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Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

The Jewel of Dresden

PhotobucketEighteenth-century Dresden was one of the loveliest cities in Europe. The capital of Saxony since the Middle Ages, under the rule of Prince-Elector Augustus the Strong (who ruled 1694-1733) Dresden was a leading center of art, culture and technology. All of these came together in some surpassingly lovely architecture, including a large Lutheran church in central Dresden’s Neumarktplatz (New Market Square).

The Dresdner Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) was begun in 1726 and completed in 1743; it represents in stone something akin to what the music of J.S. Bach does in notes and staves: the apotheosis of the German Late Baroque style. (It is poetically appropriate that Bach, on a visit to Dresden in 1736, gave a recital on the Frauenkirche’s superb Silbermann organ.)

The church’s most distinctive feature was its unconventional 96 m-high dome, called die Steinerne Glocke or “Stone Bell”. An engineering feat comparable to Michelangelo’s dome for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Frauenkirche’s 12,000-ton sandstone dome stood high resting on eight slender supports. Despite initial doubts, the dome proved to be extremely stable. Witnesses in 1760 said that the dome had been hit by more than 100 cannonballs fired by the Prussian army led by Friedrich II during the Seven Years’ War. The projectiles bounced off and the church survived.

The Frauenkirche would not always be so lucky: in 1945, along with most of Dresden, it was destroyed during the Allied bombings. The postwar Communist rΓ©gime would have cleared the site for a parking lot were it not for the citizens of Dresden and their determination that somehow, someday the Frauenkirche would be rebuilt. Popular sentiment was so strong that the government, not wanting to restore the church but unwilling to risk the wrath of the people, did… nothing. For decades it sat, a pile of rubble in the Neumarktplatz; an eyesore, a painful reminder, a reproach to modern “civilization” – and, finally, a monument to peace.

In 1966, the remnants were officially declared a “memorial against war”, and state-controlled commemorations were held there on the anniversaries of the destruction of Dresden.

In 1982, the ruins began to be the site of a peace movement combined with peaceful protests against the East German regime. On the anniversary of the bombing, 400 Dresdeners came to the ruins in silence with flowers and candles, part of a growing East German civil rights movement. By 1989, the number of protesters in Dresden, Leipzig and other parts of East Germany had increased to tens of thousands, and the wall dividing East and West Germany toppled. This opened the way to the reunification of Germany.

Finally, the time was ripe. Thanks to an international coalition of organizations and donors, notably including a group from Coventry, England – which, like Dresden, had been heavily damaged by enemy bombing during the war – the Frauenkirche eventually resumed its distinctive place in Dresden’s skyline. The restored building was reconsecrated in 2005; as part of its mission of peace and reconciliation, Anglican services are held weekly, in English.

Two 18th-century views of the Frauenkirche:

Frauenkirche by Bellotto

Dresden by Bellotto

A photograph from 1880:

Dresden Frauenkirche in 1880

The weed-covered ruins as seen in 1967:

Frauenkircke ruins, 1967

Old and new – the dark patches are original stonework; the contrast, intentional:

Frauenkirche old and new (1)

Frauenkirche old and new (2)

The statue of Martin Luther at bottom right was erected in the 1880s. It can also be seen in front of the ruined church, a few photos above:

Frauenkirche at night

View from the river Elbe (compare with the second 18th-century view above):

Frauenkirche river view

The restored interior, altar and organ:

Frauenkirche interior

Frauenkirche altar and organ

Finally, the jewel in its setting, which shows how the new buildings surrounding the church have been sensitively designed to approximate in size, scale and profile those lost in the bombing:

Aerial photo of the Frauenkirche


25 comments

  1. slksfca

    Because I’m up late and felt like sharing. More weekend “Art and Culture” diaries are a distinct future possibility. πŸ™‚

    Thanks for reading.

  2. This struck me:

    In 1966, the remnants were officially declared a “memorial against war”,

    I can understand why a “memorial against war” would be desirable for a country which had been involved in two world wars in less that 50 years. But a much better memorial would be to restore the church as a reminder of the beauty that is lost when people bomb each other. I especially like how they incorporated the remnants. Schoolchildren asking why there are two different colors will hear a story that should give them a strong sense of the horrors of war and what can be lost when people can’t resolve their differences peacefully.

    It is a beautiful building and one which should be seen and admired. Are those your own pictures? Did you visit the building in person?

    Thank you! More more!!

    p.s. 3:20:37 AM CDT is not considered “up late” but “up early”. πŸ™‚

  3. wordsinthewind

    looking forward to more. When I was in Germany in 1959 I was astounded at the damage remaining from WWII although they were steadily rebuilding. It made a tremendous impression on my young mind. Up until then it was just history in books but seeing what war does changed me.

  4. I am impressed by two things in particular. One is the solid look of the building. It is like a rock thrust up from the earth. No wonder cannonballs could not bring it down.

    The other is the two-toned blocks used in reconstruction. Apparently, many original blocks were salvaged and reused. I like that.

    Thank you for this story today. It is uplifting about people. We need to hear that story line more often.

    Have a good day.

  5. pittiepat

    UK.  At the urging my college advisor, I made a day trip from London to Coventry and was pretty much blown away by the beauty of that modern (1960s)  cathedral.  The ruins of the old cathedral, St. Michaels, serves as an entryway, an introduction to what lies ahead.  Beautiful stonework, glorious wall hangings and a spectacular floor which was a gift to the church from the people of Germany.  Like Dresden’s mission for peace, Coventry’s mission is reconciliation.  

  6. pittiepat

    and didn’t go to Coventry Cathedral because it was “modern.”  Silly me.  Also, I refused to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon as its reputation is that of a medieval Disney World.  However, when I signed up for a 2-week trek through the Cotswolds, the starting point was Stratford.  It is very touristy.  (Some years ago a local was driving a car with this very tacky bumper sticker:  “Keep Britain Tidy, Kill a Tourist”.)  The high point was a backstage tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and an evening performance of Hamlet.  Stratford is not on my bucket list for a return visit.

  7. slksfca

    Last night I was delighted to see on The Amazing Race that they made a brief stopover in Dresden, where the camera lingered for a few seconds on the dome of the Frauenkirche. πŸ™‚

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