Dresden was a great stop on my way from Prague to Berlin. The city apparently hit its heyday in the 1700s but, unfortunately, it seems to be best known for its fate during World War II.
In February of 1945, American and British forces firebombed the city, destroying 85% of the Old Town and killing 50,000 people.
A bit of the Old Town, near the river.
The Frauenkirche was pretty much completely leveled by the bombing. Actually, they say the church stayed standing for two days, then collapsed. The pile of rubble was left as a peace monument until 14 years ago, when reconstruction began.
The black freckles on the church are original stones. Used where ever possible, you can only see a few from this side-in the back, lower left is a larger original section.
The cross that originally topped the church's dome was pretty badly melted, so a new one had to be made. The man for the job was an English coppersmith. His father was a pilot who dropped bombs on Dresden in 1945.
Dresden Hofkirche, post-reconstruction.
Panel from the Memorial Chapel in the Hofkirche. (Comfort, comfort my people, says the Lord our God. All mortal [flesh] is like grass; all of its beauty a flower in the field).
2 comments:
I SUSPECT THAT THE PEACE MONUMENT ASPECT OF THE CHURCH RUBBLE WAS MORE A MATTER OF CONTEMPTUOUS OMISSION THAN A TESTIMONIAL TO THE HORRORS OF "COLLATERAL DAMAGE".
IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT UNDER SOVIET RULE ALMOST 40 YEARS WENT BY WITHOUT REBUILDING; BUT RECONSTRUCTION STARTED WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF THE WALL COMING DOWN.
THE KURT IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KILGORE.
SO IT GOES
Yeah, none of the articles/guidebook entries that I read about Frauenkirche came right out and made that point. I came across the phrases "lack of funds and governmental support" a few times, though.
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