![Dresden city center sights](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Dresden_city_center_sights.png)
Dresden (, ;
Upper Saxon
Upper Saxon (german: Obersächsisch, ; ) is an East Central German language spoken in much of the modern German state of Saxony and in adjacent parts of southeastern Saxony-Anhalt and eastern Thuringia. As of the early 21st century, it's mostl ...
: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=
Upper Sorbian
Upper Sorbian (), occasionally referred to as "Wendish", is a minority language spoken by Sorbs in Germany in the historical province of Upper Lusatia, which is today part of Saxony. It is grouped in the West Slavic language branch, together ...
, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
and its second most populous city, after
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. It is the
12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth largest by area (after
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
,
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
and
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
), and the third most populous city in the area of former
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
, after Berlin and Leipzig. Dresden's urban area comprises the towns of
Freital
Freital is a town in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge in Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on a small river, the Weißeritz, and is southwest of Dresden.
Geography
Freital is located southwest of Dresden in the Döhlen Ba ...
,
Pirna
Pirna (; hsb, Pěrno; ) is a town in Saxony, Germany and capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 37,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as ...
,
Radebeul
Radebeul ( hsb, Radobyle) is a town (''große Kreisstadt'') in the Elbe valley in the district of Meißen (district), Meißen in Saxony, Germany, a suburb of Dresden. It is well known for its viticulture, a museum dedicated to writer Karl May ...
,
Meissen
Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...
,
Coswig,
Radeberg
Radeberg is a small town in the district of Bautzen, Saxony, Germany. It is located approximately 20 kilometres north-east of Dresden. The town has an Evangelical and a Roman Catholic church, and an old castle.
History
Radeberg was mentioned ...
and
Heidenau
Heidenau is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, 13 km southeast of Dresden (centre).
In 2015, it became known for riots by local far-right forces ...
and has around 790,000 inhabitants.
The Dresden metropolitan area has approximately 1.34 million inhabitants.
Dresden is the second largest city on the
River Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
after Hamburg. Most of the city's population lives in the
Elbe Valley, but a large, albeit very sparsely populated area of the city east of the Elbe lies in the
(the westernmost part of the
Sudetes
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
) and thus in
Lusatia
Lusatia (german: Lausitz, pl, Łużyce, hsb, Łužica, dsb, Łužyca, cs, Lužice, la, Lusatia, rarely also referred to as Sorbia) is a historical region in Central Europe, split between Germany and Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr ...
. Many boroughs west of the Elbe lie in the
foreland of the
Ore Mountains, as well as in the valleys of the rivers rising there and flowing through Dresden, the longest of which are the
Weißeritz
The Weißeritz (also: ''Vereinigte Weißeritz'' in German i.e. United Weißeritz, ''Bystrica'' in Sorbian) is a river of Saxony, Germany. It is long and a left tributary of the Elbe.
The river is formed by the confluence of the Wild Weißeritz ...
and the
Lockwitzbach
The Lockwitzbach is a river of Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Elbe, which it joins near Dresden.
See also
*List of rivers of Saxony
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List ...
. The name of the city as well as the names of most of its boroughs and rivers are of
Sorbian origin.
Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the
Electors and
Kings of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...
, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendor, and was once by
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
the family seat of
Polish monarchs
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its
baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and
rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
city centre. The controversial
American and British bombing of Dresden in World War II towards the end of the war killed approximately 25,000 people, many of whom were civilians, and destroyed the entire city centre. After the war, restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city.
Since
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
in 1990, Dresden has again become a cultural, educational and political centre of Germany. The
Dresden University of Technology
TU Dresden (for german: Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TUD and often wrongly translated as "Dresden University of Technology") is a public research university, the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, th ...
is one of the 10 largest universities in Germany and part of the
German Universities Excellence Initiative
The Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation (DFG) aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scholars at universities, to deepen cooperatio ...
. The economy of Dresden and its agglomeration is one of the most dynamic in Germany and ranks first in Saxony. It is dominated by
high-tech branches, often called "
Silicon Saxony
Silicon Saxony is a registered industry association of nearly 300 companies in the microelectronics and related sectors in Saxony, Germany, with around 40,000 employees. Many, but not all, of those firms are situated in the north of Dresden.
Wit ...
". According to the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) and
Berenberg Bank
Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG, commonly known as Berenberg Bank and also branded as simply Berenberg, is a multinational full-service investment bank based in Hamburg, Germany.
It was founded by the Flemish Berenberg family in 1590 () and ...
in 2019, Dresden had the seventh best prospects for the future of all cities in Germany.
Dresden is one of the most visited cities in Germany with 4.7 million overnight stays per year. Its most prominent building is the
Frauenkirche located at the
Neumarkt. Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed during World War II. The remaining ruins were left for 50 years as a war memorial, before being rebuilt between 1994 and 2005. Other famous landmarks include the
Zwinger
"" () is a German word for outer ward or outer bailey. It represents an open kill zone area between two defensive walls that is used for defensive purposes. s were built in the post-classical and early modern periods to improve the defence ...
, the
Semperoper
The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...
and the
Dresden Castle
Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (german: Dresdner Residenzschloss or ) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and List of rulers of Saxony, kings (1806–1918) o ...
. Furthermore, the city is home to the renowned
Dresden State Art Collections
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (, ''Dresden State Art Collections'') is a cultural institution in Dresden, Germany, owned by the State of Saxony. It is one of the most renowned and oldest museum institutions in the world, originating from the ...
, originating from the collections of the Saxon electors in the 16th century. Dresden's
Striezelmarkt
The Striezelmarkt in Dresden is one of the first genuine Christmas markets in the world. Founded as a one-day market in 1434, it celebrated its 585th anniversary in 2019. Its 240 stands attract about 3 million visitors from all over the world. ...
is one of the largest
Christmas market
A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...
s in Germany and is considered the first genuine Christmas market in the world.
Nearby sights include the National Park of
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sands ...
, the
Ore Mountains and the countryside around
Elbe Valley and
Moritzburg Castle.
History
![Cortège des Princes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Cort%C3%A8ge_des_Princes.jpg)
Although Dresden is a relatively recent city that grew from a
Slavic village after
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
came to dominate the area,
[. Retrieved 24 April 2007.] the area had been settled in the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era by
Linear Pottery culture
The Linear Pottery culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period, flourishing . Derived from the German ''Linearbandkeramik'', it is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Inci ...
tribes c.
7500 BC. Dresden's founding and early growth is associated with the
eastward expansion of Germanic peoples,
[ mining in the nearby Ore Mountains, and the establishment of the ]Margraviate of Meissen
The Margravate of Meissen (german: Markgrafschaft Meißen) was a medieval principality in the area of the modern German state of Saxony. It originally was a frontier march
In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of bor ...
. Its name etymologically derives from Old Sorbian ''Drežďany'', meaning "people of the forest", from Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the Attested language, unattested, linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately ...
''*dręzga'' ("dense forest") from ''*drězgà'' ("murky space"). Dresden later evolved into the capital of Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
.
Early history
Around the late 12th century, a Sorbian settlement called ''Drežďany''[Fritz Löffler, ''Das alte Dresden'', Leipzig 1982, p.20] (meaning either "woods" or "lowland forest-dweller") had developed on the southern bank. Another settlement existed on the northern bank, but its Slavic name is unknown. It was known as ''Antiqua Dresdin'' by 1350, and later as Altendresden, both literally "old Dresden". Dietrich, Margrave of Meissen
Theodoric I (11 March 1162 – 18 February 1221), called the Oppressed (''Dietrich der Bedrängte''), was the Margrave of Meissen from 1198 until his death. He was the second son of Otto II, Margrave of Meissen and Hedwig of Brandenburg.
