Island of Elba, he managed to escape the following year, before being defeated once and for all at Waterloo in 1815. Pariser Platz took the name from the French capital to mark that great triumph, which also helped in returning the quadriga to its original place at the top of the Brandenburg Gate.
As seen on
Berlin City Tour: The heart of Mitteleuropa
Click shuffle to discover more great stories.
©2025 All rights reserved.