This year, from Sunday, 5 July 2026, until Saturday, 3 October 2026, the Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building in the heart of Berlin’s parliamentary district will again be transformed into one of the capital city’s most spectacular film screens. The German Bundestag continues its annual tradition and invites citizens, visitors from across the world and all friends of democracy to experience the eventful history of the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany in a very special way. Starting at dusk each evening, a film, light and sound production is projected onto the facade of the building. The title of the installation is "People and Parliament – Living democracy in Germany". 

The film can be followed with the help of subtitles in various languages. The on-site wi-fi network “multimediashow” is provided to enable mobile device users to access these via www.gbp26.de(Externer Link) in their web browser.

Germany's history in the East and West

The show begins with the end of the Second World War in 1945 and shows how West Germany, occupied at that time by the United Kingdom, France and the United States, developed into a democratic state. The film tells of the creation of Germany's constitution, the Basic Law, and the key parliamentary milestones in the history of the Federal Republic. At the same time, it shines a light on the developments in East Germany, which was under the control of the Soviet Union. Here, a socialist state was constructed under single party rule: the GDR. With the end of the GDR, and reunification on 3 October 1990, the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany came to apply throughout the whole country. 

The installation highlights the differences between the two political systems, traces the development of Germany’s parliamentary system and indicates the constant changes in society and how these can be shaped.

A whole building transformed into a screen

Beyond the central projection screen, the entire Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building becomes part of the show. The images are projected onto a total of five areas of the building. The largest of these measures 300 square metres, while the smallest is 21 square metres. Additionally, further laser images are projected onto various sections of the building. Floodlights create a majestic aura and swathe the architecture of the Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building in a distinctive light.

Each screening lasts around 40 minutes. There will be two back-to-back screenings each evening. The viewing area is located on the steps on the southern bank of the Spree at Friedrich-Ebert-Platz. The show is free of charge.

The film features lighting effects and may also contain some strobe elements; we therefore ask visitors with light sensitivity to exercise appropriate caution.

The show will begin at the following times each day:

• from 5 July at 22:15 hrs,
• from 17 July at 22:00 hrs,
• from 31 July at 21:45 hrs,
• from 10 August at 21:15 hrs,
• from 28 August at 20:45 hrs,
• from 11 September until 3 October at 20:15 hrs.