Bi ...
, chose Dresden as his interim residence in 1206, as documented in a record calling the place "Civitas Dresdene".
After 1270, Dresden became the capital of the margraviate. It was given to Friedrich Clem after death of Henry the Illustrious
Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (''Heinrich der Erlauchte'') (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrav ...
in 1288. It was taken by the Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe.
Brandenburg developed out o ...
in 1316 and was restored to the Wettin dynasty after the death of Valdemar the Great
Valdemar I (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great ( da, Valdemar den Store), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zen ...
in 1319. From 1485, it was the seat of the dukes of Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, and from 1547 the electors as well.
Early-modern age
The Elector
Elector may refer to:
* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors
* Elector, a member of an electoral college
** Confederate elector, a member of ...
and ruler of Saxony Frederick Augustus I became King Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
of Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
in 1697. He gathered many of the best musicians, architects and painters from all over Europe to Dresden. His reign marked the beginning of Dresden's emergence as a leading European city for technology and art. During the reign of Kings Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...
most of the city's baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
landmarks were built. These include the Zwinger Royal Palace, the Japanese Palace, the Taschenbergpalais
Taschenbergpalais is a palace hotel owned by the Kempinski Group. It is located on Sophie Street next to the Dresden Castle and in front of the Zwinger. In direct proximity are the Semperoper, the Theaterplatz (theatre square) and the Dresden Ca ...
, the Pillnitz Castle
Pillnitz Palace (german: Schloss Pillnitz) is a restored Baroque architecture, Baroque schloss at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. ...
and the two landmark churches: the Catholic Hofkirche and the Lutheran Frauenkirche. In addition, significant art collections and museums were founded. Notable examples include the Dresden Porcelain Collection, the Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs, the Grünes Gewölbe
The Green Vault (german: Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum located in Dresden, Germany, which contains the largest treasure collection in Europe. The museum was founded in 1723 by Augustus the Strong of Poland and Saxony, and it features a variety of ...
and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon
The Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (, ''Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments'') in Dresden, Germany, is a museum of historic clocks and scientific instruments. Its holdings include terrestrial and celestial globes, astronomic ...
.
In 1726 there was a riot for two days after a Protestant clergyman was killed by a soldier who had recently converted from Catholicism. In 1745, the Treaty of Dresden
The Treaty of Dresden was signed on 25 December 1745 at the Saxon capital of Dresden between Austria, Saxony and Prussia, ending the Second Silesian War.
In the 1742 Treaty of Breslau, Maria Theresa of Austria, struggling for the succession aft ...
between Prussia, Saxony, and Austria ended the Second Silesian War
The Second Silesian War (german: Zweiter Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1744 to 1745 and confirmed Prussia's control of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The war was fough ...
. Only a few years later, Dresden suffered heavy destruction in the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
(1756–1763), following its capture by Prussian forces, its subsequent re-capture, and a failed Prussian siege in 1760. Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
completed his ''Ode to Joy
"Ode to Joy" (German language, German: , literally "To heJoy") is an ode written in the summer of 1785 by German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller and published the following year in ''Thalia (magazine), Thalia''. A slightl ...
'' (the literary base of the European anthem
"Anthem of Europe" is the anthem of both the European Union (EU) and Council of Europe. It is used to represent both the European Union and the whole of Europe; its purpose is to honour shared European values. The EU describes it as expressing ...
) in Dresden in 1785.
19th and early 20th century
In 1806, Dresden became the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...
established by Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. During the Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
the French Emperor made it a base of operations
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...
, winning there the Battle of Dresden
The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...
on 27 August 1813. As a result of the Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
, the Kingdom of Saxony became part of the German Confederation
The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...
in 1815. Following the Polish uprisings of 1831, 1848
1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...
and 1863 many Poles fled to Dresden, among others composer Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
. Dresden itself was a centre of the German Revolutions in 1848 with the May Uprising
The May Uprising ( hy, Մայիսյան ապստամբություն, translit=Mayisyan apstambutyun) was a coup d'état attempt by the Armenian Bolsheviks that started in Alexandropol (modern-day Gyumri) on May 10, 1920. It was eventually suppr ...
, which cost human lives and damaged the historic town of Dresden. The uprising forced Frederick Augustus II of Saxony
, image = Friedrich August II of Saxony.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein
, image_size = 220px
, reign = 6 June 1836 – 9 August 1854
, coronation =
, predecessor = Anthony
, ...
to flee from Dresden, but he soon after regained control over the city with the help of Prussia. In 1852, the population of Dresden grew to 100,000 inhabitants, making it one of the biggest cities within the German Confederation.
As the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony, Dresden became part of the newly founded German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in 1871. In the following years, the city became a major centre of economy, including motor car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
production, food processing, banking and the manufacture of medical equipment
A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...
. In the early 20th century, Dresden was particularly well known for its camera works and its cigarette factories. During World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the city did not suffer any war damage, but lost many of its inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1934, Dresden was the capital of the first Free State of Saxony as well as a cultural and economic centre of the Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
. The city was also a centre of European modern art
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...
until 1933.
Military history
During the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, a large military facility called Albertstadt
The Albertstadt is a neighborhood of Dresden, Germany. It was named after Albert of Saxony, who initiated the construction of this suburb. At that time it was the largest garrison in Germany.
Today, the Military History Museum of the German Feder ...
was built. It had a capacity of up to 20,000 military personnel
Military personnel are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, air force, space force, and coast guard), rank (officer, non-commissioned officer, or e ...
at the beginning of the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The garrison saw only limited use between 1918 and 1934, but was then reactivated in preparation for the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Its usefulness was limited by attacks on 13–15 February and 17 April 1945, the former of which destroyed large areas of the city. However, the garrison itself was not specifically targeted.[ including a list of all bombings on the railway network (especially towards Bohemia).] 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
The 1st Guards Tank Army () is a tank army of the Russian Ground Forces.
The army traces its heritage back to the 1st Tank Army, formed twice in July 1942 and in January 1943 and converted into the 1st Guards Tank Army in January 1944. The arm ...
in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...
after the war. Apart from the German army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
officers' school (''Offizierschule des Heeres''), there have been no more military unit
Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation' ...
s in Dresden since the army merger during German reunification, and the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1992. Nowadays, the Bundeswehr operates the Military History Museum of the Federal Republic of Germany in the former Albertstadt garrison.
Second World War
During the Nazi era from 1933 to 1945, the Jewish community of Dresden was reduced from over 6,000 (7,100 people were persecuted as Jews) to 41, mostly as a result of emigration, but later also deportation and murder. Non-Jews were also targeted, and over 1,300 people were executed by the Nazis at the Münchner Platz, a courthouse in Dresden, including labour leaders, undesirables, resistance fighters and anyone caught listening to foreign radio broadcasts. The bombing stopped prisoners who were busy digging a large hole into which an additional 4,000 prisoners were to be disposed of.
Dresden in the 20th century was a major communications hub and manufacturing centre with 127 factories and major workshops and was designated by the German military as a defensive strongpoint, with which to hinder the Soviet advance. Being the capital of the German state of Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, Dresden not only had garrisons but a whole ''military borough'', the ''Albertstadt''. This military complex, named after Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
King Albert, was not specifically targeted in the bombing of Dresden
The bombing of Dresden was a joint British and American aerial bombing attack on the city of Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony, during World War II. In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 772 heavy bombers of the Roya ...
