The Brandenburg Gate was finished in 1791 and later was used by Napoleon as a triumphal arch after the Battle of Jena in 1806. Recently restored, it is the Western end of the well known Unter den Linden, made famous by John Le Carre, Len Deighton and others.
The quadriga, a chariot with four horses, was removed by Napoleon and taken to Paris. When Napoleon was defeated in 1814 it was returned by the efforts of General Pfuel. After this the only people allowed passage through the central arch were the Kaiser and family, the Pfuel family and ambassadors presenting their credentials for the first time.
The Nazis used the gate as a political symbol and amazingly it survived the war though heavily damaged. Restored by East and West after the war, ordinary people passed through the gate until the wall was built. In 2002 it was reopened after extensive renovations and traffic now passes around the gate.