Federal government

The Parliament building in Berlin, formerly known as the Reichstag and now called the Bundestag, can be visited by appointment through the official website.

The surrounding area (called the Federal Ribbon “Band des Bundes”) also includes the offices of parliamentarians, located in the building opposite the Federal Chancellery “Bundeskanzleramt”, as well as several other buildings that house various departments and services of the federal government, including the Ministry of the Interior.

While there may not be many other activities to do in this area, visitors can appreciate the grandeur of the monumental buildings that house the facilities of the German federal government. In front of the Chancellery, visitors can admire the “Berlin” sculpture by the renowned Basque-Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida.

Beyond sightseeing, visitors may wish to reflect on the important role of politicians and the impact of their decisions. We may hope for our politicians to be honest, avoiding deceiving and lying to citizens, to promote unity rather than division among citizens, avoid blaming certain groups to deflect from their own mistakes, refrain from corruption and harming innocent people, and respect the independence of the judiciary. In short, we may hope for our politicians to be ethical and just. Despite the challenges we face, let us not lose hope that one day our politicians will exemplify these qualities.