, though it was within the expected area of destruction and was extensively damaged.
During the final months of the Second World War, Dresden harboured some 600,000 refugees, with a total population of . Dresden was attacked seven times between 1944 and 1945, and was occupied by the Red Army after the German capitulation.
The bombing of Dresden
The bombing of Dresden was a joint British and American aerial bombing attack on the city of Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony, during World War II. In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 772 heavy bombers of the Roya ...
by the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF) between 13 and 15 February 1945 was controversial. On the night of 13–14 February 1945, 773 RAF Lancaster bombers dropped 1,181.6 tons of incendiary bombs and 1,477.7 tons of high explosive bombs, targeting the rail yards at the centre of the city. The inner city of Dresden was largely destroyed. The high explosive bombs damaged buildings and exposed their wooden structures, while the incendiaries ignited them, denying their use by retreating German troops and refugees. Widely quoted Nazi propaganda reports claimed 200,000 deaths, but the German Dresden Historians' Commission
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth l ...
, made up of 13 prominent German historians, in an official 2010 report published after five years of research concluded that casualties numbered between 18,000 and 25,000.
The Allies described the operation as the legitimate bombing of a military and industrial target. Several researchers have argued that the February attacks were Proportionality (law)#International law, disproportionate. As a result of inadequate Nazi air raid measures for refugees, mostly women and children died.
American author Kurt Vonnegut's novel ''Slaughterhouse Five'' is loosely based on his first-hand experience of the raid as a POW. In remembrance of the victims, the anniversaries of the bombing of Dresden are marked with peace demonstrations, devotions and marches.
The destruction of Dresden allowed Hildebrand Gurlitt, a major Nazi museum director and art dealer, to hide Gurlitt Collection, a large collection of artwork worth tens of millions of dollars that had been stolen during the Nazi era, as he claimed it had been destroyed along with his house which was located in Dresden.
Post-war
Following his military service the German press photographer and photojournalist Richard Peter returned to Dresden and began to document the ruined city. Among his best known works ''Blick auf Dresden vom Rathausturm'' (''View of Dresden from the Rathus Tower''). It has become one of the best known photographs of a ruined post-war Germany following its appearance in 1949 in his book ''Dresden, eine Kamera klagt an'' ("Dresden, a photographic accusation", ).
When a skeleton previously used as a model for drawing art classes was found in the ruins of the Dresden Art Academy the photographer Edmund Kesting with the assistance of Peter posed it in a number of different locations to produce a series of haunting photographic images to give the impression that Death was wandering through the city in search of the dead.[ Kesting subsequently published them in the book ''Dresdner Totentanz'' (''Dresden’s Death Dance'').
The damage from the Allied air raids was so bad that following the end of the Second World War a narrow gauge light railway system was constructed to remove the debris, though being makeshift there were frequent derailments. This railway system which had seven lines, employed 5,000 staff and 40 locomotives, all of which bore women’s names. The last train remained in service until 1958, though the last official debris clearance team was only disbanded in 1977.][
Rather than repair them the German Democratic Republic (former East Germany) authorities razed the ruins of many churches, royal buildings and palaces in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Gothic Sophienkirche, the Alberttheater and the Wackerbarth-Palais as well as many historic residential buildings. The surroundings of the once lively Prager Straße resembled a wasteland before it was rebuilt in the socialist style at the beginning of the 1960s.
However compared to West Germany, the majority of historic buildings were saved. Among them were the Ständehaus (1946), the Augustusbrücke (1949), the Kreuzkirche (until 1955), the Zwinger (until 1963), the Catholic Court Church (until 1965), the Semperoper (until 1985), the Japanese Palace (until 1987) and the two largest train stations. Some of this work dragged on for decades often interrupted by the overall economic situation in the GDR. The ruins of the Frauenkirche were allowed to remain on Neumarkt as a memorial to the war.
While the Theater and Schloßplatz were rebuilt in accordance with the historical model in 1990, the Neumarkt remained completely undeveloped. On the other hand buildings of socialist classicism and spatial design and orientation according to socialist ideals (e.g. Kulturpalast) were built at the Altmarkt.
From 1955 to 1958, a large part of the art treasures looted by the Soviet Union was returned, which meant that from 1960 onwards many state art collections could be opened in reconstructed facilities or interim exhibitions. Important orchestras such as the Staatskapelle performed in alternative venues (for example in the Kulturpalast from 1969). Some cultural institutions were moved out of the city center (for example the state library in Albertstadt). The Outer Neustadt, which was almost undamaged during the war was threatened with demolition in the 1980s following years of neglect, but was preserved following public protests.
To house the homeless large prefabricated housing estates were built on previously undeveloped land In Prohlis and Gorbitz. Damaged housing in the Johannstadt and other areas in the city center were demolished and replaced with large apartment blocks. The villa districts in Blasewitz, Striesen, Kleinzschachwitz, Loschwitz and on the Weißen Hirsch were largely preserved.
Dresden became a major industrial centre in the German Democratic Republic (former East Germany) with a great deal of research infrastructure. It was the centre of Bezirk Dresden (Dresden District) between 1952 and 1990. Many of the city's important historic buildings were reconstructed, including the Semper Opera House and the Zwinger Palace, although the city leaders chose to rebuild large areas of the city in a "socialist modern" style, partly for economic reasons, but also to break away from the city's past as the royal capital of Saxony and a stronghold of the German bourgeoisie.
Until the end of the Cold War, the 1st Armored Guard Army of the Soviet Army and the 7th Panzer Division of the National People's Army were stationed in and around Dresden. Following reunification in 1989, the Soviet / Russian troops were withdrawn from Germany in the early 1990s and the NVA dissolved in accordance with the provisions of the Two-Plus-Four Treaty of 1990.
From 1985 to 1990, the future President of the Russian Federation, President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, was stationed in Dresden by the KGB, where he worked for Lazar Matveev, the senior KGB liaison officer there. 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 West Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. 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 communist 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 Strategic bombing, bombing raids of 1945, but it has undergone significant reconstruction in recent decades. Restoration of the Dresden Frauenkirche, a Lutheran church, the rebuilding of which was started after the reunification of Germany in 1994, was completed in 2005, a year before Dresden's 800th anniversary, notably by privately raised funds. The gold cross on the top of the church was funded officially by "the British people and the House of Windsor". The urban renewal process, which includes the reconstruction of the area around the Neumarkt (Dresden), 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.
Dresden remains a major cultural centre of historical memory, owing to the city's destruction in World War II. Each year on 13 February, the anniversary of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II, British and American fire-bombing raid that destroyed most of the city, tens of thousands of demonstrators gather to commemorate the event. Since reunification, the ceremony has taken on a more neutral and pacifist tone (after being used more politically during the Cold War). Beginning in 1999, right-wing Neo-Nazi White Nationalism, white nationalist groups have organised demonstrations in Dresden that have been among the largest of their type in the post-war history of Germany. Each year around the anniversary of the city's destruction, people convene in the memory of those who died in the fire-bombing.
The completion of the reconstructed Dresden Frauenkirche in 2005 marked the first step in rebuilding the Neumarkt area. The areas around the square have been divided into 8 "quarters", with each being rebuilt as a separate project, the majority of buildings to be rebuilt either to the original structure or at least with a facade similar to the original. The quarters I, II, IV, V, VI and VIII have since been completed, with quarter III and quarter VII still partly under construction in 2020.
