Dresden
Coat of arms	Location
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
Admin. region	Dresden
District	Urban district
Lord Mayor	Lutz Vogel (Ind.) stand-in for Ingolf Roßberg (FDP)
Basic statistics
Area	328. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states ( ''Bundesländer'') Dresden is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, located in the south-east of the country German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis'' This is a list of urban districts in Germany. Germany is divided into 429 districts (not to be confused with the larger Regierungsbezirk) these consist The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city with special recognition In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. The Free Democratic Party ( Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP is a liberal Political party in Germany. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 8 km² (127 sq mi)
Elevation	113 m  (371 ft)
Population	508,351  (31/12/2007)[1][2][3]
- Density	1,546 /km² (4,004 /sq mi)
- Urban	695,680
- Metro	1,322,090
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	DD
Postal codes	01001–01462
Area code	0351
Website	dresden.de Coordinates: 51°2′0″N 13°44′0″E / 51.03333, 13.73333

Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Upper Sorbian: Drježdźany) is the capital city^[4] of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time German car number plates ( Kfz-Kennzeichen) show the place where the car carrying them is registered __FORCETOC__ Postal codes in Germany, Postleitzahl (plural Postleitzahlen abbreviated to PLZ consist of five digits which indicate the wider area (first two digits and the see also Telephone numbering in Germany for further codes including service numbers cell phones etc A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Free state is a term occasionally used in the official titles of some states The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area. The Saxon triangle is a Metropolitan area of Germany consisting of the cities of Chemnitz, Dresden, Halle, Leipzig A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central ^[5]

Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl The Kingdom of Saxony (Königreich Sachsen lasting between 1806 and 1918 was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic The controversial bombing of Dresden in World War II by the British Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force, plus 40 years in the Soviet bloc state of the German Democratic Republic as well as contemporary city development has changed the face of the city broadly. The Bombing of Dresden by the British Royal Air Force (RAF and United States Army Air Force (USAAF between 13 February and 15 February 1945 12 weeks During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Considerable restoration work has settled the damage.

Since German reunification in 1990, Dresden has emerged as a cultural, political, and economic centre in the eastern part of Germany. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Location 1.2 Surroundings 1.3 Nature 1.4 Climate 1.5 Flood protection 1.6 City structuring 1.7 Demography 2 History 2.1 Early history 2.2 Dresden in modern Europe 2.3 Second World War 2.4 Post-war period 2.5 Post-reunification 2.6 Military history 3 Government and politics 3.1 Municipality and city council 3.2 Local affairs 3.3 Sister cities 3.4 Coat of arms 4 Culture and architecture 4.1 Entertainment 4.2 Museums, presentations and collections 4.3 Architecture 4.3.1 Royal household 4.3.2 Sacred buildings 4.3.3 Contemporary architecture 4.3.4 Other buildings 4.3.5 Dresden-Hellerau - Germany's first garden city 4.4 Cinemas and cinematics 4.5 Sport 5 Infrastructure 5.1 Transport 5.2 Public utilities 6 Economy 6.1 Enterprises 6.1.1 Media 7 Education and science 7.1 Universities 7.2 Research institutes 8 Famous residents 9 References 10 External links 11 Further reading

Geography

Main article: Geography and urban development of Dresden

Location

Dresden lies on both banks of the river Elbe, mostly in the Dresden Elbe Valley Basin, with the further reaches of the eastern Ore Mountains to the south, the steep slope of the Lusatian granitic crust to the north, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the east at an altitude of about 113 meters. Dresden is a large city in the eastern German Free State of Saxony nearby the border to the Czech Republic at the river Elbe. Upper and Lower Lusatia Upper Lusatia ( Oberlausitz or Hornja Łužica) is today part of the German state of Saxony except for a small part east of The Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Labské pískovce Elbsandsteingebirge is a Mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany The highest point of Dresden is about 384 meters in altitude. ^[6]

With a pleasant location and a mild climate on the Elbe, as well as Baroque-style architecture and numerous world-renowned museums and art collections, Dresden has been called "Elbflorenz" (Florence of the Elbe). The incorporation of neighboring rural communities over the past 60 years has made Dresden the fourth largest urban district by area in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany ^[7]

Surroundings

The nearest German cities are Chemnitz (80 km to the southwest), Leipzig (100 km to the northwest) and Berlin (200 km to the north). Chemnitz (1953–1990 Karl-Marx-Stadt ( Sorbian:Kamjenica is a City in Eastern Germany. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The Czech capital Prague is about 150 km to the south; the Polish city of Wrocław is about 200 km to the east. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia

Greater Dresden, which includes the neighboring districts of Kamenz, Meißen, Riesa-Großenhain, Sächsische Schweiz, Weißeritzkreis and part of the district of Bautzen, has a population of around 1,250,000 . Kamenz ( Sorbian Kamjenc) was a Kreis ( District) in the north-east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Meißen is a district ( Kreis) in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Riesa-Großenhain was a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. The Sächsische Schweiz ( Saxon Switzerland) is a former district ( Kreis) in the south of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. The Weißeritzkreis is a former district ( Kreis) in the south of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Bautzen ( Upper Sorbian Wokrjes Budyšin) is a district in the Free State of Saxony in Germany including the former districts of Bischofswerda ^[8]

Nature

Dresden claims to be one of the greenest cities in Europe, with 63% of the city being green areas and forests. The Dresdner Heide to the north is a forest 50 km² in size. There are four nature reserves. The additional Special Conservation Areas cover 18 km². The protected gardens, parkways, parks and old graveyards host 110 natural monuments in the city. ^[9] The Dresden Elbe Valley is a world heritage site which is focused on the conservation of the cultural landscape in Dresden. The Dresden Elbe Valley is a World Heritage Site in Dresden, Germany. One important part of that landscape is the Elbe meadows which cross the city, 20 kilometers long.

Climate

Dresden has a cold-moderate to continental climate. The microclimate in the Elbe valley differs from that on the slopes and in the higher areas. Klotzsche, at 227 meters above sea level, hosts the Dresden weather station. The weather in Klotzsche is 1-3°C colder than in the inner city. In summer, temperatures in the city often remain at 20°C even at midnight.

The average temperature in January is −0. 7°C and in July 18. 1°C. ^[10] Summers are hotter in Dresden and winters are colder than the German average. The inner city temperature is 10. 2°C averaged over the year. The driest months are February and March, with precipitation of 40 mm. The wettest months are July and August, with 60 mm per month.

