Reich Air Ministry
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This article is about the building, see Reichsluftfahrtministerium for the organization
The Reich Air Ministry (German: Reichsluftfahrtministerium) was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933-45). It was also the original name of a building in the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, the capital of Germany, which now houses the German Finance Ministry.
The building was built on the orders of Hermann Göring between 1935 and 1936, and designed by Ernst Sagebiel. One writer has described it as "in the typical style of National Socialist intimidation architecture." [1] It was one of the few major public buildings in central Berlin to escape serious damage during the Allied bombing offensive in 1944-45. As a result, it was occupied by the government of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, and became the headquarters of the GDR Council of Ministers. During the GDR era, the building was known as the Haus der Ministerien (House of Ministries). GDR-era murals can still be seen on some of the building's walls. It was the site of major demonstrations during the workers' uprising of June 1953.
[1] Reinhard Rürup, Berlin 1945, 91