In 2002, torrential rains caused the Elbe to flood above its normal height, i.e., even higher than the old record height from 1845, damaging many landmarks (see 2002 European floods). 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. After being placed on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city lost the title in June 2009,[Dresden loses UNESCO world heritage status](_blank)
, ''Deutsche Welle'', 25 June 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009. due to the construction of the ''Waldschlößchenbrücke'', making it only the second ever World Heritage Site to be removed from the register. UNESCO stated in 2006 that the bridge would destroy the cultural landscape. The city council's legal moves, meant to prevent the bridge from being built, failed.
Geography
Location
Dresden lies on both banks of the Elbe, mostly in the Dresden Basin, with the further reaches of the eastern Ore Mountains to the south, the steep slope of the Lusatia
Lusatia (german: Lausitz, pl, Łużyce, hsb, Łužica, dsb, Łužyca, cs, Lužice, la, Lusatia, rarely also referred to as Sorbia) is a historical region in Central Europe, split between Germany and Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr ...
n granitic crust to the north, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the east at an altitude of about . Triebenberg is the highest point in Dresden at .[Dresden.de]
Location, area, geographical data
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 on the Elbe).
The incorporation of neighbouring Types of rural communities, rural communities over the past 60 years has made Dresden the fourth largest Urban districts of Germany, urban district by area in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
.[List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants]
The nearest German cities are Chemnitz to the southwest, Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
to the northwest and Berlin to the north. Prague (Czech Republic) is about to the south and Wrocław (Poland) to the east.
Nature
Dresden is one of the greenest cities in all of Europe, with 62% of the city being green areas and forests. The Dresden Heath (''Dresdner Heide'') to the north is a forest in size. There are four nature reserves. The additional Special Conservation Areas cover . The protected gardens, parkways, parks and old graveyards host 110 natural monuments in the city. The Dresden Elbe Valley is a former world heritage site which is focused on the conservation of the cultural landscape in Dresden. One important part of that landscape is the Elbe meadows, which cross the city in a 20 kilometre swath. Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sands ...
is located south-east of the city.
Climate
Like most of eastern Germany, Dresden has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''), with significant continental influences due to its inland location. The summers are warm, averaging 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) in July. The winters are slightly colder than the German average, with a January average temperature of . The driest months are February, March and April, with precipitation of around . The wettest months are July and August, with more than per month.
The microclimate in the Elbe valley differs from that on the slopes and in the higher areas, where the Dresden district Klotzsche, at 227 metres above mean sea level, above sea level, hosts the Dresden weather station. The weather in Klotzsche is colder than in the inner city at 112 metres above mean sea level, above sea level.
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 flood plain. Two additional trenches, about 50 metres wide, have been built to keep the inner city free of water from the Elbe, 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 Urban area, city area.
The Weißeritz
The Weißeritz (also: ''Vereinigte Weißeritz'' in German i.e. United Weißeritz, ''Bystrica'' in Sorbian) is a river of Saxony, Germany. It is long and a left tributary of the Elbe.
The river is formed by the confluence of the Wild Weißeritz ...
, normally a rather small river, suddenly ran directly into the main station of Dresden during the 2002 European floods. This was largely because the river returned to its former route; it had been diverted so that a railway could run along the river bed.
Many locations and areas need to be protected by walls and sheet pilings during floods. A number of districts become waterlogged if the Elbe overflows across some of its former floodplains.[Dresden: Hochwasser in der Vergangenheit: 2002 at]
/ref>
File:Weisseritz in Löbtau zur Jahrhundertflut 2002.jpg, Floods in 2002
File:Semperoper-flood-2005-03-22.jpg, Semperoper
The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...
during 2005 floods
File:Flood dresden april2006 004.jpg, Elbe flood in April 2006
File:Elbe 030406 2.jpg, Dresden skyline in 2006
File:Elbe-Hochwasser-Dresden-Juni2013-18.jpg, 2013 European floods, Dresden under water in June 2013
City structuring
Dresden is a spacious city. Its boroughs 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 boroughs of Altstadt (Old town) and Neustadt (New town). Growing outside the Defensive wall, city walls, the historic outskirts were built in the 18th and 19th century. They were planned and constructed on the orders of the Saxon monarchs and many of them are named after Saxon sovereigns (e.g. Friedrichstadt (Dresden), Friedrichstadt and Albertstadt
The Albertstadt is a neighborhood of Dresden, Germany. It was named after Albert of Saxony, who initiated the construction of this suburb. At that time it was the largest garrison in Germany.
Today, the Military History Museum of the German Feder ...
). Dresden has been divided into ten boroughs called "Stadtbezirk" and nine former municipalities ("Ortschaften") which have been incorporated since 1990.
Demographics
The population of Dresden grew to 100,000 inhabitants in 1852, making it one of the first German cities after Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and Breslau to reach that number. The population peaked at 649,252 in 1933, and dropped to 368,519 in 1945 because of World War II, during which large residential areas of the city were destroyed. After large incorporations and city restoration, the population grew to 522,532 again between 1946 and 1983.[Dresden]
Einwohnerzahl
Since German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
, demographic development has been very unsteady. The city has struggled with migration and suburbanisation. During the 1990s the population increased to 480,000 because of several incorporations, and decreased to 452,827 in 1998. Between 2000 and 2010, the population grew quickly by more than 45,000 inhabitants (about 9.5%) due to a stabilised economy and re-urbanisation. Along with Munich and Potsdam, Dresden is one of the ten fastest-growing cities in Germany.
the population of the city of Dresden was 557,075, the population of the Dresden agglomeration was 790,400 , and the population of the Dresden metropolitan area, which includes the neighbouring districts of Meißen (district), Meißen, Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, Bautzen (district), Bautzen and Görlitz (district), Görlitz, was 1,343,305.
As of 2018 about 50.0% of the population was female. the mean age of the population was 43 years, which is the lowest among the urban districts in Saxony. there were 67,841 people with a migration background (12.1% of the population, increased from 7.2% in 2010), and about two-thirds of these, 44,665 or about 8.0% of all Dresden citizens were foreigners. This percentage increased from 4.1% in 2010.
Governance
Dresden is one of Germany's 16 political centres and the capital of Saxony. It has institutions of democratic local self-administration that are independent from the capital functions. Some local affairs of Dresden receive national attention.
Dresden hosted some international summits in recent years, such as the Petersburg Dialogue between Russia and Germany, the European Union's Interior minister, Minister of the Interior conference and the G8 labour ministers conference.
Mayor
The city council is the legislative branch of the city government. The council gives orders to the mayor (german: Bürgermeister) via resolutions and decrees, and thus also has some degree of executive power.
