Dresden

Wednesday 25 April

The area of Dresden was first settled around 7500 BC but around the late 12^th century a Slavic settlement called Drezd’any (people of the riverside forest) was established.  In 1206 Dietrich, Margave of Meissen chose Dresden as his interim residence.  After 1270 it became the capital of the Margravate and from 1485 the seat of the Dukes of Saxony and from 1547 the Electors as well.

Following the bombing of Dresden by Allied Forces in 1945 and its 40 years as part of GDR, the damage was not repaired and it wasn’t until after the 1990 reunification of Germany the work commenced to restore the city.  It is expected by 2014the last stage of restoration of the King’s Palace will be completed and Dresden will have been restored to its original glory.

Today we were offered the choice of a walking tour of the old city, a coach tour with little walking and a combination of both.  As we spent three days here four years ago and had covered the old and new cities on foot, we decided to take the combination tour so as to see the outlying part of Dresden, including areas which survived the bombing and then returning to the city to revisit the old restored buildings.

Looking at photos of the war time damage it is amazing how well the buildings have been restored and when compared to photos of the originals it is hard to believe they aren’t the original building both inside and out.

We commenced our walk at the Zwinger a large square building built around a large courtyard and garden, this was never used as a royal residence it was designed and built as a place to hold parties.  The galleries now house a variety of exhibits, including Old Masters, Armoury and Meissen porcelain.

From the Zwinger we walked past the Semper Opera House, the R.C. Cathedral and to the Royal Palace and entered the Green Vault museum to view the display of royal treasures, including gold and precious stone articles, clocks, ivory and carved rock crystal.  The value of the display would probably help return Australia’s budget to the black.  One highlight was a 41 carat green diamond, the only one of its kind, surrounded by hundreds of diamond and was given to the king as a hat decoration.  When the diamond was purchased in the 1600s it cost almost double what was spent to build a large church in the town.

Returning to the boat for lunch, after which we walked back into the old town and visited the Lutheran Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, which was totally destroyed in WWII but assisted by donations from all around the world, has been rebuilt.  The church is a round shape with a large dome, reminiscent of St Paul’s Cathedral, and has been faithfully restored and the inside of the dome is beautifully decorated as is the rest of the Church interior.

 

From the Lady Church we walked to the R. C. Cathedral and enjoyed a performance of an orchestra, singers  and a choir, much cheaper than an opera performance which is just across the square.  After which we walked back to the boat for a talk and demonstration of wood carving, before enjoying dinner.

After dinner we were entertained by a trio from the Opera, violin, cello and flute, an enjoyable way to end the evening.