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From the Smithsonian

Lecture: “Cultural

Capitals of Former East

Germany”

Dresden

NordNordWest (CC BY-SA

3.0)

What springs to

mind for many

people when they

hear the name

“Dresden”?

ThetThe

Richard Peter – Deutsche Fototek (CC BY-SA 3.0-de)

February 13-15, 1945

This tragic moment in history

is called a “firestorm”

because the architecturally

stunning historical center of

Dresden was incinerated.

More than 25,000 people

were incinerated as well.

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Tales of human suffering in this

event are difficult even today to

read and there is ongoing

controversy about the decision

to send Royal Air Force and

American bombers on this

mission.

Outlying areas of Dresden, both

industrial and residential, also

were bombed. It seemed

impossible ever to contemplate

resurrecting Dresden after the

war.

Deutsche Fototek (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/13kUEFQ

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Yet the city was rebuilt.

Slowly, painstakingly. The

rebuilding was complex. It

involved intricate discussions

as to what should be rebuilt,

where, and in what

architectural style.

Deutsche Fotothek (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/12QOEDU

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After many of

Dresden’s treasures

were rebuilt, one

important site

remained in ruins:

Dresden’s landmark

Frauenkirche (Our

Lady’s Church, or

Notre Dame). Many

wanted it to stay

that way, as an on-

going memorial to

the utter

devastation.nemodoteles (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1qJg0qF

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With a history stretching back

to the 11th century, the

“modern” rendition of the

Frauenkirche had been built

as a Lutheran church

between 1726 and 1744. With

its striking single-dome form,

it quickly became a focal

point of the city, particularly in

artistic renditions such as the

intricate paintings by

Bernardo Bellotto, also known

as Canaletto.

Ansicht von Dresden, Der Neumarkt in Dresden vom Jüdenhofe aus.

Bernardo Bellotto, Canaletto, 1749-51

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Some argued that

restoring the

beautiful crypt as a

sanctuary and

concert space

would be ideal. Still

others wanted a

church restored, but

in a modern style.

gynti_46 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1zN5lgb

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But others fought to

rebuild the Frauenkirche

as it once was. And

finally, the work began

in 1994.

Every section of the

structure that could be

salvaged was. Even

individual stones were

catalogued, cleaned,

and reused.

Greg O’Beirne (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/16j56yN

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Completed in 2005 in all of its beauty,

the Frauenkirche has become one of

the most popular tourist destinations

in Dresden. It is also considered one

of the finest examples of Baroque

Protestant architecture in Europe.

ProhibitOnions (PD) http://bit.ly/1GyH5yI

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It now reigns over the profile of the city, just

as it did in Bellotto’s day. And the glittering

cross on its dome? It was crafted by the son

of one of the RAF fighter pilots engaged in

the 1945 bombing and stands as a poignant

symbol of Dresden’s renewal.

CEphoto, Uwe Aranas (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1z7zcQx

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As all cities along

great rivers,

Dresden is shaped

by the rhythms of its

river, the Elbe.

Those rhythms

frequently include

massive flooding

which has

devastated Dresden

and surrounding

towns many times

throughout history.

Mylius (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1BwxQy5

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Sailing on the Elbe

from Prague to

Dresden takes one

through a

magnificent area

known as

Sächsische Schweiz

(Saxon

Switzerland).

Thomas Wolf (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/16j9wWA

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To explore Dresden’s

historical roots. We can

move northwest down

the Elbe to the nearby

town of Meissen, a

charming town of

c. 28,000 inhabitants.

Today Meissen garners

its fame from the

production of priceless

porcelain (china). But in

Medieval times, Meissen

was known as the home

of the Saxon margraves.

Johann Gregorius Höroldt (CC BY-SA 3.0)

http://bit.ly/1vLWYLV

VAWebteam at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

http://bit.ly/1wMTP5x

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The castle at

Meissen, the

Albrechtsburg, is

considered one of

the earliest “castles”

to give up its

defensive role and

become a royal

residence. Plan on

touring it, as well as

the Gothic

Cathedral.

Staka (CC BY-SA 4.0 international) http://bit.ly/1uAohIL

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Gradually power shifted

to Dresden as the

Medieval Meissen

Margraves began using

it as an interim

residence (1206) and

then seat of royal

power (1270). In the

Renaissance period,

Dresden became the

seat of the Saxon kings

(1485) and Saxon

Electors (1547).

Dresden was now the

Royal Saxon city.JoJan (CC BY 3.0) http://bit.ly/1DtYNqO

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The most significant

Saxon king was August

the Strong. And he was

incredibly strong! We can

see him as well as the

whole line of Saxon

rulers by walking along

the fantastic Fürstenzug

or Princely-Parade, a

mural that has been

rendered in 25,000 tiles

of Meissen porcelain.

Destroyed during the

Dresden bombing, it too

had to be rebuilt.Saiko (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1uCvzgc

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August the Strong (1670-1733) was an

ardent patron of the arts. He supported the

development of the technology that made

possible the production of Meissen

Porcelain. Why? Because he was one of

the first rulers to recognize porcelain as a

priceless economic and diplomatic

currency. He also collected art and

founded many cultural institutions. In

addition, he built palaces, including

Dresden’s impressive palace ensemble

known as the Zwinger.

August the Strong

Louis de Silvestre, before 1733

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But before we visit

these magnificent

buildings, let’s take

a peek at the royal

stables and

tournament square

dating back to 1591.

Of course it too had

to be rebuilt after

the Dresden

Firestorm.