The first freely elected mayor after German reunification was Herbert Wagner (politician), Herbert Wagner of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who served from 1990 to 2001. The mayor was originally chosen by the city council, but since 1994 has been directly elected. Ingolf Roßberg of the Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party (FDP) served from 2001 until 2008. He was succeeded by Helma Orosz (CDU). Dirk Hilbert was elected mayor in 2015 under the banner "Independent Citizens for Dresden". He was nominated by the FDP and Free Voters, and was endorsed by the CDU and Alternative for Germany, AfD in the runoff. The most recent mayoral election was held on 12 June 2022, with a runoff held on 10 July, and the results were as follows:
! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate
! rowspan=2, Party
! colspan=2, First round
! colspan=2, Second round
, -
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Dirk Hilbert
, align=left, Independent Citizens for Dresden
, 66,165
, 32.5
, 80,483
, 45.3
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Eva Jähnigen
, align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens
, 38,473
, 18.9
, 67,947
, 38.3
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Albrecht Pallas
, align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party
, 31,068
, 15.2
, align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew''
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Maximilian Krah
, align=left, Alternative for Germany
, 28,971
, 14.2
, 21,741
, 12.2
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, André Schollbach
, align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left
, 20,898
, 10.3
, align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew''
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Marcus Fuchs
, align=left, Independent politician, Independent
, 6,856
, 3.4
, 3,549
, 2.0
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Martin Schulte-Wissermann
, align=left, Pirate Party Germany, Pirate Party
, 5,975
, 2.9
, align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew''
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Sascha Wolff
, align=left, Independent politician, Independent
, 2,695
, 1.3
, align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew''
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Jan Pöhnisch
, align=left, Die PARTEI
, 2,684
, 1.3
, 3,824
, 2.2
, -
! colspan=3, Valid votes
! 203,785
! 99.4
! 177,544
! 99.5
, -
! colspan=3, Invalid votes
! 1,145
! 0.6
! 974
! 0.5
, -
! colspan=3, Total
! 204,930
! 100.0
! 178,518
! 100.0
, -
! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout
! 432,294
! 47.4
! 431,967
! 41.3
, -
, colspan=7, Source: City of Dresden
1st round
City council
The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows:
! colspan=2, Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
, 171,630
, 20.5
, 4.8
, 15
, 4
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
, 153,022
, 18.3
, 9.3
, 13
, 8
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD)
, 143,207
, 17.2
, 10.1
, 12
, 7
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left (Die Linke)
, 135,613
, 16.2
, 4.7
, 12
, 3
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD)
, 73,627
, 8.8
, 4.0
, 6
, 3
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party (FDP)
, 62,613
, 7.5
, 2.5
, 5
, 2
, -
,
, align=left, Free Voters Dresden (WV)
, 44,725
, 5.3
, 5.2
, 4
, 4
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten)
, 20,516
, 2.4
, 0.9
, 1
, 1
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI)
, 15,268
, 1.8
, 0.9
, 1
, 1
, -
,
, align=left, Free Citizens Dresden (FBD)
, 12,652
, 1.5
, 2.3
, 1
, 1
, -
, bgcolor=,
, align=left, National Democratic Party of Germany, National Democratic Party (NPD)
, 4,744
, 0.6
, 2.2
, 0
, 2
, -
! colspan=2, Valid votes
! 288,060
! 98.7
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Invalid votes
! 3,937
! 1.3
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Total
! 291,997
! 100.0
!
! 70
! ±0
, -
! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout
! 436,179
! 66.9
! 17.9
!
!
, -
, colspan=7, Source
Wahlen in Sachsen
Public institutions
As the capital of Saxony, Dresden is home to the Landtag of Saxony, Saxon state parliament (''Landtag'') and the ministries of the Saxon Government. The controlling Constitutional Court of Saxony is in Leipzig. The highest Saxon court in civil and criminal law, is the Higher Regional Court of Dresden.
Most of the Saxon state authorities are located in Dresden. Dresden is home to the Regional Commission of the Dresden (region), Dresden Regierungsbezirk, which is a controlling authority for the Saxon Government. It has jurisdiction over eight List of rural districts of Germany, rural districts, two Urban districts of Germany, urban districts and the city of Dresden.
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 Technisches Hilfswerk, Federal Agency for Technical Relief). It hosts some divisions of the German Customs and Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt, Waterways and Shipping Office.
Dresden is 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 officer (armed forces), army officer schooling in Germany, today carried out in the Offizierschule des Heeres.
Local affairs
Local affairs in Dresden often centre around the urban planning, urban development of the city and its spaces. Architecture and the design of public space, public places is a controversial subject. Discussions about the Waldschlößchenbrücke, a bridge under construction across the Elbe, received international attention because of its position across the Dresden Elbe Valley World Heritage Site. 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. Its construction caused loss of World Heritage site status in 2009.
In 2006, the city of Dresden sold its publicly subsidized housing organization, WOBA Dresden GmbH, to the US-based private investment company Fortress Investment Group. The city received euro 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, subsidized housing market.
Dresden has been the center of groups and activities of far-right movements. Politicians and politics of Alternative for Germany (AfD) have a strong backing. Starting in October 2014, Pegida, PEGIDA, a nationalistic political movement based in Dresden has been organizing weekly demonstrations against what it perceives as the Islamization of Europe at the height of the European migrant crisis. As the number of demonstrators increased to 15,000 in December 2014, so has the international media coverage of it. However, since 2015, the number of demonstrators has decreased significantly.
In 2019, the Dresden City Council passed a policy statement against "anti-democratic, anti-pluralist, misanthropic and right-wing-extremist developments". The motion was originally put forward by the satirical political party Die Partei. Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, The Left (Germany), Die Linke, Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD and Die Partei voted in favour of the statement. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU and Alternative for Germany, AfD voted against it. Among other things, the statement calls on strengthening democracy, protecting human rights and raising spending on (political) education.
Twin towns – sister cities
Dresden and Coventry became twins after the Second World War in an act of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, reconciliation, as both had suffered near-total destruction from Strategic bombing, massive aerial bombing. Similar symbolism occurred in 1988, when Dresden twinned with the Dutch city of Rotterdam. The Coventry Blitz and Rotterdam Blitz bombardments by the German Luftwaffe are also considered to be Proportionality (law)#International law, disproportional.
Dresden has had a triangular partnership with Saint Petersburg and Hamburg
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since 1987. Dresden is Sister city, twinned with:
*Coventry, England, United Kingdom (1959)
*Saint Petersburg, Russia (1961)
*Wrocław, Poland (1963)
*Skopje, North Macedonia (1967)
*Ostrava, Czech Republic (1971)
*Brazzaville, Congo (1975)
*Florence, Italy (1978)
*Hamburg
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, Germany (1987)
*Rotterdam, Netherlands (1988)
*Strasbourg, France (1990)
*Salzburg, Austria (1991)
*Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, United States (1992)
*Hangzhou, China (2009)
Friendly cities
Dresden also has friendly relations with:
*Daejeon, South Korea
*Gmina Gostyń, Gostyń, Poland
*Shiraz, Iran
Cityscape
Architecture
Although Dresden is often said to be a Baroque architecture, Baroque city, its architecture is influenced by more than one style. Other eras of importance are the Renaissance and Historicism (art), Historicism, as well as the contemporary styles of Modernism and Postmodernism.
Dresden has some 13,000 listed cultural monuments and eight districts under general preservation orders.
Royal household
The Dresden Castle
Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (german: Dresdner Residenzschloss or ) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and List of rulers of Saxony, kings (1806–1918) o ...
was the seat of the Royal Household, royal household from 1485. 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 Classicism, Classicist styles.
The Zwinger Palace is across the road from the castle. It was built on the old stronghold of the city and was converted to a centre for the royal art collections and a place to hold festivals. Its gate by the moat is surmounted by a golden crown.
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
Pillnitz Palace (german: Schloss Pillnitz) is a restored Baroque architecture, Baroque schloss at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. ...
and other castles
Sacred buildings
The Katholische Hofkirche, Hofkirche was the church of the royal household. Augustus the Strong, who desired to be List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland, converted to Catholicism, as Polish kings had to be Catholic. 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), Wettin Dynasty is located within the church. King Augustus III of Poland is buried in the cathedral, as one of very few Polish Kings to be buried outside the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków.
