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Siegestor (Gate of Victory)
Siegestor (Gate of Victory)
The Siegestor is situated at the end of the Ludwigstraße about 1 kilometre north of the University and close to the Odeonsplatz. It was commissioned by King Ludwig I and was originally dedicated to the glory of the Bavarian army in the Napoleonic war of liberation. The architect was Friedrich von Gärtner who designed the gate similar in style to the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
During the centuries militaries posed in front of the Siegestor. And the Nazis, too, used the building for their propaganda. After the Second World War it were the Americans who made the partial reconstruction of the destroyed Siegestor possible.
Today Siegestor is a reminder to peace. When it was rebuilt after the Second World War an inscription on the back side of the gate was added that reads “Dem Sieg geweiht, vom Krieg zerstört, zum Frieden mahnend”, which translates as "Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, reminding of peace".
Only in 1972 the restored Quadriga was erected. It is turned outbound to be supposed to drive towards the Bavarian army.
