The Brandenburg Gate is not only a symbol of division and reunification; it was also the site of many other events in German history.
In 1806 Napoleon marched triumphantly into Berlin and carried the Quadriga away with him to Paris as a spoil of war.
In 1814, after the victorious conclusion of the wars of liberation, Schinkel replaced the oak wreath on the goddess' scepter with an iron cross,
changing the figure's interpretation from a courier of peace into a goddess of victory.
In 1933 the Nazis marched through the gate in a martial torch parade, introducing the darkest chapter of German history,
ultimately leaving the city destroyed and Germany divided.