Flood protection

Because of its location on the banks of the Elbe, into which some water sources from the Ore Mountains flow, flood protection is important. Large areas are kept free of buildings to provide a floodplain. Two additional trenches about 50 meters wide have been built to keep the inner city free of water from the Elbe river by dissipating the water downstream through the inner city's gorge portion. Flood regulation systems like detention basins and water reservoirs are almost all outside the city area. A detention basin is an Stormwater management facility installed on or adjacent to tributaries of Rivers Streams Lakes or Bays that A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use

The Weißeritz, a normally rather small river suddenly ran directly into the main station of Dresden during the 2002 European floods. The Weißeritz is a river in Saxony. The 12 km short left tributary of the Elbe runs through Freital and Dresden. In August 2002 a 100-year flood caused by over a week of continuous heavy rains ravaged Europe, killing dozens dispossessing thousands and causing damage of

However, many locations and areas have to be defended by walls and sheet pilings. A number of districts become waterlogged if the Elbe river is flooding some of its old bayous. A bayou (pronounced oʊ or uː is a small slow-moving Stream or creek or a lake or pool ( bayou lake) that lies in an abandoned channel of a stream

City structuring

Dresden is a spacious city. Its districts differ in their structure and appearance. Many parts still contain an old village core, while some quarters are almost completely preserved as rural settings. Other characteristic kinds of urban areas are the historic outskirts of the city, and the former suburbs with scattered housing. During the German Democratic Republic, many apartment blocks were built. The original parts of the city are almost all in the districts of Altstadt (Old town) and Neustadt (New town). Growing outside the city walls, the historic outskirts were built in the 18th century. They were planned and constructed on the orders of the Saxon monarchs, which is why the outskirts are often named after sovereigns. From the 19th century the city grew by incorporating other districts. Dresden has been divided into ten districts called "Ortsamtsbereich" and nine former boroughs ("Ortschaften") which have been incorporated.

Demography

Dresden is a city with more than 100 000 inhabitants since 1852, being the third German city^[7] that reached the mark. The number of population peaked at 649 252 in 1933 but marked an all-time low of 450 000 after World War II when large resident areas of the city were destroyed. After large incorporations and city restoration the population grew up to 522 532 again between 1950 and 1983. ^[11]

Since German reunification demographic development is very unsteady. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany The city had to struggle with migration and suburbanization. Suburbanization (or suburbanisation) is a term used to describe the process of population movement from within towns and cities to the rural-urban fringe The number of population was raised to 480 000 by several incorporations during the 1990s after it fell to 452 827 in 1998. Between 2002 and 2007 the population grew quickly by more than 28 000 inhabitants due to a stabilized economy and reurbanization. Alongside Leipzig, Dresden is one of the ten fastest growing cities in Germany^[7] while the population of surrounding New Länder is still shrinking. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong The (five New Länder ((Fünf Neue Bundesländer is a term describing five reestablished states ( Länder) in the former German Democratic Republic (East ^[11][12]

In Dresden, about 51. 3% of the population is female. Foreigners account for about 4%^[13]. The mean age of the population is 43 years, which is the lowest among the urban districts in Saxony. ^[14]

History

Although Dresden is a younger city of Slavic origin,^[15] the area had been settled in the Neolithic era by Linear Pottery culture tribes ca. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos 7500 BC. ^[16] Dresden's founding and early growth is associated with the eastward expansion of Germanic peoples,^[15] mining in the nearby Ore Mountains, and the establishment of the Margraviate of Meissen. This article covers the medieval eastward migrations of Germans The March or Margraviate of Meissen (Mark(grafschaft Meißen was a mediæval principality a march, of the Holy Roman Empire in the area of the modern Dresden later evolved into the capital of Saxony. The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany.

Early history

Around the late 12th century, a Slavic settlement called Drežďany^[17] ("alluvial forest dwellers") had developed on the southern bank. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running Another settlement existed on the northern bank, but its Slavic name is unclear. It was known as Antiqua Dresdin verifiable since 1350 and later as Altendresden. ^[17][18] Dietrich, Margrave of Meissen, chose Dresden as his interim residence in 1206, as documented in a record calling the place "Civitas Dresdene". Dietrich I ( 11 March 1162 &ndash 18 January 1221) called the Oppressed, was the Margrave of Meissen from 1198 until his

After 1270 Dresden became the capital of the margravate. It was restored to the Wettin dynasty in about 1319. From 1485 it was the seat of the dukes of Saxony, and from 1547 the electors as well. A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl

Dresden in modern Europe

The Elector and ruler of Saxony Frederick Augustus I (1670-1733) was King August the Strong of Poland in personal union. This article lists Dukes Electors and Kings ruling over territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 9th century to the end of the Saxon Kingdom in 1918 Year 1733 ( MDCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Royal titles In Latin: Augustus Secundus Dei Gratia rex Poloniae magnus dux Lithuaniae Russie Prussiae Masoviae Samogitiae Livoniae Kijoviae Volhyniae Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland He gathered many of the best musicians ^[19], architects and painters from all over Europe to Dresden. A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e His reign marked the beginning of Dresden's emergence as a leading European city for technology and art. Dresden suffered heavy destruction in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths Friedrich Schiller wrote his Ode to Joy (the literary base of the European anthem) for the Dresden Masonic Lodge in 1785. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher " To Joy " ( An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy) is an Ode written in A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge in Books of Constitutions is the basic organisation of Freemasonry.

Between 1806 and 1918 the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony (which was a part of the German Empire from 1871). The May Uprising took place in Dresden, Germany in 1849; it was one of the last of the series of events known as the Revolutions of 1848. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Kingdom of Saxony (Königreich Sachsen lasting between 1806 and 1918 was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common During the Napoleonic Wars the French emperor made it a base of operations, winning there a famous battle on August 27, 1813. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26 - 27 August, 1813 around Dresden, Germany resulting in a French victory under Napoleon Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Dresden was a center of the German Revolutions in 1849 with the May Uprising, which cost human lives and damaged the historic town of Dresden. The May Uprising took place in Dresden, Germany in 1849; it was one of the last of the series of events known as the Revolutions of 1848.

During the 19th century the city became a major centre of economy, including motor car production, food processing, banking and the manufacture of medical equipment. The city's population quadrupled from 95,000 in 1849 to 396,000 in 1900 as a result of industrialization. Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one

In the early 20th century Dresden was particularly well-known for its camera works and its cigarette factories. Between 1918 and 1934 Dresden was capital of the first Free State of Saxony. Dresden was a center of European modern art until 1933.

