The Reichstag was made safe and partially refurbished in the 1960s, but no attempt at full restoration was made until after German reunification in 1990, when it was reconstructed under architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it once again became the meeting place of the German parliament: the modern Bundestag.
The term Reichstag, connoting a diet, dates back to the Holy Roman Empire. The building was built for the Diet of the German Empire, which was succeeded by the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. The latter became the Reichstag of Nazi Germany, which left the building (and ceased to act as a parliament) after the 1933 fire and never returned; the term Reichstag has not been used by German parliaments since World War II. In modern usage, Reichstag usually refers to the building, while Bundestag refers to the institution. → more...