During the Second World War, the Brandenburg Gate and the Quadriga were severely damaged by bombing. The sculpture therefore had to be disposed of in 1956 in the course of the reconstruction of the gate and replaced by a copy.

Yes, the Brandenburg Gate was severely damaged during World War II, particularly during the Allied bombing raids and the final Battle of Berlin in 1945. As a prominent symbol of Berlin and the Nazi regime, it was a frequent target. The structure was peppered with bullets and shrapnel, and the iconic Quadriga statue (the chariot pulled by four horses) was almost completely destroyed, with only one horse's head surviving. Despite the heavy damage to its columns and the rooftop, the gate remained standing amidst the surrounding rubble. In 1956, East and West Berlin collaborated in a rare moment of unity to restore the gate and recast the Quadriga using the original 1793 molds. Today, it stands as a global symbol of peace and German reunification, though a few pockmarks were intentionally left on its sandstone pillars during later restorations as a high-fidelity historical reminder of the conflict's intensity.