Second World War

Being the capital of a state, it also had garrisons and military industry for centuries and during the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including None of all these garrisons military sites had ever been targeted on 13th February 1945 by the Allies. Dresden was attacked seven times between 1944 and 1945. It was completely captured by the Red Army after German capitulation. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya

The bombing of Dresden by the Royal Air Force and by the United States Air Force between February 13 and February 15, 1945, remains one of the more controversial Allied actions of the Western European theater of war. The Bombing of Dresden by the British Royal Air Force (RAF and United States Army Air Force (USAAF between 13 February and 15 February 1945 12 weeks Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The inner city of Dresden was completely destroyed during what later proved to be the final weeks of war in Europe. While the inhabited city center was literally wiped out, larger residential, industrial and military sites on the outskirts were relatively unscathed. Some of the Allies described the operation as the justified bombing of a military and industrial target ^[20] while others called it "Terror. " Prime Minister Winston Churchill tried to distance himself from the attack (which he had ordered himself). Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Several researchers have argued that the February attacks were disproportional^[21]. Proportionality is a principle in law which although related covers two distinct concepts According to Freeman Dyson, the Allies did not expect to create a firestorm. Freeman John Dyson FRS (born December 15, 1923) is an English-born American theoretical Physicist and Mathematician, famous for his ^[22] American novelist Kurt Vonnegut witnessed the raid as a POW; his novel Slaughterhouse 5 is based on that experience. Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance With Death (1969 by Kurt Vonnegut, is a Post-modern anti-war science-fiction novel

Post-war period

After the Second World War, Dresden became a major industrial center in the German Democratic Republic with a great deal of research infrastructure. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Many important historic buildings were rebuilt including the Semper Opera House, the Zwinger Palace and a great many other historic buildings, although the city leaders chose to reconstruct large areas of the city in a "socialist modern" style, partly for economic reasons but also in order to break away from the city's past as the royal capital of Saxony and a stronghold of the German bourgeoisie. The Semperoper is the Opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden (German Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden) and the Concert hall of the Sächsische See also Theodor Zwinger The Zwinger Palace in Dresden is a major German landmark However, some of the bombed-out ruins of churches, royal buildings and palaces, such as the Gothic Sophienkirche, the Alberttheater and the Wackerbarth-Palais were razed by the Soviet and East German authorities in the 1950s and 1960s instead of being repaired. For the Sophienkirche in Berlin see Sophienkirche (Berlin. The Sophienkirche ( Saint Sophia's Church Dresden stood on the northeast The Wackerbarth Palace, built between 1723 and 1729 under the supervision of architect J The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Compared to West Germany, the majority of historic buildings were saved.

From 1985 to 1990 the KGB stationed Vladimir Putin, the future present President of Russia, in Dresden. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia On 3 October 1989 (the so-called "battle of Dresden"), a convoy of trains carrying East German refugees from Prague passed through Dresden on its way to the Federal Republic of Germany. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Local activists and residents joined in the growing civil disobedience movement spreading across the German Democratic Republic by staging demonstrations and demanding the removal of the non-democratic government.

Post-reunification

Dresden has experienced dramatic changes since the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s. The city still bears many wounds from the bombing raids of 1945, but it has undergone significant reconstruction in recent decades. Restoration of the Dresden Frauenkirche was completed in 2005, a year before Dresden's 800th anniversary. The Dresdner Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady" is a Lutheran church in Dresden, Germany. The urban renewal process, which includes the reconstruction of the area around the Neumarkt square on which the Frauenkirche is situated, will continue for many decades, but public and government interest remains high, and there are numerous large projects underway — both historic reconstructions and modern plans — that will continue the city's recent architectural renaissance. The Neumarkt in Dresden is a central and culturally significant section of the Dresden inner city

Dresden remains a major cultural center of historical memory, owing to the city's destruction in World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Each year on 13 February, the anniversary of the British and American fire-bombing raid that destroyed most of the city, tens of thousands of demonstrators gather to commemorate the event. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed The Bombing of Dresden by the British Royal Air Force (RAF and United States Army Air Force (USAAF between 13 February and 15 February 1945 12 weeks Since reunification, the ceremony has taken on a more neutral and pacifist tone (after being used more politically in Cold War times). In recent years, however, white power skinheads have tried to use the event for their own political ends. White power skinheads are a racist, and often also anti-semitic, offshoot of the Skinhead Subculture that originated in Great Britain In 2005, Dresden was host to the largest Neo-Nazi demonstration in the post-war history of Germany. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Between five and eight thousand Neo-Nazis took part, mourning what they call the "Allied bomb-holocaust". In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as

In 2002 torrential rains caused the Elbe to flood 9 m above its normal height, i. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. e. even higher than the old record height from 1845, damaging many landmarks (See 2002 European flood). Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In August 2002 a 100-year flood caused by over a week of continuous heavy rains ravaged Europe, killing dozens dispossessing thousands and causing damage of The destruction from this "millennium flood" is no longer visible, due to the speed of reconstruction.

The United Nations cultural organization UNESCO declared the Dresden Elbe Valley to be a World Heritage Site in 2004. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The Dresden Elbe Valley is a World Heritage Site in Dresden, Germany. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[23] After being placed on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city is most likely going to lose the title in July 2007 due to the construction of the Waldschlößchenbrücke. The Waldschlösschen Bridge ( Waldschlößchenbrücke) is a planned bridge across the river Elbe in Dresden. UNESCO stated in 2006 that the bridge will destroy the cultural landscape. The city council's legal moves to prevent the bridge being built failed. ^[24]

Military history

As the capital of a German principality and kingdom, Dresden has been a military center for centuries. In connection with the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, a large military facility called Albertstadt was built. It had a capacity of up to 20,000 military personnel at the beginning of the First World War. The garrison saw only limited use between 1918 and 1934 but was then reactivated in preparation for the Second World War. It was never attacked in the bombings of Dresden.

Its usefulness was limited by attacks at 17th April 1945^[25] on the railway network (especially towards Bohemia). ^[26] Soldiers had been deployed as late as March 1945 in the Albertstadt garrison.

The Albertstadt garrison became the headquarters of the Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany after the war. The 1st Guards Tank Army was a Soviet armoured formation that fought as part of the Red Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (1949&ndash88 (ГСВГ Группа советских войск в Германии also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces Apart from the German army officers' school (Offizierschule des Heeres) there have been no more military units in Dresden since the army merger during German reunification and the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1992.

The Bundeswehr operates the Military History Museum of the Federal Republic of Germany in the former Albertstadt garrison. The Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr ( German for "Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr " together with the Luftwaffenmuseum der

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Dresden

Dresden is one of Germany's 16 political centers and the capital of Saxony. Dresden is a kreisfreie Stadt (which is usually translated as district-free city) in the district structure of Saxony. It has institutions of democratic local self-administration that are independent from the capital functions^[27]. Some local affairs of Dresden are observed nationwide.

