The German Ministry of Magic building embodied a blend of architectural styles from the ancient Saxon magical era and Muggle Gothic and Baroque, and stood as a symbol of unity for Germany's wizarding world. When this magical government building was completed, many wizards clearly felt that the combination had not succeeded, but was instead an extremely unreasonable side-by-side mash-up of multiple styles—the conservatives objected to the Muggle aesthetics, while the reformists disliked the bloated ancient style of the main structure. Ludwig Hoffmann, an influential urban-planning consultant and architect in the German Magical World, was especially scathing in his criticism: he called the building "a luxury hearse."
German Minister of Magic Rudolf Hess was delivering his speech. His face, which had always seemed honest and stiff, looked even more rigid today, like a square brick. The Minister's eyes were red, swollen, and bloodshot; stubble covered his jaw, and his face was pale and haggard. His normally neat hair and beard both needed washing and trimming.
"Good evening, wizards. This is the thirty-seventh time I have delivered a public speech in front of the Ministry of Magic. It was here that key decisions in the history of our Magical World were made... Every time I have stood here, it has been to discuss with you important matters concerning the interests of Germany's Magical World. Every decision I made during my term was made with the utmost effort to better serve our German Magical World. In the face of the unpredictable changes in the recent situation, I have always regarded 'perseverance' as my duty. I hoped to do my utmost to complete the ministerial term granted to me by the German wizards..."
Hess's tone fully revealed that the sudden turmoil and complexity in Germany's Magical World had left the Minister exhausted and unable