Deutsche Fotothek (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1wNZHvw

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It’s one of the oldest

preserved sites in

Europe where you

can see just how

the jousting and

riding tournaments

took place. Today,

it’s used as a site

for wonderful

theatrical events

and festivals,

including a

Renaissance

Christmas fair.

Professor Carol (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://professorcarol.com

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Speaking of fairs,

Dresden hosts

perhaps the most

famous Christmas

Market in Europe,

the Striezelmarkt. It

dates back to 1434

(!) and takes place

on the Altmarkt

square bordering

the historic district.

LH DD/Dittrich (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1yM0GY2

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The Dresdene Hofkirche

(Dresden Court Church)

was built from 1730 to

1755 by the Italian

architect Gaetano

Chiaveri during the reign

of August the Strong’s

son, Friedrich August II.

A Catholic Church, it was

dedicated as the Most

Holy Trinity Church

(heiligsten Dreifaltigkeit

or Sanctissimae

Trinitatis)Kolossos (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1sqnjz3

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It features a

Silbermann organ.

Its gleaming white

interior and

gorgeous

decoration belies

the terrible

destruction that

befell it during the

bombing of

Dresden.

unknown (CC BY-SA 2.5) http://bit.ly/1AvgUqD

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There is so much to see at the Zwinger.

In good weather, you can simply enjoy

the courtyard and the extravagant

Nymphenbad. If ever there was

extreme architectural ornamentation

during the German Baroque, this is the

place to see it! And, yes, the “motion”

we see in the facades matches up

nicely with the more ornamented

movements in music by J.S. Bach and

his contemporaries. Remember, this

highly ornamented style was ultra-

trendy, so of course it had influence on

all artists, including composers.

Polybert49 (CC BY-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1A4Kq6G

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I have four favorite

museums in the

Zwinger. The niftiest

of all is the glittering

Salon of

Mathematics and

Physics where you

can see technology

that may well

surprise you by its

advanced level of

development.

SchiDD (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/13l6obr

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The porcelain

collection is lovely

on the eye,

especially since it,

too, is laid out within

the former royal

rooms. Beams of

light streaming

through wonderful

windows give this

collection a special

touch.

Dr. Meierhofer (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1A5R1O7

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The Armory (Rüstkammer)

offers something for

everyone. The bejeweled

weaponry will dazzle you,

and the opportunity to feel

the energy of those

warriors of long ago

comes through both in the

collections of armor

(including kid sizes) and

the “real” horses opposing

one another as if in the

midst of a jousting

tournament. Juliezehn (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://bit.ly/1sodGGJ

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But the most impressive museum in the

Zwinger, to me, is the Gallery of Old

Masters. Its famous treasure is

Raphael’s Sistine Madona, a painting

prized for many reasons, including the

adorable cherubim at Our Lady’s feet.

Sistine Madonna. Raphael, 1512

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Balancing the

architectural

ensemble, the opera

house known as

Semper Oper serves

as one of Dresden’s

most important

buildings. Built by the

master architect

Gottfried Semper, the

house was opened in

1841, just a year

before Wagner

conducted the

premiere of his Flying

Dutchman.

Professor Carol (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://professorcarol.com

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The unusual name of this

royal treasury (the Green

Vault) comes from the blue-

green cast of the original

paint. Here we find the

riches of the kings,

particularly the extravagant

creations made by goldsmith

Johann Dinglinger for August

the Strong. Many of these

treasures were difficult to

recover after WWII. Still,

today both the “new” and the

“historical” sections are open

to the public.Yoav Lerman (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1uAMuyz

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One of the delights of Dresden is a stroll along the magnificent

riverside veranda known as Brühle’s Terrace. Everywhere you

look, the view is magnificent, whether it’s out over the Elbe or up

to the glittering domes of the Albertinum, Dresden’s “new” art

museum.

Bgabel (CC BY-SA 3.0) http://bit.ly/1wsGDPX

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Despite its elevation,

the Albertinum is

susceptible to floods,

including the disastrous

floods of 2012. It has

now been redesigned

internally and rebuilt to

withstand future floods.

It has thus gained the

nicknamed “Ark for Art.”

Its collection today

focuses on sculpture

and modern art (starting

with the 19th century).

Andras, Fulop (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1vMVT6H

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While not as famous for

its Art Nouveau

architecture as nearby

Prague, Dresden had a

strong component of

architects who crafted

stunning buildings in that

new style at the turn of

the 20th century. Some of

these Jugendstil masters

also designed opulent

villas for wealthy clients

desirous of living just

outside the city center in

Dresden’s leafy hills. Erfurth (CC BY-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1INV6g3

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No matter how

intriguing the historic

center of Dresden, it’s

good to get out and

about. Crossing the

bridge into a newer (but

still old) region called

Neustadt (New City)

opens up the chance to

see a lively part of

modern Dresden. Many

students live in this

area, and there are

trendy restaurant and

clubs.

Hanoi Mark (CC BY-NC 2.0) http://bit.ly/1z7Ra5x

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Due to massive

rebuilding, Dresden

now glitters again

as one of Europe’s

most stunning

cities. The horrors

of the Dresden

Bombing will never

be forgotten, nor will

the difficult years

under Soviet-

imposed

Communism during

the DDR.

Marcus Rahm (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://bit.ly/1wtLcti

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A new era has begun that builds upon the strengths of August the

Strong and the legacy of Royal Saxony. Surrounded by natural

beauty, shaped by the Elbe river, and rich in art, architecture, and

music, Dresden will not disappoint.

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