Dresden hosted some international summits such as the Petersburg Dialogue between Russia and Germany, the European Union's Minister of the Interior conference and the G8 labor ministers conference in recent years.

Municipality and city council

The City Council defines the basic principles of the municipality by decrees and statutes. The council gives orders to the "Bürgermeister" (burgomaster) by voting for resolutions and thus has some executive power. ^[28]

Currently, there is no stable governing majority on Dresden city council.

The Supreme Burgomaster is directly elected by the citizens for a term of seven years. Burgomaster (alternatively spelled Burgo[[meister]], literally translated meaning master of the town or master of the Fortress Executive functions are normally elected indirectly in Germany. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. However, the Supreme Burgomaster shares numerous executive rights with the city council. He/She is the executive head of the municipality, and also the ceremonial representative of the city. The main departments of the municipality are managed by seven burgomasters. ^[29]

Local affairs

Local affairs in Dresden often center around the urban development of the city and its spaces. Architecture and the design of public places is a controversial subject. Discussions about the Waldschlößchenbrücke, a planned bridge across Elbe, received international attention because of its position across the Dresden Elbe Valley World Heritage Site. The Waldschlösschen Bridge ( Waldschlößchenbrücke) is a planned bridge across the river Elbe in Dresden. The Dresden Elbe Valley is a World Heritage Site in Dresden, Germany. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Opponents of the bridge are concerned that its construction would cause the loss of World Heritage site status. ^[30] The city held a public referendum in 2005 on whether to build the bridge, prior to UNESCO expressing doubts about the compatibility between bridge and heritage.

In 2006 Dresden sold its publicly subsidized housing organization, WOBA Dresden GmbH, to the US-based private investment company Fortress Investment Group. Fortress Investment Group ( is a New York NY-based asset management firm which manages Private equity, Hedge funds and Real estate and railroad The city received 987. 1 million euros and paid off its remaining loans, making it the first large city in Germany to become debt-free. Opponents of the sale were concerned about Dresden's loss of control over the subsidized housing market. Subsidised housing (aka social housing) is government supported accommodation for people with low to moderate incomes ^[31]

The construction of a new football (soccer) stadium has been in planning for several years. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The start date for upgrading the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion into a single use football (soccer) stadium with a capacity of 32,770 was November 2007. Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion is a football (soccer stadium in Dresden, Saxony, the home of Dynamo Dresden. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered ^[32]

Sister cities

Along with its twin city Coventry, Dresden was one of the first cities to twin with a foreign city. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The two cities became twins after World War II in an act of reconciliation, as both had been nearly destroyed by bombing. Dresden has twelve twin cities. ^[33]

• Coventry, United Kingdom, since 1959
• Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1961
• Wrocław, Poland, since 1963
• Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, since 1967
• Ostrava, Czech Republic, since 1971
• Brazzaville, Congo, since 1975
• Florence, Italy, since 1978
• Hamburg, Germany, since 1987
• Rotterdam, Netherlands, since 1988
• Strasbourg, France, since 1990
• Salzburg, Austria, since 1991
• Columbus, Ohio USA, since 1992

Coat of arms

Blazon: Party per pale on a golden shield showing a black lion to dexter and two black pales to sinister. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Skopje (Скопје; Shkup or Shkupi is the Capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population The Republic of Macedonia (Република Ostrava ( pronounced, Ostrau Ostrawa is the third largest city in the Czech Republic, however it is the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, ||-||} Brazzaville is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. The Republic of the Congo (République du Congo Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó) also known as Congo-Brazzaville Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Heraldry and heraldic Vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of most often a Coat of arms or Flag, which enables a person to Divisions of the field is a heraldic term referring to the pattern on a shield A shield is a protective device meant to intercept attacks The term often refers to a device that is held in the hand as opposed to Armour or a Bullet proof vest The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. A pale is a term used in heraldic Blazon and Vexillology to describe a charge on a Coat of arms (or Flag) that takes the form The lion is looking to dexter and has a red tongue. The tongue is the large bundle of Skeletal muscles on the floor of the Mouth that manipulates Food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition The city's colours are derivatively black and yellow (Or). In Heraldry, or (from the French word for gold) is the tincture of gold, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals"

Meaning: The lion represents the Margraviate of Meissen and the pales called the Landsberger Pfähle represent the March of Landsberg, both ruling the city of Dresden. The March or Margraviate of Meissen (Mark(grafschaft Meißen was a mediæval principality a march, of the Holy Roman Empire in the area of the modern Since 1309 both coats of arms in combination have been used. The pales were originally blue but converted to black to differentiate from the two other important Saxon cities of Leipzig and Chemnitz, which have very similar coats of arms.

Culture and architecture

Main article: Culture in Dresden

Dresden is seeking to regain the kind of cultural importance it held from the 19th century up until the 1920s when it was a centre of art, architecture and music. Dresden is a cultural centre in Germany having influenced the development of European culture Richard Wagner had a number of his works performed for the first time in Dresden. During that period, other famous artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix, Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Strauss, Gottfried Semper and Gret Palucca were active in the city. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner ( May 6, 1880 &ndash June 15, 1938) was a German expressionist painter and Printmaker Wilhelm Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980 was an Austrian Artist, Poet and Playwright, best known for his intense expressionistic Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted Gottfried Semper ( November 29 1803 - May 15 1879) was a German Architect, Art critic, and professor of Gret Palucca ( 8 January 1902 in Munich &ndash 22 March 1993 in Dresden) was a German Dancer and Dresden is also home to several important art collections, world-famous musical ensembles, and significant buildings from various architectural periods, many of which were rebuilt after the destruction of the Second World War. A great many visitors from around the world come to Dresden purely to visit its opera house, galleries, cultural landscape and museums. Cultural Landscapes have been defined by the World Heritage Committee as distinct geographical areas or properties uniquely "

Entertainment

The Saxon State Opera descends from the opera company of the former electors and Kings of Saxony in the Semperoper. The Semperoper is the Opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden (German Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden) and the Concert hall of the Sächsische After being completely destroyed during the bombing of Dresden during the second world war, it was rebuilt by the German Democratic Republic. Its musical ensemble is the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, founded in 1548. The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden ( Saxon State Orchestra Dresden) is an Orchestra based in Dresden, Germany founded in 1548 ^[34] The Dresden State Theatre runs a number of smaller theaters. The Dresden State Operetta is the only independent operetta in Germany. Operetta is a genre of light Opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter ^[35] The Herkuleskeule (Hercules club) is an important site in German-speaking political cabaret. Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. A club (also known as cudgel, baton, truncheon, night stick, and bludgeon) is among the simplest of all weapons Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant

There are several choirs in Dresden, the best-known of which is the Kreuzchor (Choir of The Cross). It is a boy's choir drawn from pupils of the Kreuzschule and was founded in the 13th century. ^[36] The Dresdner Kapellknaben are not related to the Staatskapelle but to the former Hofkapelle, the Catholic cathedral, since 1980. The Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra is the orchestra of the city of Dresden. The Dresdner Philharmoniker ( Dresden Philharmonic) is an Symphony orchestra based in in Dresden, Germany, in the new Dresdner Philharmonie

In summer 2006, as part of Dresden's 800th anniversary celebrations, the Pet Shop Boys performed together with the Dresdner Sinfoniker (symphony orchestra) on the pedestrian mall at Prager Straße. The capitalisation of song titles in this article is disputed The backdrop for the performance was a GDR-era concrete apartment block upon which a light show was displayed.

