Before World War II, Dresden was called 'the Florence on the Elbe' and was considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities due to its architecture and art treasures. Brimming with museums, historical relics and world-famous buildings like the Zwinger palace and the Semperoper. During the war, however, Dresden was almost completely destroyed by massive bombing raids that took place on the night of February 13–14, 1945. The city was so badly damaged that it was suggested that the best approach might be to level the site, however after the war a compromise was reached to rebuild the Zwinger, the Saxon Royal Palace, and the Baroque buildings around the palace thus creating a new city in the area outside, with the aim of preserving the character of the old city.
The heart of Dresden is still a cluster of Baroque churches including the Rococo-style Zwinger on the south bank of the Elbe, in the old city. The iconic Frauenkirche, built in 1726–43 and Germany’s largest Protestant church, was destroyed, however the ruins were kept as a memorial until the 1990s, when reconstruction began. In 2004 it was topped with a cross built by a British silversmith who was a son of one of the pilots who had dropped bombs on the city. Work was completed in 2005, and the Frauenkirche was subsequently opened to the public. Other historic buildings have also either been restored or reconstructed, including the Taschenbergpalais, which was been rebuilt as a hotel, and where we stayed during our glorious time in Dresden.
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