© 1995 Christo

Significant Dates

1894

Designed by architect Paul Wallot, the German Reichstag was inaugurated on December 5,1894.

1933

The Reichstag is set on fire

1945

After the battle of Berlin,The Reichstag is in ruins. It was restored between 1957and 1971 under the supervision of architect Paul Baumgarten.

1961

The Berlin Wall is built. Even though the Reichstag is located in West Berlin in the British military sector,39meters (128 feet) of the east facade is in the Soviet military sector of East Berlin.
Christo creates a collage with photographs and a text titled: "Project for the Wrapping of a Public Building"

1971

Michael Cullen sends to Christo and Jeanne-Claude a postcard of the Reichstag.

1972

"Valley Curtain, Rifle,Colorado,1970-72" is completed. Christo makes the first collage for " Wrapped Reichstag, Project for Berlin" and the Christos ask Michael Cullen to "please get the permit !".

1974

"Wrapped Roman Wall, Rome " and "Ocean Front New Port, Rhode Island" are completed From 1976 to June 1995, the Christos visit Germany 54 times

1976

Visits to Germany : No.1 and 2 Christo goes to see the Reichstag while Jeanne-Claude is working in California. Meeting with Bundestag President Ms. Annemarie Renger. "Running Fence, Sonoma an Marin Counties, California 1972-76" is completed in September

1977

VĂ­sit to Germany: No.3 Meetings with politicians, Members of the Parliament and the new Bundestag President Karl Carstens. May: Karl Carstens gives the first refusal.

1978

Visit to Germany: No.4 April: First meeting of the Kuratorium in Hamburg "Wrapped Walk Ways, Loose Park, Kansas City, Missouri, 1977-78" is completed in October

1979

Visits to Germany: No.5, 6 and 7

1980

Visits to Germany: No. 8 and 9 During a Kuratorium meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Wolff von Amerongen, Mr. Walter Scheel, former President of Germany promises to talk to Richard Stücklen, President of the Bundestag.

1981

Visit to Germany: No.10 Richard Stücklen gives the second refusal October 4: Dr.Willy Brandt pays a visit to the home of Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York City.

1982

Visit to Germany: No. 11, 12 and 13

1983

Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida,1980-83. " is completed in May.

1984

Visits to Germany: No. 14. 15 and 16 Rainer Barzel, President of the Bundestag, is not opposed to the project but has to resign.

1985

Visit to Germany: No.17 "The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris,1985-85 " is completed in September

1986

Visits to Germany.: No.18 and 19 Roland Specker founds the association "Berliner für den Reichstag" and begins to collect signatures in favor of the project. Mr. Eberhard Diepgen, Mayor of Berlin, pays a visit to the home of Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York.

1987

750th Anniversary of the City of Berlin. Shortly after Roland Specker shows him a notorized statement containing 70,000 signatures in favour of the project, Philipp Jenninger, President of the Bundestag, gives the third refusal.

1988

Visits to Germany: No. 20 and 21 Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth becomes President of the Bundestag.

1989

Sept. 6: Marianne Kewenig and Roland Specker meet with Mrs. Süssmuth at the Bundestag. Nov. 9: Fall of the Berlin Wall

1990

March 18: Free election for the East German Chamber of Deputies. Oct. 3: Germany is reunited

1991

June 20: Berlin is voted the seat of the Government and Parliament after a 12 hour debate at the Bundestag, "The Umbrella Japan-USA, l984-91" is completed in October. December: Letter to Christo and Jeanne-Claude from Mrs. Süssmuth inviting them to visit her in Bonn and offering her help for the "Wrapped Reichstag" project.

1992

Visits to Germany: No. 22, 23, 24 and 25
Feb.9: First meeting with Mrs. Rita Süssmuth during a working lunch to discuss the project.
Oct. 8: Willy Brandt dies, he had been a strong supporter of the "Wrapped Reichstag" project.

1993

Visits to Germany: No. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34 and 35 A scale model of the "Wrapped Reichstag" is exhibited in the Reichstag and later in the lobby of the Bundestag in Bonn. A long and arduous lobbying is organized by Wolfgang and Sylvia Volz and Michael Cullen setting meetings for Christo and Jeanne-Claude with hundreds of M.P., one by one, in their offices, sometimes the artists are joined by Roland Specker.

1994

Visits to Germany: No. 36, 37, 38, 39, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44 Feb.25. The Bundestag debates and votes to grant permission for the "Wrapped Reichstag". thereby making it the first time in History that the future existence of a work of art is debated and voted upon at a Parliament. Oct.1: Wolfgang and Sylvia Volz move from their Düsseldorf home to Berlin. Together with Roland Specker they open the office of the "Verhüllter Reichstag GmbH" a few meters away from the Reichstag.

1995

Visits to Germany: No. 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 October 1994 to June 1995: Project Directors Roland Specker, Wolfgang and Sylvia Volz work at finalizing all the contracts for the permits in Bonn and Berlin. They organize the work of the engineers, select and hire german manufacturers for the fabric, the ropes, the inflatable elements and steel structures

---

© 1995 Christo