A big event each year in June is the Bunte Republik Neustadt. The Bunte Republik Neustadt ( german, colorful republic of Neustadt) is a 3-day musical event that occurs every year in June in Dresden 's outer

Museums, presentations and collections

Dresden hosts the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) which are, according to own statements, among the most important museums presently in existence. Schatzkammer in German translates as Treasury (Chamber/Vault. Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (English Dresden State Art Collections) is a cultural institution in Dresden, Germany owned by the State of Saxony The art collections consist of eleven museums, of which the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Grünes Gewölbe are the best known. The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (English Old Masters Picture Gallery) is an state Art museum located in the Semper wing of the Zwinger The Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault in Dresden, Germany is a museum that contains the largest collection of treasures in Europe ^[37]

Other museums and collections owned by the Free State of Saxony in Dresden are:

• The Deutsche Hygiene-Museum, founded for mass education in hygiene, health, human biology and medicine^[38]
• The Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (State Museum of Prehistory)^[39]
• The Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden (State Collection of Natural History)
• The Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden (Museum of Ethnology)
• The "Universitätssammlung Kunst + Technik" (Collection of Art and Technology of the Dresden University of Technology)
• Verkehrsmuseum Dresden (Transport Museum)

The Dresden City Museum is run by the city of Dresden and focused on the city's history. The Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr is in the former garrison in the Albertstadt. The Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr ( German for "Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr " together with the Luftwaffenmuseum der

Architecture

Although Dresden is often said to be a Baroque city, its architecture is influenced by more than one style. Other eras of importance are the Renaissance and Historism as well as the contemporary styles of Modernism and Postmodernism. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Not to be confused with Historicism. Historicism refers to artistic styles that draw their inspiration from copying historic styles or artisans Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Postmodernism literally means 'after the modernist movement' While " Modern " itself refers to something "related to the present" the movement of modernism

Dresden has some 13 000 cultural monuments enlisted and eight districts under general preservation orders defined. ^[40]

Royal household

The royal buildings are among the most impressive buildings in Dresden. The Dresden Castle was once the home of the princely and royal household since 1485. Dresden Castle (german Dresdner Residenzschloss or just Dresdner Schloss) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden and has been the residence of The wings of the building have been renewed, built upon and restored many times. Due to this integration of styles, the castle is made up of elements of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist styles. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc For the works or study of works from classical antiquity see Classics Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to ^[41]

The Zwinger Palace is across the road from the castle. See also Theodor Zwinger The Zwinger Palace in Dresden is a major German landmark It was built on the old stronghold of the city and was converted to a center for the royal art collections and a place to hold festivals. Its gate (surmounted by a golden crown) by the moat is famous. ^[42]

Other royal buildings and ensembles:

• Brühl's Terrace was a gift to Heinrich, count von Brühl and became an ensemble of buildings above the river Elbe
• Dresden Elbe Valley with the Pillnitz Castle and other castles

Sacred buildings

The Hofkirche was the church of the royal household. Brühl's Terrace ( Brühlsche Terrasse) in Dresden, Germany, north of the recently rebuilt Neumarkt Square is one of the favourite inner-city places of Heinrich count von Brühl ( August 13, 1700 &ndash October 28, 1763) German statesman at the court of Saxony, was The Dresden Elbe Valley is a World Heritage Site in Dresden, Germany. Pillnitz is a city quarter in the east of Dresden, Germany The best known sight of this quarter is the Japanese-styled Chateau. The Katholische Hofkirche is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, located in the ' Altstadt ' in the heart of Dresden, in Germany. Augustus the Strong, who desired to be King of Poland, converted to Catholicism, as the Polish kings had to be Catholic. Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca At that time Dresden was strictly Protestant. Augustus the Strong ordered the building of the Hofkirche, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, to establish a sign of Roman Catholic religious importance in Dresden. The church is the cathedral "Sanctissimae Trinitatis" since 1980. The crypt of the Wettin Dynasty is located within the church. The House of Wettin was a dynasty of German Counts Dukes prince-electors (Kurfürsten and kings that ruled the area of today's ^[43]

In contrast to the Hofkirche, the Lutheran Frauenkirche was built almost contemporaneously by the citizens of Dresden. The Dresdner Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady" is a Lutheran church in Dresden, Germany. It is said to be the greatest cupola building in Central and Northern Europe. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland The city's historic Kreuzkirche was reconsecrated in 1388. ^[44]

There are also other churches in Dresden, for example a Russian Orthodox Church in the Südvorstadt district. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

Contemporary architecture

Dresden has been an important site for the development of contemporary architecture for centuries, and this trend has continued into the 20th and 21st centuries.

Historicist buildings made their presence felt on the cityscape until the 1920s sampled by public buildings such as the Staatskanzlei or the City Hall. Not to be confused with Historicism. Historicism refers to artistic styles that draw their inspiration from copying historic styles or artisans The Sächsische Staatskanzlei (Saxon State Chancellery or Saxon State Chamber is the office of the Minister-President of Saxony. One of the youngest buildings of that era is the Hygiene Museum, which is designed in an impressively monumental style but employs plain facades and simple structures. It is often attributed, wrongly, to the Bauhaus school. ("House of Building" or "Building School" is the common term for the, a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts and was famous

Most of the present cityscape of Dresden was built up after 1945, a mix of reconstructed or repaired old buildings and new buildings in the modern and postmodern styles. Important buildings erected between 1945 and 1990 are the Centrum-Warenhaus (a large department store) representing the international style, the Kulturpalast, and a lot of smaller and two bigger complexes of Plattenbau housing, while there is also housing dating from the era of Stalinist architecture. The International style was a major Architectural style of the 1920s and 1930s Plattenbau (plural Plattenbauten is the German word for a building whose structure is constructed of large prefabricated Concrete slabs The word Stalinist architecture (also referred to as Stalin 's Empire style Stalinist Gothic, or Socialist Classicism

