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95-638: The Wackerbarth Palace , also known as the Dresdener Ritterakademie (German for "Knight's Academy of Dresden"), was a palace in Dresden , Germany , built between 1723 and 1729, under the supervision of architect Johann Christoph Knöffel (1686-1752). It was one of the several Baroque palaces in Dresden which were destroyed during the allied bombing raids on February 13, 1945. It was named for Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth (1662-1734),

190-606: A Saxon minister and Field Marshal. The palace was situated in the city, north of the Elbe river, at the former Beaumontplatz near Neustädter Markt . Badly damaged during the Allied bombing raids, parts of it were still standing after the war. Reconstruction would have been possible, but it was demolished by the government of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1963. Presently there are no plans for

285-512: A foreign ruler than a local one. Despite the advantages, such as additional dynastic inheritance claims and greater weight in peace negotiations, Saxony was not satisfied with winning the Polish royal crown. Instead, Poland's potential should be made financially and militarily available to the court in Dresden . This was contradicted by the limited powers that a Polish elective king possessed. The Electorate of Saxony could only hope to benefit from

380-778: A large hole into which an additional 4,000 prisoners were to be disposed of. During the war, Dresden was the location of several forced labour subcamps of the Stalag IV-A prisoner-of-war camp for Allied POWs, and seven subcamps of the Flossenbürg concentration camp , in which some 3,600 men, women and children were imprisoned, mostly Polish , Jewish and Russian. In April 1945, most surviving prisoners were sent on death marches to various destinations in Saxony and German-occupied Czechoslovakia , whereas some women were probably murdered and some managed to escape. Dresden in

475-542: A major Nazi museum director and art dealer, to hide 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. The Allies described the operation as the legitimate bombing of a military and industrial target. Several researchers have argued that the February attacks were disproportionate . As

570-522: 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 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

665-574: A question of prestige of the first order for Elector Frederick Augustus I. Because only with a royal crown could a German prince be accepted by the European powers as an equal. The Saxon ambassador in Warsaw, Jacob Heinrich von Flemming , had previously succeeded in completely fragmenting the competition by fielding ever new applicants. The efforts of Pope Innocent XI's nephew, Prince Livio Odescalchi , Duke of Bracciano and Ceri, James Louis Sobieski ,

760-702: A reconstruction project. However, a medallion with the image of Saxon King August the Strong , part of the facade ornaments made by famous baroque sculptor Benjamin Thomae , was saved and is now part of the Johanneum . On the other hand, other palaces in Dresden, such as the Zwinger , Japanisches Palais , Residenzschloss , Taschenbergpalais , Palais Cosel and the Kurländer Palace , all heavily damaged by

855-629: A record calling the place "Civitas Dresdene". After 1270, Dresden became the capital of the margraviate. It was given to Friedrich Clem after the death of Henry the Illustrious in 1288. It was taken by the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1316 and was restored to the Wettin dynasty after the death of Valdemar the Great in 1319. From 1485, it was the seat of the dukes of Saxony , and from 1547

950-414: 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 prisoner of war . In remembrance of the victims, the anniversaries of the bombing of Dresden are marked with peace demonstrations, devotions and marches. Following his military service

1045-471: 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

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1140-528: A symbol of the late Sarmatian aristocratic culture with its lavish celebrations and the lack of sense of responsibility among the majority of the magnates towards their own state. The names of the Saxon Garden and Saxon Palace in Warsaw refer to the period. Due to the weakening of the Rzeczpospolita , the partitions of Poland occurred a few decades later. In Saxony, however, people speak of

1235-920: A wasteland before it was rebuilt in the socialist style at the beginning of the 1960s. However, the majority of historic buildings were saved or reconstructed. 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

1330-547: Is a relatively recent city that grew from a Slavic village after Germans came to dominate the area, the area had been settled in the Neolithic era by Linear Pottery culture 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 . Its name comes from Sorbian Drježdźany (current Upper Sorbian form), meaning "people of

