Ben Wilson

In the distance, somewhat to the southeast, there was an orange glow in the sky.

He went for a closer look, and what he found when he arrived at the Reichstag, the great neo-Gothic palace that housed the German parliament, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the German capital, the physical symbol of German democracy itself, was that it was on fire.

The fire had started in the plenary chamber, the great domed hall where the Reichstag met for its sessions.

By the time the Berlin fire brigade arrived, the glass dome above the chamber was fully engulfed.

The interior was devastated.

The heavy curtains, the wooden furnishings, the ornate decorative paneling, everything that could burn was burning.

Inside the building, the police found and arrested a 24-year-old Dutch communist named Marinus van der Lubbe.

He was found near the site of the fire with fire starting materials on his person.

lighters, matches, and cloth.

He confessed immediately with apparent conviction and actually a certain amount of pride.

He had set the fire himself alone as a political protest against capitalism and fascism in Germany.

He wanted to spark a revolution.

It's worth noting that this was a mentally ill person who really struggled to make his way in the world.

Some people tried to dispute whether it was actually Vanderlube.

And they say that maybe the Nazis, it actually appears to have genuinely been a communist who set fire to the Reichstag.

It was very convenient timing, but all the evidence points towards him actually just having done it.

And this is just one of these freak accidents of history.

Hitler arrived at the scene within the hour.

He came with Goering, Goebbels, and Papin.

They stood together in the session chamber surrounded by the ruins of the building where German democracy had met, watching the fire crews work through the wreckage.