After 1990 and German reunification, new styles emerged. Important contemporary buildings include the New Synagogue, a postmodern building with few windows, the Transparent Factory, the Saxon State Parliament and the New Terrace, the UFA-Kristallpalast cinema by Coop Himmelb(l)au (one of the biggest buildings of Deconstructivism in Germany), and the Saxon State Library. The New Synagogue in Dresden was completed in 2001 and designed by architects Rena Wandel-Hoefer and Wolfgang Lorch Postmodern architecture was an international style whose first examples are generally cited as being from the 1950s and which continues to influence present-day Architecture Transparent Factory is the English name of an automobile production plant owned by German carmaker Volkswagen and opened in 2002. Coop Himmelb(lau (1968- is a Cooperative architectural design firm primarily located in Vienna, Austria and which now also maintains offices Deconstructivism in architecture also called deconstruction, is a development of Postmodern architecture that began in the late 1980s Daniel Libeskind and Norman Foster both modified existing buildings. Daniel Libeskind, (born May 12 1946 in Łódź, Poland) is an American Architect, Artist, and Set designer of Norman Robert Foster Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM, FRIBA, RDI, (born 1 June 1935) is a British architect whose company Foster roofed the main railway station with translucent Teflon-coated synthetics. Libeskind changed the whole structure of the Military History Museum by placing a wedge through the historicist arsenal building.

Other buildings

Other buildings include important bridges crossing the Elbe river, the Blaues Wunder bridge and the Augustusbrücke, which is on the site of the oldest bridge in Dresden. The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. Blue Wonder (Blaues Wunder is the commonly used name for the Loschwitz Bridge ( Loschwitzer Brücke) a Cantilever Truss bridge over the

There are about 300 fountains and springs, many of them in parks or squares. The wells serve only a decorative function, since there is a fresh water system in Dresden. Springs and fountains are also elements in contemporary cityspaces.

The most famous sculpture in Dresden is the golden equestrian sculpture of August the Strong called the "Goldener Reiter" (Golden Cavalier) on the Neustädter Markt square. It shows August at the beginning of the Hauptstraße (Main street) on his way to Warsaw, where he was King of Poland in personal union. Another sculpture is the memorial of Martin Luther in front of the Frauenkirche. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer

Dresden-Hellerau - Germany's first garden city

The Garden City of Hellerau, at that time a suburb of Dresden, was founded in 1909. The garden city movement is an approach to Urban planning that was founded in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom Hellerau is a district in the City of Dresden, Germany It was the first garden city in Germany In 1911 Heinrich Tessenow built the Hellerau Festspielhaus (festival theatre) and Hellerau became a centre of modernism with international standing until the outbreak of World War I. Heinrich Tessenow (April 7 1876 &ndash November 1 1950 was a German Architect, professor and Urban planner active in the Weimar era. Festspielhaus Hellerau (English Hellerau Festival House or Hellerau Theatre is a theatre/studio building/classroom building located in Hellerau, the famous garden city

In 1950 Hellerau was incorporated into the city of Dresden. Today the Hellerau reform architecture is recognised as exemplary. In the 1990s the garden city of Hellerau became a conservation area. A conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded

Cinemas and cinematics

There are several small cinemas presenting cult films and low-budget or low-profile films chosen for their cultural worth. Dresden also has a couple of multiplex cinemas, of which the Rundkino is the oldest.

Dresden has been a centre for the production of animated films and optical cinematic techniques. The Dresden Filmfest hosts a competition for short films which is among the best-endowed competitions in Europe.

Sport

Dresden is home to Dynamo Dresden which has a tradition in UEFA club competitions up to the early 1990s. Dynamo Dresden are a German football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. The history of the European Cup and Champions League is long and remarkable with fifty years of competition finding winners and losers from all parts of the continent Dynamo Dresden won eight titles in the DDR-Oberliga. Overview Following World War II, separate sports competitions emerged in the occupied eastern and western halves of Germany replacing the Gauligas Currently the club is playing in the 3rd Liga after some seasons in the Fußball-Bundesliga and 2. Fußball-Bundesliga. The Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany 's football league system. History For more details on this topic see History of German football 1974 marked the introduction of the second tier of the Bundesliga

In the early 20th century, the city was represented by Dresdner SC, who were one of Germany's most successful clubs in football. Dresdner SC is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Their best days coming during World War II, when they were twice German Champions, and twice Cup winners. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The coronation of the first Champions in imperial Germany in 1903 established the tradition of a successful footballing nation The DFB-Pokal ( Deutscher Fußball-Bund-Pokal or German Football-Federation Cup is an elimination football tournament held annually Dresdner SC is a multisport club. While its football club is classified in the Landesliga Sachsen (fifth class), it's volleyball club has a team in the women's Bundesliga. Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet

ESC Dresdner Eislöwen is a Ice hockey club which is playing in the 2nd Bundesliga again. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. Dresden Monarchs are an American football team in the German Football League.

Major sport facilities in Dresden are the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion and the Freiberger Arena (Ice hockey). Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion is a football (soccer stadium in Dresden, Saxony, the home of Dynamo Dresden. The Heinz-Steyer-Stadion is a Football and athletics Stadium in Dresden, which is currently used by the Dresdner SC.

Infrastructure

Transport

Main article: Transportation in Dresden

The Bundesautobahn 4 (European route E40) crosses Dresden in the northwest from west to east. Dresden is major German city and capital of Saxony. It is a road train and air transport hub in eastern Germany is an Autobahn that crosses Germany in a west-east direction The western segment has a length of 134 km (83 mi the part in the east is 381 km (237 mi long ||-||-||} European route E40 is the longest European route, more than 8000 km long connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany The Bundesautobahn 17 leaves the A4 in a south-eastern direction. Location The A 17 is one of three autobahns that have one of their end points at the Bundesautobahn 4 near Dresden In Dresden it begins to cross the Ore Mountains towards Prague. The Bundesautobahn 13 leaves from the three-point interchange "Dresden-Nord" and goes to Berlin. Exit list |} The A13 and the A17 are on the European route E55. The European route E55 passes through the following cities Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg Several Bundesstraße roads crossing or running through Dresden. Bundesstraßen are German and Austrian federal highways The main distinguishing characteristic between German Bundesstraßen and the world-famous

There are two main inter-city transit hubs in the railway network in Dresden: Dresden Hauptbahnhof and Dresden-Neustadt railway station. is one of two main inter-city transit hubs in the German city of Dresden. The Dresden-Neustadt railway station (Bahnhof Dresden-Neustadt is the second largest railway station in Dresden, as well as one of the largest railway stations in Saxony The most important railway lines run to Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Chemnitz. A commuter train system (Dresden S-Bahn) operates on three lines alongside the long-distance routes. The Dresden S-Bahn provides commuter train services in Dresden and the surrounding area

Dresden Airport is the international airport of Dresden, located at the north-western outskirts of the town. Dresden Airport, formerly known as Flughafen Dresden-Klotzsche in German is the international Airport of Dresden, Germany. Its infrastructure has been improved with new terminals and a motorway access route.