In contrast to the Hofkirche, the Lutheran Frauenkirche located at the Neumarkt was built almost contemporaneously by the citizens of Dresden. The city's historic Kreuzkirche was reconsecrated in 1388.
There are also other churches in Dresden, for example the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox St. Simeon of the Wonderful Mountain Church in the Südvorstadt district.
Historicism
Historicism (art), Historicist buildings made their presence felt on the cityscape until the 1920s.
Notable examples of Renaissance Revival architecture in Dresden include the Albertinum located at Brühl's Terrace as well as the Saxon State Chancellery and the Saxon State Ministry of Finance located on the northern Elbe river banks. The Ehrlichsche Gestiftskirche, constructed in 1907, was a historicist church building that was demolished in August 1951.
The Villa Rosa (Dresden), Villa Rosa was built in 1839 and was considered one of the most important villa buildings in Dresden, due to its Renaissance Revival architecture.
Yenidze is a former cigarette factory building built in the style of a mosque between 1907 and 1909.
The most recent historicist buildings in Dresden date from the short era of Stalinist architecture in the 1950s, e.g. at the Altmarkt.
Modernism
The ''Garden City of Hellerau'', at that time a suburb of Dresden, was founded in 1909. It was Germany's first garden city movement, garden city. In 1911, Heinrich Tessenow built the Festspielhaus Hellerau, Hellerau Festspielhaus (festival theatre). Until the outbreak of World War I, Hellerau was a centre for European modernism with international standing. In 1950, Hellerau was incorporated into the city of Dresden. Today, the Hellerau reform architecture is recognized as exemplary. In the 1990s, the garden city of Hellerau became a conservation area.
The German Hygiene Museum (built 1928–1930) is a signal example of modern architecture in Dresden in the interwar period. The building is designed in an impressively monumental style, but employs plain façades and simple structures.
Important modernist buildings erected between 1945 and 1990 are the Centrum-Warenhaus (a large department store), representing the international Style (architecture), international Style, and the multi-purpose hall Kulturpalast (Dresden), Kulturpalast.
Contemporary architecture
After 1990 and German reunification, new styles emerged. Important contemporary buildings include the New Synagogue, Dresden, New Synagogue, a postmodern architecture, 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.
Daniel Libeskind and Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, Norman Foster both modified existing buildings. Foster roofed the main railway station with translucent Teflon-coated synthetics. Libeskind changed the whole structure of the Bundeswehr Military History Museum by placing a wedge through the historical arsenal building. According to Libeskind's studio, "[t]he façade’s openness and transparency is intended to contrast with the opacity and rigidity of the existing building."
Bridges
Important bridges crossing the Elbe river are the Blaues Wunder bridge and the Augustus Bridge.
Statues
Jean-Joseph Vinache's golden equestrian statue of August the Strong, the ''Goldener Reiter'' (Golden Cavalier), is 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 statue is the memorial of Martin Luther in front of the Frauenkirche.
Parks and gardens
Großer Garten is a Baroque garden in central Dresden. It includes the Dresden Zoo and the Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden Botanical Garden.
The Dresden Heath is a large forest located in the northeast of Dresden and one of the city's most important recreation areas.
The park of Pillnitz Palace is famous for its botanical treasures, including a more than 230-year-old Japanese camellia and about 400 potted plants.
Main sights
File:Dresden-Frauenkirche-night.jpg, Dresden Frauenkirche
File:Dresden-Zwinger.courtyard.07.JPG, Zwinger Palace
File:Dresden Germany Exterior-of-Semperoper-01.jpg, Semperoper
The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...
File:Dresden - Blick auf die Altstadt.jpg, Dresden New Town Hall
File:Akademie. Dresden.jpg, Dresden Academy of Fine Arts
File:Dresden Kreuzkirche 2008.jpg, Kreuzkirche, Dresden
File:Dresden Fürstenzug 065.JPG, Fürstenzug
File:Dresden-Muenzgasse1.jpg, Münzgasse at Neumarkt
File:DD-Schloss-gp.jpg, Dresden Castle
Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (german: Dresdner Residenzschloss or ) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and List of rulers of Saxony, kings (1806–1918) o ...
File:Dresden-Hofkirche.04.jpg, Katholische Hofkirche
File:Dresden-Yenidze-night.jpg, Yenidze at night
File:Dresden_Aeussere_Neustadt.jpg, Äußere Neustadt, Dresden-Neustadt
File:Pillnitz13.jpg, Pillnitz Castle
Pillnitz Palace (german: Schloss Pillnitz) is a restored Baroque architecture, Baroque schloss at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. ...
File:Hygienemuseum.jpg, German Hygiene Museum
File:Militärhistorisches_Museum_der_Bundeswehr_October_2011.jpg, Bundeswehr Military History Museum
File:Blaueswunder01.jpg, Blue Wonder
File:Nymphenbad_1.JPG, ''Nymphenbad''
File:Luftbildaufnahme des Großen Gartens in Dresden.jpg, Großer Garten
Culture
Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner had a number of their works performed for the first time in Dresden. Other artists, such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix, Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Strauss, Gottfried Semper and Gret Palucca, were also active in the city. Dresden is also home to several art collections and musical ensembles.
Entertainment
The Saxon State Opera descends from the opera company of the former electors and Kings of Saxony. Their first opera house was the Opernhaus am Taschenberg, opened in 1667. The Opernhaus am Zwinger presented opera from 1719 to 1756, when the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
began. The later Semperoper
The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...
was completely destroyed during the bombing of Dresden during the second world war. The opera's reconstruction was completed exactly 40 years later, on 13 February 1985. Its musical ensemble is the ''Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden'', founded in 1548. The Staatsschauspiel Dresden, Dresden State Theatre runs a number of smaller theatres. The Dresden State Operetta is the only independent operetta in Germany. The ''Herkuleskeule'' (Hercules club (weapon), club) is an important site in Kabarett, German-speaking political cabaret.
There are several choirs in Dresden, the best-known of which is the Dresdner Kreuzchor (Choir of Christian cross, The Holy Cross). It is a boys' choir drawn from pupils of the Kreuzschule, and was founded in the 13th century. 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.
Throughout the summer, the outdoor concert series "Zwingerkonzerte und Mehr" is held in the Zwinger (Dresden), ''Zwingerhof''. Performances include dance and music.
There are several small cinemas presenting cult films and low-budget or low-profile films chosen for their cultural value. Dresden also has a few multiplex cinemas, of which the Rundkino is the oldest.
Dresden's Striezelmarkt
The Striezelmarkt in Dresden is one of the first genuine Christmas markets in the world. Founded as a one-day market in 1434, it celebrated its 585th anniversary in 2019. Its 240 stands attract about 3 million visitors from all over the world. ...
is one of the largest Christmas market
A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...
s in Germany. Founded as a one-day market in 1434, it is considered the first genuine Christmas market in the world.
A big event each year in June is the Bunte Republik Neustadt, a culture festival lasting three days in the city district of Innere Neustadt (Dresden), Dresden-Neustadt. Bands play live concerts for free in the streets and there are refreshments and food.
Museums
Dresden hosts the ''Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden'' (Dresden State Art Collections) which, according to the institution's own statements, place it among the most important museums presently in existence. The art collections consist of twelve museums, including the ''Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister'' (Old Masters Gallery) and the ''Grünes Gewölbe
The Green Vault (german: Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum located in Dresden, Germany, which contains the largest treasure collection in Europe. The museum was founded in 1723 by Augustus the Strong of Poland and Saxony, and it features a variety of ...
