GERMANY: Bright Lights in the Big City (PART IV) Dresden

I didn’t know much about Dresden before we went, other than it was obliterated in WWII. So my expectations were low.

What I didn’t know, was that before World War II, Dresden was called “the Florence on the Elbe”.  It was considered to be one of the world's most beautiful cities, known for its rich art collections and baroque architecture.

But then, in February 1945, over a thousand Allied heavy bombers created a firestorm which engulfed the city's center and nearly wiped Dresden off the map.

 

 

Then, after the war, the communist East German government tore down most of the ruins, including former opulent residents, churches, and palaces.

After the reunification of Germany, the city has been reconstructed back to some of its former glory.

The Procession of Princes showcases the Saxon ruling family, the Wettins, at the beginning of the 13^th Century until the 1800’s.

It is a 101-meter-long mural that represents the history of the Wettins in a procession of riders. The artwork was completed in the late 1800’s for the 800th anniversary of rule.

The work began to fade so it was transferred to Meissen porcelain tiles in the early 1900’s. More than 24,000 tiles were used to represent the 35 margraves, princes and kings as well as 59 scientists, artisans, craftsmen and farmers. Because tiles are fired in kilns with very high temperatures, these are still the original tiles that survived the high temperatures of the firebombing.

 

The Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) was built in the 16th Century and had several conversions and changes over time.

Reconstruction of the palace began in the 1980’s. The renovations were completed in 2013.

 Today it houses several museums and exhibition rooms. It’s home to one of the largest art collections in Europe. I loved this gallery and especially loved the old paintings of Dresden to see how it looked in the 1700’s.

There is also a Porcelain Collection.

There are historic clothing exhibits. It’s not often you see 16th and 17th century clothing, especially where the fabric is in such good condition.

And a collection of armour.

 

If you were wondering.......

 

....they wear it under this.... obviously very proudly...

In 2019 armed men broke into Dresden's Green Vault museum, one of the oldest and richest treasure chambers in Europe and snatched 21 pieces of jewelry encrusted with more than 4,300 diamonds. The stolen items included the 49-carat Dresden White Diamond.

Prosecutors said the insured value of the pieces reached €113.8 million ($135 million) — in what has been labeled as the biggest heist in modern German history.

In December 2022 it was announced that thirty-one of the items were returned to the museum after being seized by Berlin authorities. 

One of the museum's main treasures, the 41-carat Dresden Green Diamond, was safely away on loan at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

We climbed the 100-meter Hausmann Tower to get bird's eye views of the Old Town.

 

Dresden’s Opera House was built between 1838 and 1841. It was closed in August 1944 and was destroyed six months later by the Allied air attacks.

 

It has been reconstructed using the original plans.

 

 The Catholic rulers of Dresden had a new Catholic church built in the 18th century while the rest of the city was Protestant.

 

Destroyed during World War II, the ruins of the Protestant Frauenkirche (Frauenkirche Church) remained untouched for many years, acting as a memorial. It was then meticulously reconstructed using original stone plans and rubble from the destroyed building. In 2005 there was a dedication and the church was reopened.

 

The Neumarkt Square has existed since 1548 and it is also being reconstructed. 

 

 

John is happy we had so much we wanted to see that we didn't have time to stop in the gift shop in the Green Vault. 

 

He doesn't need to know they have on-line shopping.