Zeichhaus [1] ( German: Zeughaus , modern transcription Zoyghaus ) - the former building of the arsenal in Berlin , built in the Baroque style . The oldest surviving building on Unter den Linden Boulevard .
The first stone in the foundation of this arsenal was laid in 1695. Johann Arnold Nering , who soon passed away, began work on the Zeichhaus. After Nering's death, Martin Grünberg set to work, who in 1699 transferred the project to Andreas Schluter , who was more experienced as a sculptor than an architect. [2] Part of the building collapsed and, at the final stage, the construction of the Zeichhaus was supervised by Jean de Bodt , who made adjustments to the original design. The construction of one of the most beautiful buildings of German Baroque in Northern Germany was completed only in 1730.
The elegant facade is decorated with many allegorical figures . On the main portal there is an image of the Prussian king Frederick I , by whose order Zeichhaus was built. Two goddesses of victory carry his coat of arms. The inscription, the meaning of which should emphasize the reasonableness of the use of weapons only for equitable purposes, in particular reads: "... To the fear of enemies, in the name of protecting their people and allies - Frederick I." Four female figures of the main entrance symbolize pyrotechnics , arithmetic , geometry and mechanics .
In 1806, the Zeichhaus was destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. In 1817-1821, the building was restored under the leadership of Shinkel , and during the Second World War it was again destroyed.
On March 21, 1943, an attempt was made on the assassination of Hitler with Goering , Himmler and Keitel during their visit to the exhibition of army trophies in Zeichhaus. The plan was that Colonel Rudolph-Christoph von Gersdorff , the chief of intelligence for Army Center, would sacrifice himself by hiding two time-bombed mines on himself to blow up the Führer and his entourage. However, Hitler stayed at the exhibition for less time than expected, and the plan fell through [3] .
From 1952 to 1990, the Museum of German History was located in the building of the Zeichhaus. After the reunification of the country, the squares were transferred to the German Historical Museum .
Notes
- ↑ L.P. Krysin. Explanatory Dictionary of Foreign Words. - M: Russian language, 1998.
- ↑ Andrea Schulte-Peevers. Lonel Berlin . - Lonely Planet, 2010 .-- P. 54. - (City Guide). - ISBN 1742204074 , ISBN 9781742204079 .
- ↑ Berlin assassination attempt on Hitler . // 1batalion.com. Date of treatment January 16, 2013. Archived January 21, 2013.