Reichstag

[rahyks-tahg, rahykhs-tahk]

noun

German History.

1. the lower house of the parliament during the period of the Second Reich and the Weimar Republic.

Reichstag

/ ˈraiçstak, ˈraiksˌtɑːɡ /

noun

1. Also called: diet. (in medieval Germany) the estates or a meeting of the estates

2. the legislative assembly representing the people in the North German Confederation (1867–71) and in the German empire (1871–1919)

3. the sovereign assembly of the Weimar Republic (1919–33)

4. the building in Berlin in which this assembly met and from 1999 in which the German government meets: its destruction by fire on Feb 27, 1933 (probably by agents of the Nazi government) marked the end of Weimar democracy. It was restored in the 1990s following German reunification

Word History and Origins

Origin of Reichstag¹

< German: Reich diet

Example Sentences

“What they want is their Reichstag Fire,” said Sedef Buyukatiman, a protester wearing an inflatable unicorn costume.

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But many conservatives are trying to make this into their Reichstag fire: the moment the movement has been waiting for to use as a pretext to suspend democratic rules, crush their opponents, and put themselves fully in charge.

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Some right-wing influencers straight-up said that this is their Reichstag Fire: “Charlie Kirk being assassinated is the American Reichstag fire,” wrote one.

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Comparing this moment in the speech to “accusing Hitler of genocide in the Reichstag,” Gilroy suggests the term remains contentious to the present day because authoritarian regimes “will vehemently and violently combat anyone trying to say what they’re doing is anything other than righteous”: “Mon knows that this word is radioactive. And for her to use it, she is signing her death warrant. If they catch her, she will be executed for that word.”

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The leading architect's previous work has included the Gherkin office block and the Great Court of the British Museum in London, and the Reichstag dome in Berlin.

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