Palace of The Republic (Berlin) - Noteworthy Events Held at The Palast

Noteworthy Events Held At The Palast

During the night of 22–23 August 1990, the Volkskammer decided in the Palace of the Republic the declaration on the accession of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with effect from 3 October 1990, when the five re-established states of the GDR joined the FRG.

Cultural, political, academic, and social events at the Palast der Republik included concerts of famous orchestras such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Kurt Masur, modern interpretations of classical music such as the Messiah of George Frideric Handel, concerts of Bulat Okudshawa (29 November 1976), Harry Belafonte (25 October 1983), or of the rock-band Purple Schulz (21 January 1989).

German electronic music group Tangerine Dream performed a spectacular concert recorded live at the Palast der Republik on 31 January 1980 which also was Johannes Schmoelling's first live performance with the band. The concert was unique in that Tangerine Dream was the first Western group who was allowed by the Communist government to play in East Berlin at the time and was dubbed "the performance behind the Iron Curtain". An album of this recorded concert was released titled "Quichotte" on East German record label Amiga, and later released to the rest of the world on Virgin Records six years later and renamed "Pergamon".

In October 1983, the West German rock star, Udo Lindenberg, was permitted to perform in concert at the Palast der Republik. At the concert, Lindenberg sang one of his best-known songs, Sonderzug nach Pankow ("Special Train To Pankow"), which satirized East German leader Erich Honecker, and which he had been asked not to play.

Some of further noteworthy events hosted at the Palast der Republik included the party congresses of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and the state gala on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in October 1989, at which Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was present.

The shell of the building was opened for visitors in mid-2003, and a pressure group campaigned for temporary use of the building for cultural events until its eventual demolition. Beginning in early 2004, the building was used for events such as housing an exhibition of the Terracotta Army and a special concert by the famous Berlin-based band Einstürzende Neubauten.