Brandenburg Gate (1945) View of the west side of the partially destroyed Brandenburg Gate. The gate is topped by a quadriga – a chariot drawn by four winged horses, which, in this case, is guided by Victoria, the winged goddess of victory. This early classical sandstone structure on Pariser Platz – today regarded as the true symbol of Berlin and German unity – was built between 1789 and 1791 by Carol Gotthard Langhans (1732-1808). The quadriga was finished by Johann Gottfried Schadow (1764-1850) and mounted in 1793. Berlin, 1945. Print from original negative.