DRESDEN: HISTORY

If you haven't seen any WWII films, Dresden was completely destroyed by the Allies in 1945. Known as the jewel of Germany, it wasn't particularly significant from a military standpoint, but I believe it was targeted to pressure Germany into surrendering and to prevent leaving an undamaged Dresden for the Russians. Our guide, who grew up in the GDR (East Germany) under communism, wasn't overly critical of it but appreciates now having six parties to vote for now, compared to just one under the communists. The Russians appointed a leader in Dresden who valued its history and oversaw the reconstruction of major buildings in their original Baroque style, such as the royal palaces, the main Catholic church (Frauenkirche), Semper Opera House, and the Old Masters Picture Gallery.

Walking through Dresden, it is remarkable when you look at all these reconstructed buildings, only 50-75 years old, and yet they appear as if they were originals from 300-400 years ago. The residential areas weren't uniformly rebuilt as they were before the bombing, so you might find one side of the street with beautiful old villas and the other with stark, functional communist bloc housing. All the streets are cobblestone, and our guide gave us insights on newer versus older cobblestones based on size and material, with some from Meissen made of red granite.

August the second and his son, August the third, were the main builders of Dresden and loved all things Baroque and Rococo. They had this party palace with an amazing plaza an fountains to entertain hundreds of their nearest and dearest. It was built just for parties with Meissen porcelain service for 3000!!!

Dresden is a pleasant city, smaller and more tranquil than Prague. The people were friendly, and if it hadn't been so grey and cool, we might have enjoyed it even more. Starting our journey through Germany with a visit to Dresden was a great choice. Our guide, Sylvia, emphasized that most Germans today are not like the Nazis of the past and make a concerted effort to ensure the Jewish people who were murdered are remembered. They strive to ensure that Jewish individuals who have returned or never left feel safe living in Germany.