The view across the Elbe River to Dresden’s exuberant, rebuilt old town. Note the great biking & running trails along the river!
Dresden. Wow. All I knew about Dresden before we got here was the fire bombings of World War II. And even then, all I knew was that there had been some serious bombs that pretty much wiped out the city. At least I got that part right. In mid-February 1945 American and British pilots dropped nearly 4,000 tons of bombs and “incendiary devices” on the city, killing perhaps 25,000 people, mostly civilians, and leveling much of the city. While there is a plausible case that Dresden’s military and industrial significance warranted this level of death and destruction, it seems clear that the intensity – savagery, really – had as much to do with German psychology as with military needs narrowly defined.
The ruins of the Frauenkirche from Mark’s trip to Dresden in 1984
And the glorious Frauenkirche today, with that dark piece on the left the last standing part reincorporated into the new building
A little quick history is worthwhile here since it’s pretty interesting and I knew nothing of it before we came. Dresden was long the capital of Saxony, one of many German states that made up the Holy Roman Empire (which was, of course, not holy, Roman, or an empire, but whatever). The Duke of Saxony was a Prince of Europe, but he was much more than that: he was one of just four lay Electors of the Holy Roman Emperor, along with three spiritual Electors. The role of Elector was highly prestigious, even though by the 15th century the Emperor had become an inherited role in the Habsburg dynasty. Electors ranked above all other Princes and just below kings in terms of royal hierarchy. In fact, the electors’ title was Elector rather than Duke or Prince or whatever and, amusingly for me at least, their wives were called Electresses. Kind of like calling Michelle Obama the “Presidentress.” I wonder if we could get that to take off?
Finally, when Napoleon dissolved the empire in the early 19th century he raised the state of Saxony to a kingdom. Thus Dresden was a Very Important City over hundreds of years of European history. (And I should note that, looking a little further back, Saxony is also where those Saxons who crossed the English Channel to mix with the Angles and give the world the Anglo-Saxons came from. Being there was like finally being home.)
A small piece of the old Zwinger Palace, now a glorious museum of great masters
So now fast forward through World War II, the bombing, the emergence of the Cold War, and the dreary “recovery” experienced by Dresden and the rest of East Germany. Finally 1989 arrives, the Iron Curtain falls, Germany is reunited, and Dresden is rebuilt. The Catholic cathedral, the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger Museum, the Opera House, the Palace, and much more all rebuilt and beautiful. So today it is again a rollicking example of baroque and rococo masterpieces. What fun!
Bernardo Bellotto, aka Canaletto, spent several years in the mid-18th century painting landscapes of Dresden. This one, on display in the Zwinger Museum, would have been drawn from quite close to where our hotel is today.
This is a part of a huge frieze in Dresden that almost miraculously wasn’t destroyed in the War. It tells the tale of the Electors from the late 16th century through the 17th century, reflecting the changing styles and fashions over the years.
The interior of the baroque Frauenkirche. Finished just 10 years ago, the church was rebuilt to the extent possible with rubble from the old ruins and based on pictures, plans, and memories of the original.
Our hotel was on the right bank of the river, in what’s called the “new” town, where most of the cool neighborhoods and restaurants and hotels are. I loved this lively fountain that was on our walk to our favorite places.
And speaking of great restaurants, this was one of the best Caprese salads I’ve had outside of Italy
One more picture of the still-devastated Dresden from Mark’s 1984 trip
And one more picture across the Elbe to the old city. I really loved this place!