"Florence of the North" is how Dresden has been called. A southern city in the North, a Baroque metropolis. The city experienced its golden age in the first half of the 18th century under the rule of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. The Zwinger, the cathedral, the Baroque Koenigstrasse, Pillnitz Palace and not least the countless art treasures of the museums and priceless wealth of the "Green Vault" treasure chamber all testify to this era.
In the 19th century painters, sculptors, authors and musicians - representatives of the early romantics - met here. Dresden was an innovative economic location and one of the richest cities in
Germany. Today one can discover the largest villa quarter in the country. The district around Martin-Luther-Platz emerged at the turn of the century with an alternative city culture, with its own theatre, modern music and pubs. The picturesque and architecturally interesting Hellerau Garden Cityprovides a worthwhile detour.
Destroyed in
the firestorms of the 13th February 1945 and then reconstructed as a large
socialist city, Dresden today has a new appearance. The second reconstruction
of Dresden is in full swing. By 2006 at the latest, in time for the city's
800 year jubilee, Dresden should have been restored to what it was - a large
city with a pulsating centre and probably the most beautiful city in Germany.
The Frauenkirche church, the largest Protestant domed building in history,
is to be rebuilt with money contributed from all over the world. The whole
area around the Frauenkirche, which is currently empty, will be restored as
a piece of old Dresden. Next to historic Baroque buildings, new buildings
with old dimensions will be built. In the heart of Dresden, the Royal Palace
is being