'' (Green Vault) and the ''Japanese Palace'' (Japanisches Palais). Also known are ''Galerie Neue Meister'' (New Masters Gallery), ''Dresden Armory, Rüstkammer'' (Armoury) with the Dresden Armory#Turkish Chamber, Turkish Chamber, and the ''Dresden Museum of Ethnology, Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden'' (Museum of Ethnology).
Other museums and collections owned by the Free State of Saxony in Dresden are:
* The ''German Hygiene Museum, Deutsche Hygiene-Museum'', founded for mass education in hygiene, health, human biology and medicine
* The ''Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte'' (State Museum of Prehistory)
* The ''Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden'' (Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden)
* The ''Universitätssammlung Kunst + Technik'' (Collection of Art and Technology of the Dresden University of Technology)
* ''Dresden Transport Museum, Verkehrsmuseum Dresden'' (Transport Museum)
* ''Festung Dresden'' (Dresden Fortress)
* ''Panometer Dresden (Dresden Panometer)'' (Panorama museum)
The Dresden City Museum is run by the city of Dresden and focused on the city's history.
The Bundeswehr Military History Museum is placed in the former garrison in the Albertstadt.
The book museum of the Saxon State Library presents the Dresden Codex.
The Kraszewski Museum is a museum dedicated to the most prolific Poles, Polish writer Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, who lived in Dresden from 1863 to 1883.
Transport
Bus
Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe, DVB is the municipal company in charge of Transportation in Dresden, transport in the city of Dresden. DVB provides a Night service (public transport), night service named ('goodnight lines'), which operates Monday-Sunday, although the frequency of the buses is greater on Friday, Saturday and before holidays when the routes run every 30 minutes between 22:45 and 04:45. Postplatz (Dresden), Postplatz is the most important hub for night-time travel in Dresden. Most GuteNachtLinie routes meet here at the same time to allow people to switch routes.[
]
Roads
The Bundesautobahn 4 (European route E40) crosses Dresden in the northwest from west to east. The Bundesautobahn 17 leaves the A4 in a south-eastern direction. 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. The A13 and the A17 are on the European route E55. In addition, several Bundesstraßen (federal highways) run through Dresden.
Rail
There are two main inter-city transit hubs in the railway network in Dresden: Dresden Hauptbahnhof and Dresden-Neustadt railway station. The most important railway lines run to Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Chemnitz. A Regional rail, commuter train system (Dresden S-Bahn) operates on three lines alongside the long-distance routes.
Aviation
Dresden Airport is the city's international airport, located at the north-western outskirts of the city. After German reunification the airport's infrastructure has been considerably improved. In 1998, a motorway access route was opened. In March 2001, a new terminal building was opened along with the underground Dresden S-Bahn, S-Bahn station Dresden Flughafen station, Dresden Flughafen, a multi-storey car park and a new aircraft handling ramp.
Trams
Dresden has a Trams in Dresden, large tramway network operated by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe, the municipal transport company. The Transport Authority operates twelve lines on a network. Many of the new low floor, low-floor vehicles are up to 45 metres long and produced by Bombardier Transportation in Bautzen. While about 30% 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. The transparent factory is located not far from the city centre next to the city's largest park.
The districts of Loschwitz and Weisser Hirsch are connected by the Dresden Funicular Railway, which has been carrying passengers back and forth since 1895.
Economy
Until enterprises like Dresdner Bank left Dresden in the communist era to avoid nationalisation, Dresden was one of the most important German cities, an important industrial centre of the German Democratic Republic. The period of the German Democratic Republic, GDR until 1990 was characterized by low economic growth in comparison to western German cities.
In 1990 Dresden had to struggle with the economic collapse of Soviet Union, the Soviet Union and the other export markets in Eastern Europe. After reunification enterprises and production sites broke down almost completely as they entered the social market economy, facing competition from the Federal Republic of Germany. After 1990 a completely new legal system and currency system was introduced and infrastructure was largely rebuilt with funds from the Federal Republic of Germany. Dresden as a major urban centre has developed much faster and more consistently than most other regions in the former German Democratic Republic.
Between 1990 and 2010 the unemployment, unemployment rate fluctuated between 13% and 15%, but has decreased significantly ever since. In December 2019 the unemployment rate was 5.3%, the fourth lowest among the 15 largest cities of Germany (after Munich, Stuttgart and Nuremberg). In 2017, the Gross domestic product, GDP per capita of Dresden was 39,134 euros, the highest in Saxony.
Thanks to the presence of public administration centres, a high density of semi-public research institutes and an extension of publicly funded high technology sectors, the proportion of highly qualified workers Dresden is again among the highest in Germany and by European criteria.
In 2019, Dresden had the seventh-best future prospects of all cities in Germany, after being ranked fourth in 2017. According to the 2019 study by Forschungsinstitut Prognos, Dresden is one of the most dynamic regions in Germany. It ranks at number 41 of all 401 German regions and second of all regions in former East Germany (only surpassed by Jena).
Enterprises
Three major sectors dominate Dresden's economy:
Silicon Saxony
Silicon Saxony is a registered industry association of nearly 300 companies in the microelectronics and related sectors in Saxony, Germany, with around 40,000 employees. Many, but not all, of those firms are situated in the north of Dresden.
Wit ...
Saxony's semiconductor industry was built up in 1969. Major enterprises today include Advanced Micro Devices, AMD's semiconductor fabrication spin-off GlobalFoundries, Infineon Technologies, ZMDI and Toppan Photomasks. Their factories attract many suppliers of material and cleanroom technology enterprises to Dresden.
The pharmaceutical sector developed at the end of the 19th century. The 'Sächsisches Serumwerk Dresden' (Saxon Serum Plant, Dresden), owned by GlaxoSmithKline, is a global leader in vaccine production. 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, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (Elbe Aircraft Works), Siemens AG, Siemens and The Linde Group, Linde-KCA-Dresden. The tourism industry enjoys high revenue and supports many employees. There are around one hundred bigger hotels in Dresden, many of which cater in the upscale range. Dresden still has a shortage of corporate headquarters.
Media
The media in Dresden include two major newspapers of regional record: the ''Sächsische Zeitung'' (''Saxon Newspaper'', circulation around 228,000) and the ''Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten'' (''Dresden's Latest News'', circulation around 50,000). Dresden has a broadcasting centre belonging to the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. The ''Dresdner Druck- und Verlagshaus'' (Dresden printing plant and publishing house) produces part of Der Spiegel, Spiegel's print run, amongst other newspapers and magazines.
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 Dresden University of Technology
TU Dresden (for german: Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TUD and often wrongly translated as "Dresden University of Technology") is a public research university, the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, th ...
(Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TU Dresden or TUD) with more than 36,000 students (2011) was founded in 1828 and is among the oldest and largest University of Technology, Universities of Technology in Germany. 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. In 2006, the TU Dresden was successful in the German Universities Excellence Initiative
The Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation (DFG) aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scholars at universities, to deepen cooperatio ...
of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany).
* The Dresden University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden) was founded in 1992 and had about 5,300 students in 2005.
* The Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (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, Bernardo Bellotto, Carl-Gustav Carus, Caspar David Friedrich and Gerhard Richter.
* The Palucca School of Dance (Palucca Hochschule für Tanz) was founded by Gret Palucca in 1925 and is a major European school of free dance.
