Zeughaus

The Zeughaus (old arsenal) of Berlin is the oldest structure on the Unter den Linden. It was founded by the Brandenburg Elector Frederick III and erected between 1695 and 1706 in the baroque style, to be used as an artillery arsenal. It was built to the plans of Johann Arnold Nering; after his death, Jean de Bodt, Martin Grünberg and Andreas Schlüter supervised the works.

The building was transformed into a military museum in 1875. From 1949-65 the "Zeughaus" was restored after heavy war damage, the interior being completely redesigned. In 1952, the government of the German Democratic Republic opened the Museum of German History "(Museum für Deutsche Geschichte)" in the "Zeughaus", which presented the history of Germany, especially in the modern era, from a Communist point of view. Today, the "Zeughaus" is the site of the "Deutsches Historisches Museum" (German Historical Museum).