Reichstag

American  

[rahyks-tahg, rahykhs-tahk] / ˈraɪksˌtɑg, ˈraɪxsˌtɑk /

noun

German History.

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

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Reichstag British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of Reichstag

< German: Reich diet

Example Sentences

It’s more like Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s “Study of Perspective” series of photographs, where his outstretched hand raises a middle finger aimed toward symbolic power centers — the White House, Tiananmen Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Reichstag, etc.

From Los Angeles Times

The prospect of another coalition crisis and early elections did not sit well with Stephanie and Bernd Nebel, two visitors to Berlin from Munich who spoke with AFP outside of the Reichstag, the seat of Germany's parliament.

From Barron's

Hostility to parliamentary democracy: There is no need for a legislative body when the leader decrees the laws; nevertheless, fascist leaders typically maintain a Duma or a Reichstag as a marionette theater, a role for which Republican congressmen and senators are well suited.

From Salon

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

From Slate

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.

From Slate