180 years of Zoo Berlin: Elephant Gate

The Asian-style elephant gate gives the zoo a New York metropolitan flair. In the midst of traffic, shopping centers and hotels, the two reclining elephants made of light-colored sandstone shine like an oasis. The original construction of the entrance area dates back to 1898 and 1899, when the portal also included an administration building, apartments for zoo employees and other outbuildings. Today, the ticket offices and the zoo store are located here. The construction costs of the facility at that time amounted to 277,336 marks. In November 1943, the facility was completely destroyed in a bombing raid. The elephant gate was reconstructed between 1983 and 1985, although the ancillary buildings were simplified and the fence system was slightly altered. Today, the gate with its elephants is one of the most popular photo motifs in City West. Have you ever taken a photo here?

Would you like to find out more about the animal icons, historic places and exciting personalities of Zoo Berlin? Over the next few weeks, we will take you on a short journey through time. Every week until the zoo's official birthday at the beginning of August, you can expect a short article with exciting facts from the last 180 years.