Berlin is the European capital containing the Brandenburg Gate, completed in 1791.
The gate was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia and designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans. Its design drew inspiration from the Propylaea, the monumental gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. The structure forms the western end of Berlin's historic Unter den Linden boulevard.
The quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses, was created by Johann Gottfried Schadow and placed on top of the gate. Napoleon's forces took the sculpture to Paris in 1806, but it was returned to Berlin after his defeat.
During the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate stood close to the Berlin Wall and became a powerful symbol of division. After German reunification, it became a national symbol of unity. It is not the same monument as the nearby Reichstag building, Germany's parliamentary landmark.