Dresden has a large tramway network operated by the Dresden Transport Authority. Because the geological bedrock does not allow the building of underground railways, the tramway is an important form of public transport. The Transport Authority operates twelve lines on a 200 km network. ^[45] Many of the new low-floor vehicles are up to 45 metres long and produced by Bombardier Transportation in Bautzen. Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Bombardier group Bautzen ( pronounced, until 1868: Budissin; Upper Sorbian: Budyšin; Lower Sorbian: Budyšyn) is a While many of the system's lines are on reserved track (often sown with grass to avoid noise), many tracks still run on the streets, especially in the inner city.

The CarGoTram is a tram that supplies Volkswagen's Transparent Factory, crossing the city. History The idea of building a "transparent factory" for Volkswagen automobile production in Dresden arose in 1997 Transparent Factory is the English name of an automobile production plant owned by German carmaker Volkswagen and opened in 2002. The transparent factory is located not far from the city centre next to the city's largest park. ^[46]

Public utilities

Dresden is the capital of a German Land (federal state). The Sächsische Staatskanzlei (Saxon State Chancellery or Saxon State Chamber is the office of the Minister-President of Saxony. The Chancellor's Office (Chancellery (in German Bundeskanzleramt, or more commonly Kanzleramt) is the office of the Chancellor, the head of the Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular It is home to the Landtag of Saxony^[47] and the ministries of the Saxon Government. The Landtag of Saxony is Saxony 's legislature It is based on the Constitution of the Free State of Saxony dated 1992. The controlling Constitutional Court of Saxony is in Leipzig. The highest Saxon court in civil and criminal law, the Higher Regional Court of Saxony, has its home in Dresden. ^[48]

Most of the Saxon state authorities are located in Dresden. Dresden is home to the Regional Commission of the Dresden Regierungsbezirk, which is a controlling authority for the Saxon Government. Dresden is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, located in the south-east of the country It has jurisdiction over eight rural districts, two urban districts and the city of Dresden. Germany is divided into 413 administrative districts; these consist of 301 rural districts ( Landkreise) listed fully here and 112 urban districts ( This is a list of urban districts in Germany. Germany is divided into 429 districts (not to be confused with the larger Regierungsbezirk) these consist

Like many cities in Germany, Dresden is also home to a local court, has a trade corporation and a Chamber of Industry and Trade and many subsidiaries of federal agencies (such as the Federal Labour Office or the Federal Agency for Technical Relief). The Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk ( Federal Agency for Technical Relief, THW is a Disaster relief organisation controlled by the German federal government It also hosts some subdepartments of the German Customs and the eastern Federal Waterways Directorate.

Dresden is also home to a military subdistrict command but no longer has large military units as it did in the past. Dresden is the traditional location for army officer schooling in Germany, today carried out in the Offizierschule des Heeres.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Dresden

In 1990 Dresden — an important industrial centre of the German Democratic Republic — had to struggle with the economic collapse of the Soviet Union and the other export markets in Eastern Europe. The economy of Dresden and the Dresden agglomeration is one of the most dynamic in Germany. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The German Democratic Republic had been the richest eastern bloc country but was faced with competition from the Federal Republic of Germany after reunification. After 1990 a completely new law and currency system was introduced in the wake of the collapse of the German Democratic Republic and eastern Germany's infrastructure was largely rebuilt with funds from the Federal Republic of Germany. The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, Common law and Religious law. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Dresden as a major urban centre has developed much faster and more consistently than most other regions in the former German Democratic Republic, but the city still faces many social and economic problems stemming from the collapse of the former system, including high unemployment levels.

Until famous enterprises like Dresdner Bank left Dresden in the communist era to avoid nationalisation, Dresden was one of the most important German cities. Dresdner Bank AG is one of Germany 's largest banking corporations and is based in Frankfurt. Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government The period of the GDR until 1990 was characterised by low economic growth in comparison to western German cities. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The enterprises and production sites broke down almost completely as they entered the social market economy. Since then the economy of Dresden has been recovering.

The unemployment rate fluctuates between 13% and 15% and is still relatively high. Nevertheless, Dresden has developed faster than the average for Eastern Germany and has raised its GDP per capita to 31,100 euros, equal to the GDP per capita of some poor West German communities (the average of the 50 biggest cities is around 35,000 euros). ^[49]

The economy of Dresden involves extensive public funding. Thanks to extensive public funding of technology, the proportion of highly-qualified workers is around 20%. ^[50] Dresden is ranked among the best ten cities in Germany to live in. ^[50]

Enterprises

Three major sectors can be seen as dominating the Dresden economy:

The semiconductor industry was built up in 1969. Major enterprises today are AMD, Infineon Technologies (now partly owned by Qimonda), ZMD and Toppan Photomasks. Infineon Technologies AG () was founded in April 1999 when the Semiconductor operations of parent company Siemens AG, were spun off to form a separate Qimonda AG ( (pronounced "key-MON-duh" is a Memory company split out of Infineon Technologies AG on May 1 2006 to form the second For ZMD see also Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden AG ( ZMD AG) is a fabless (since March 2007 Their factories attract many suppliers of material and cleanroom technology enterprises to Dresden.

The pharmaceutical sector came up at the end of the 19th century. The Sächsisches Serumwerk Dresden (Saxon Serum Plant, Dresden), owned by GlaxoSmithKline, is a world leader in vaccine production. GlaxoSmithKline plc () is a United Kingdom -based pharmaceutical, biological and Healthcare Company. A vaccine is a biological preparation which is used to establish or improve immunity to a particular disease Another traditional pharmaceuticals producer is Arzneimittelwerke Dresden (Pharmaceutical Works, Dresden).

