The square was destroyed during the Second World War. In 1957, at the height of the Cold War, the Congress Hall was erected near to the Reichstag. These photographs show the building measures taken between 1956 and 1957. The building was a present from the US government to the City of Berlin. As a venue for international encounters, the Congress Hall was designed as a symbol of ‘freedom’ in the ‘island city’ of Berlin.

1957 The completion of the Congress Hall