Today, our group spent our morning in the city of Dresden where we attended a worship service at the Church of Our Lady. Dresden is the third largest city in eastern Germany following the cities of Berlin and Leipzig. The city is considered to be the traditional capital of Saxony, and it has been to known to be the royal residence for Saxony’s Electors and Kings. Once known as the “Jewel Box”, Dresden was considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world because of its ornate baroque and rococo architecture. This, however, all changed during World War II.
On the night of February 13, 1945, the British/Americans launched an aerial bombing attack on Dresden killing thousand of civilians. Due to the large amount of refugees living in the area at the time, the exact death toll is uncertain. It is estimated that up to 25,000 had perished, but this number could be significantly larger. The city had experienced such extensive damage that, after the war, it was suggested that the city just be leveled and rebuilt. In the end, a compromise was made to rebuild the Saxon royal palace and its surrounding baroque buildings. The rest would be new construction.
One of the most impressive reconstructions was the church we were able to worship in. The Church of Our Lady, the Dresden Frauenkirche, was destroyed in the bombing and its remains were left untouched as a war memorial for over 50 years. After the reunification of Germany in 1994, it was decided to rebuild the fallen church. The pieces were carefully collected, and using modern technology, could be pieced together to its original state. The exterior was restored by 2004, and the interior was completed in 2005. You can see where the old bricks have been pieced back in with the new bricks. The final restoration is astounding. The amount of detail kept in the exterior is beautiful, and the inside is even more breathtaking. Baroque style is still used in the interior making for an altar that is one of the most detailed structures I’ve ever seen.
It was an honor to be able to attend church that had such a remarkable history. After the service finished, we only had a few more hours in the city to explore before our next stop. The few restored buildings in Dresden contain the same, impressive detail work like the church. The rest of the town contained the more modern Germany building style, but the town, as a whole, is full of character and beautiful architecture which survived the destruction of World War II.