Goddess in Copper Jacket: Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is located in the center of Berlin and has been one of the symbols of German reunification. The gate, which was opened for use in 1791, was built in Neoclassical architectural style.

When the gate was opened in 1791, it was first intended to allow the royal family to pass. The main building is built on 12 columns and the door has 5 gaps. During the royal period, the public had only the right to pass through the first two gates. The middle door belonged only to the royal family.

In 1793, sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow added a chariot carrying a goddess pulled by four horses in the “Quadriga” style to the gate. This goddess carries the symbols of “Eagle” and “Cross”, which are symbols of Germany and Christianity.

According to rumors, Schadow admires Ulrike, the wife of a Prussian officer, or a woman whose name is Friederike according to different sources. With the permission of her husband, he uses the officer’s wife as a model for the goddess of victory who drives the chariot. When the driver motif, which was originally designed as completely nude, was ridiculed by the public, Schadow, annoyed by this, dresses her in a copper suit.