Baroque Around the Clock in Dresden
Oscar Wilde once said “I don’t believe in miracles. I’ve seen too many of them.” And if a German Rip Van Winkle were to wake up here right now after a mere 10 years of sleep, he might be inclined to say the same thing.
One of the most important museum cities in Europe, Dresden, the capital of the German State of Saxony, most definitely has a lot to be thankful for. Once Germany’s most beautiful Baroque city, it is now witnessing what some are calling nothing less than a miraculous rebirth.
Dresden was, of course, almost entirely destroyed in the closing weeks of World War II. The 650,000 incendiary bombs of February 13th, 1945 left very few buildings, historic or otherwise, standing. The little that was left intact was then leveled by the communists in the years that followed. But Dresden now has a crowning achievement to celebrate. Now, after an impressive, unprecedented post-Reunification effort, the beautiful 91 Meter tall “stoned dome”, the largest dome north of the Alps, is once again adorning the skyline of the “Florence on the Elbe”. Now, after the successful reconstruction of the famous Protestant Frauenkirche, that is, The Church of Our Lady, Dresden has made what is seen by many to be its final step along the long road of its miraculous post-war recovery.
The Church of Our Lady was officially reopened after only 10 years of reconstruction efforts. At first it was believed that it could take up to 20 or even 30 years – the great Cathedral of Cologne took over 500 years to build! This Herculean effort was primarily financed through private initiative and the unerring dedication of the citizens of Dresden. Its completion is a coronation of sorts and was celebrated as such. Eight hundred journalists covered the event, for example. Ten thousand musicians contributed their efforts at these ceremonies.
But the Frauenkirche does not stand alone. It’s packed with visitors. Dresden is a short two hour train journey from Berlin. Streams of tourists are now “discovering” Dresden and have helped make it one of the most popular and successful cities in eastern Germany. And hey, putting all of the excitement about the Frauenkirche aside, this important hub between East and West has much more than impressive museums and historic landmarks to offer: It is simply beautiful here!
That’s right, Baroque is beautiful! And here are just three small examples of what I mean:
The Zwinger Palace is home to many of Dresden’s finest museums and is considered to be the most important late Baroque building in Germany. A magnificent structure with the famous Crown Gate, the symbol of Dresden, it is home to three great collections: Renaissance and Baroque painting in The Old Masters Gallery (Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, DÃ?¼rer etc.), an impressive collection Meissen porcelain masterpieces and the legendary Green Vault in the Albertinum, said to be Europe’s greatest collection of jewelry. Don’t miss the chance to see Raffael’s Sistine Madonna in the adjoining Semper Museum.
The Semper Opera House is an impressive example of classical architecture and one of Dresden’s most popular attractions. One of the best-recognized structures in Germany, it stands on the western edge of Theaterplatz. It is famous for its lavishly decorated interior and is one of the most important 19th century theater buildings – it saw the first performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Tannhauser, for example – and is well worth taking a closer look at.
The Royal Palace is a beautiful sandstone building of predominantly renaissance style. It is a sprawling complex, with a particularly beautiful inner courtyard and faÃ?§ade and is easily accessible through any one of the three so-called Georgenbau Gateways near the Augustus Bridge. If you climb up the Hausmann Tower you will enjoy an excellent view of the city’s historic center. The Royal Palace is famous for its great art and collection of precious stones.
And there is much more to see here than meets your eye – at the moment. But that’s another article.
That’s right. Dresden has a lot to be thankful for. And any tourist lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit this city will be thankful, as well.