* The Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden, Carl Maria von Weber College of Music was founded in 1856.
Other universities include the ''Hochschule für Kirchenmusik'', a school specialising in Christian music, church music, and the ''Evangelische Hochschule für Sozialarbeit'', an education institution for social work. The ''Dresden International University'' is a private postgraduate university, founded in 2003 in cooperation with the Dresden University of Technology.
Research institutes
Dresden 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.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf is the largest complex of research facilities in Dresden, a short distance outside the urban areas. It focuses on nuclear medicine and physics. As part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Helmholtz Association it is one of the German Big Science research centres.
The Max Planck Society focuses on research, fundamental research. There are three Max Planck Institutes (MPI) in Dresden: the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids, and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems.
The Fraunhofer Society hosts institutes of applied research that also offer mission-oriented research to enterprises. With eleven institutions or parts of institutes, Dresden is the largest location of the Fraunhofer Society worldwide. The Fraunhofer Society has become an important factor in location decisions and is seen as a useful part of the "knowledge infrastructure".
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community, Leibniz Community is a union of institutes with science covering fundamental research and applied research. In Dresden there are three Leibniz Institutes. The Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research are both in the material and high tech, high-technology domain, while the Leibniz Institute for Ecological and Regional Development is focused on more fundamental research into urban planning. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf was member of the Leibniz Community until the end of 2010.
Higher secondary education
Dresden has more than 20 Gymnasium (Germany), gymnasia which prepare for a tertiary education, five of which are private. The ''Sächsisches Landesgymnasium für Musik'' with a focus on music is supported, as its name implies by the State of Saxony, rather than by the city. There are some ''Berufliche Gymnasien'' which combine vocational education and secondary education and a ''Abendgymnasium'' which prepares higher education of adults avocational.
Sport
Dresden is home to Dynamo Dresden, which had a tradition in European Cup and Champions League history, UEFA club competitions up to the early 1990s. Dynamo Dresden won eight titles in the DDR-Oberliga. Currently, the club is a member of the 3. Liga after some seasons in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
In the early 20th century, the city was represented by Dresdner SC, who were one of Germany's most successful clubs in football. Their best performances came during World War II, when they were twice German German football champions, champions, and twice DFB Pokal, Cup winners. Dresdner SC is a multisport club. While its football team plays in the sixth-tier Landesliga Sachsen, its volleyball section has a team in the women's Bundesliga (volleyball), Bundesliga. Dresden has a third association football, football team SC Borea Dresden.
Dresdner Eislöwen, ESC Dresdner Eislöwen is an ice hockey club playing in the second-tier ice hockey league DEL2.
Dresden Monarchs are an American football team in the German Football League.
The Dresden Titans are the city's top basketball team. Due to good performances, they have moved up several divisions and currently play in Germany's second division ProA. The Titans' home arena is the Margon Arena.
Since 1890, horse races have taken place and the Dresdener Rennverein 1890 e.V. are active and one of the big sporting events in Dresden.
Major sporting facilities in Dresden are the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion and the EnergieVerbund Arena for ice hockey.
Quality of life
According to the 2017 Global Least & Most Stressful Cities Ranking, Dresden was one of the least stressful cities in the world. It was ranked 15th out of 150 cities worldwide and above Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dortmund, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Berlin.
Notable people
* Georg Bartisch (c. 1535–1607), eye surgeon and author of first German-language textbook of ophthalmology
* Gerhart Baum (born 1932), politician (FDP)
* Amelie Beese (1886–1925), aviator
* Christine Bergmann (born 1939), politician (SPD)
* August Buchner (1591–1661), influential Baroque poet
* Andreas von Bülow (born 1937), politician and writer
* Thomas Fritsch (1944–2021), film, television and dubbing actor
* Siegfried Geißler (1929–2014), composer, conductor, hornist and politician
* Carle Hessay (1911–1978), Canadian painter
* Peter Hoffmann (historian), Peter Hoffmann (born 1930), historian
* Andrea Ihle (born 1953), operatic soprano
* Max Immelmann (1890–1916), World War I fighter pilot, also first pilot awarded the Pour le Mérite, known as the “Blue Max” in his honor
* Annette Jahns (1958–2020), operatic mezzo-soprano and contralto, and opera director
* Erich Kästner (1899–1974), author of books
* Christoph M. Kimmich (born 1939), German-American historian and eighth President of Brooklyn College
* Katja Kipping (born 1978), politician (The Left)
* Victor Klemperer (1881–1960), Jewish author of ''I Will Bear Witness''
* A. Lange & Söhne, Ferdinand A. Lange (1815–1875), watchmaker, founder of A. Lange & Söhne
* Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel (1809–1885), Prussian general field marshal
* Paul Miersch (1868–1956), composer
* Siarhei Mikhalok (born 1972), Belarusian rock musician and actor
* Wolfgang Mischnick (1921–2002), politician (FDP)
* August Joseph Pechwell (1757–1811), painter
* Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...
(1696–1763), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland
* Karl Reinisch (1921–2007), engineer
* Gerhard Richter (born 1932), painter
* Ludwig Richter (1803–1884), painter
* Gernot Roll (1939–2020), cinematographer, film director and script writer
* Matthias Sammer (born 1967), footballer and football coach
* Ad Santel (1887–1966), professional wrestler
* Albert of Saxony (1828–1902), King of Saxony
* Anthony of Saxony (1755–1836), King of Saxony
* Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (1750–1827), King of Saxony
* Frederick Augustus II of Saxony
, image = Friedrich August II of Saxony.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein
, image_size = 220px
, reign = 6 June 1836 – 9 August 1854
, coronation =
, predecessor = Anthony
, ...
(1797–1854), King of Saxony
* Frederick Augustus III of Saxony (1865–1932), King of Saxony
* George, King of Saxony (1832–1904), King of Saxony
* John of Saxony (1801–1873), King of Saxony
* Helmut Schön (1915–1996), football coach
* Edith Schönert-Geiß (1933–2012), numismatist
* Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
(1670–1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland
* Alexander Wolfe (wrestler), Axel Tischer (born 1986), professional wrestler
* Herbert Wehner (1906–1990), politician (SPD)
* Fritz Wiessner (1900–1988), pioneer of free climbing
*Elsa Laura Wolzogen (1876–1945), composer
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
* ''Dresden: Tuesday, 13 February 1945'' by Frederick Taylor, 2005;
* ''Dresden and the Heavy Bombers: An RAF Navigator's Perspective'' by Frank Musgrove, 2005;
* ''Return to Dresden'' by Maria Ritter, 2004;
* ''Dresden: Heute/Today'' by Dieter Zumpe, 2003;
* ''Destruction of Dresden'' by David Irving, 1972;
* ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' by Kurt Vonnegut, 1970;
* ''Disguised Visibilities: Dresden'' by Mark Jarzombek in ''Memory and Architecture'', Ed. 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;
* ''La tutela del patrimonio culturale in caso di conflitto'' by Fabio Maniscalco (editor), 2002;
Further reading
External links
Official homepage of the city
*
Official tourist office
Homepage of the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe, the public transport provider
Network maps of the public transport system
* https://web.archive.org/web/20200412221256/http://www.neumarkt-dresden.de/ Organisation for reconstruction of the Neumarkt
{{Authority control
Dresden,
Cities in Saxony
German state capitals
Populated places established in the 12th century
Holocaust locations in Germany
Populated riverside places in Germany
Populated places on the Elbe