A third (traditional) branch is that of mechanical and electrical engineering. Major employers are the Volkswagen Transparent Factory, EADS Elbe Flugzeugwerke (Elbe Aircraft Works), Siemens and Linde-KCA-Dresden. Transparent Factory is the English name of an automobile production plant owned by German carmaker Volkswagen and opened in 2002. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, EADS EFW (EADS Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH, literally Elbe aircraft works is a subsidiary and business unit of EADS in Dresden. The Linde Group is the international Industrial gases and Engineering company founded in 1879

Tourism is another sector of the economy enjoying high revenue and many employees. There are 87 hotels in Dresden, a noted site for heritage tourism. Cultural heritage tourism (or just heritage tourism) is a branch of Tourism oriented towards the Cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring

Media

The media in Dresden include two major newspaper: the Sächsische Zeitung (Saxonian Newspaper, circulation around 300,000) and the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten (Dresden's Latest News, circulation around 50,000). Dresden has a broadcasting centre belonging to the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk German Broadcasting ( MDR) is the public broadcaster for the German Länder (States of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt The Dresdner Druck- und Verlagshaus (Dresden printing plant and publishing house) produces part of Spiegel's print run, among other newspapers and magazines. Der Spiegel (pronounced /deːɐ ˈʃpiːɡəl/ German for "The Mirror" is a German weekly Magazine, published in Hamburg

Education and science

Universities

Dresden is home to a number of renowned universities, but among German cities it is a more recent location for academic education.

• The Technische Universität Dresden with almost 35,000 students (2004)^[51] was founded in 1828 and is among the oldest and largest Universities of Technology in Germany. The Technische Universität Dresden (usually translated from German as Dresden University of Technology and abbreviated TU Dresden or TUD "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable It is currently the university of technology in Germany with the largest number of students but also has many courses in social studies, economics and other non-technical sciences. It offers 126 courses.

• The Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft was founded in 1992 and had about 5,300 students in 2005. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[52]

• The Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden was founded in 1764 and is known for its former professors and artists such as George Grosz, Sascha Schneider, Otto Dix, Oskar Kokoschka, Canaletto, Carl-Gustav Carus, Caspar David Friedrich and Gerhard Richter. The Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden (usually translated from German as Dresden University of Visual Arts and abbreviated HfBK Dresden or simply Year 1764 ( MDCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a George Grosz ( July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his savagely caricatural drawings Wilhelm Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980 was an Austrian Artist, Poet and Playwright, best known for his intense expressionistic Bernardo Bellotto (30 January 1720 &ndash 17 October 1780 was an Italian urban landscape painter or vedutista, and Printmaker in Caspar David Friedrich ( September 5, 1774 &ndash May 7, 1840) was a landscape painter of the nineteenth-century German Romantic Gerhard Richter (born February 9, 1932) is a German Artist

• The Palucca School of Dance was founded by Gret Palucca in 1925 and is a major European school of free dance. Gret Palucca ( 8 January 1902 in Munich &ndash 22 March 1993 in Dresden) was a German Dancer and Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Free dance is a 20th century dance form that preceded Modern dance.

• The Carl Maria von Weber University of Music was founded in 1856. Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber ( 18 December 1786 in Eutin, Holstein, Germany - 5 June 1826 in London Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Other universities include the "Hochschule für Kirchenmusik", a school specialising in church music, the "Evangelische Hochschule für Sozialarbeit", an education institution for social work. The "Dresden International University" is a private postgraduate university, founded a few years ago in cooperation with the Dresden University of Technology.

Research institutes

Dresden also hosts many research institutes, some of which have gained an international standing. The domains of most importance are micro- and nanoelectronics, transport and infrastructure systems, material and photonic technology, and bio-engineering. The institutes are well connected among one other as well as with the academic education institutions.

The Max Planck Society focuses on fundamental research. The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e In Dresden there are three Max Planck Institutes (MPI); the "MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics", the "MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids" and the "MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems"

The Fraunhofer Society hosts institutes of applied research that also offer mission-oriented research to enterprises. The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG is a Biology research institute located in Dresden, east Germany. The Fraunhofer Society (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a German research organization with 58 institutes spread throughout Germany each focusing on different fields of applied With eleven institutions or parts of institutes, Dresden is the largest location of the Fraunhofer Society worldwide. ^[53] The Fraunhofer Society has become an important factor in locatino decisions and is seen as a useful part of the "knowledge infrastructure".

The Leibniz-Gemeinschaft operates a research centre in Rossendorf, which is the largest complex of research facilities in Dresden, a short distance outside the urban areas. The Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (complete title Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. It still focuses on nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine is a branch of Medicine and Medical imaging that uses the nuclear properties of matter in diagnosis and therapy The "Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research" and the "Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research" are in the material and high-technology domain, while the "Leibniz Institute for Ecological and Regional Development" is focused on more fundamental research into urban planning.

Famous residents

• Sandra Kiriasis, bobsledder

References

External links

History

• Article: "Dresden in the time of Zelenka and Hasse" by Brian Robins
• City views of Dresden in the Baroque Era by Bernardo Bellotto

Important institutions

• Official homepage of the city

Tourism and business

• Dresden travel guide from Wikitravel
• Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt
• Congress Dresden
• Official incoming service

Further reading

• Dresden: Tuesday, 13 February 1945 by Frederick Taylor, 2005; ISBN 0-7475-7084-1
• Dresden and the Heavy Bombers: An RAF Navigator's Perspective by Frank Musgrove, 2005; ISBN 1-84415-194-8
• Return to Dresden by Maria Ritter, 2004; ISBN 1-57806-596-8
• Dresden: Heute/Today by Dieter Zumpe, 2003; ISBN 3-7913-2860-3
• Destruction of Dresden by David Irving, 1972; ISBN 0-345-23032-9
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, 1970; ISBN 0-586-03328-9
• "Disguised Visibilities: Dresden/"Dresden" by Mark Jarzombek in Memory and Architecture, Ed. The Technische Universität Dresden (usually translated from German as Dresden University of Technology and abbreviated TU Dresden or TUD The Fraunhofer Society (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a German research organization with 58 institutes spread throughout Germany each focusing on different fields of applied Brian Robins was born in Cheltenham England but spent most of his early life in Bournemouth Bernardo Bellotto (30 January 1720 &ndash 17 October 1780 was an Italian urban landscape painter or vedutista, and Printmaker in Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance With Death (1969 by Kurt Vonnegut, is a Post-modern anti-war science-fiction novel Mark Jarzombek (born 1954 is a US -born architectural historian author and critic By Eleni Bastea, (University of Mexico Press, 2004).
• Preserve and Rebuild: Dresden during the Transformations of 1989-1990. Architecture, Citizens Initiatives and Local Identities by Victoria Knebel, 2007; ISBN 978-3-631-55954-3
• La tutela del patrimonio culturale in caso di conflitto Fabio Maniscalco (editor), 2002; ISBN 88-87835-18-7

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