1425-532: Is about 150 kilometres (93 miles) to the south and Wrocław (Poland) 200 kilometres (120 miles) to the east. 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 50 km (19 sq mi) in size. There are four nature reserves . The additional Special Conservation Areas cover 18 km (6.9 sq mi). The protected gardens, parkways, parks and old graveyards host 110 natural monuments in

1520-595: Is dominated by high-tech branches , often called " Silicon Saxony ". According to the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) and Berenberg Bank 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

1615-837: Is the second largest city on the River Elbe 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 West Lusatian Hill Country and Uplands (the westernmost part of the Sudetes ) and thus in Lusatia . Many boroughs west of the Elbe lie in the Ore Mountain Foreland , as well as in the valleys of

1710-467: The Cold War ). Beginning in 1999, right-wing Neo-Nazi 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

1805-497: The Elbe to flood 9 metres (30 ft) 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

1900-741: The Elbe , mostly in the Dresden Basin , with the further reaches of the eastern Ore Mountains to the south, the steep slope of the Lusatian granitic crust to the north, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the east at an altitude of about 113 metres (371 feet). Triebenberg is the highest point in Dresden at 384 metres (1,260 feet). 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

1995-756: The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany after the war. Apart from the German army officers' school ( Offizierschule des Heeres ), there have been no more military units in Dresden since the army merger during German reunification, and the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1992. Nowadays, the Bundeswehr operates the Military History Museum of the Federal Republic of Germany in the former Albertstadt garrison. Two book burnings were organised in

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2090-611: The Grünes Gewölbe and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon . Strengthening ties with Poland, postal routes to Poznań , Toruń and Warsaw were established under Augustus II the Strong. 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 between Prussia, Saxony, and Austria ended

2185-581: 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 , the Semperoper and Dresden Castle . Furthermore, the city is home to the renowned Dresden State Art Collections , originating from the collections of the Saxon electors in

2280-630: The Notatki Drezdeńskie Polish newspaper in Dresden. During the Polish uprisings against Russian, Prussian and Austrian rule between 1830 and 1863, prayers were publicly held in Dresden for a Polish victory. The Polish communities of Dresden and Leipzig remained active until the 1930s. Polish-language church services in Dresden were cancelled only in 1932. During the German invasion of Poland , which started World War II in September 1939,

2375-532: The Polish nobility and to Polish church dignitaries (around 39 million Reichstaler during Augustus II's reign). King Augustus II even sold some not insignificant Saxon lands and rights for this purpose. In Poland, this period, in which the Wettin dynasty ruled for 66 years, is also known as the Saxon period. The majority sees this time as negative for Poles. The decadent mood of that time was remembered, which became

2470-671: The Second Silesian War . Only a few years later, Dresden suffered heavy destruction in the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), following its capture by Prussian forces, its subsequent re-capture, and a failed Prussian siege in 1760. Friedrich Schiller completed his Ode to Joy (the literary base of the European anthem ) in Dresden in 1785. In 1793, preparations for the Polish Kościuszko Uprising started in

2565-653: 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 Guards Tank Army of the Soviet Army and the 7th Panzer Division of

2660-586: The Silent Sejm in 1717. In return, the Saxon army had to leave the country. After 1716, there were signs of a certain stabilization of Augustus II's government in Poland, which made some reforms possible - but there was no prospect of reforms in the spirit of absolutism. Several Imperial Diets collapsed, and King Augustus II tried unsuccessfully to secure the succession of the Electoral Prince as

2755-515: The University of Leipzig , and Polish students inspired the activities of their Sorbian counterparts. Numerous landmarks in Saxony, including the Zwinger , Dresden Cathedral , Japanisches Palais , Moritzburg Castle and Königstein Fortress are decorated with reliefs containing the coat of arms of Poland-Saxony. A distinct remnant of the union are the 18th-century mileposts decorated with

2850-428: The electors as well. The Elector and ruler of Saxony Frederick Augustus I became King Augustus II the Strong of Poland 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 most of

2945-615: The estates over the monarch . The Electorate of Saxony had highly developed manufacturing and crafts. Due to its coherent territory, it was considered a powerful state structure inside the Holy Roman Empire . Saxony was still superior to Brandenburg-Prussia in terms of internal development at the end of the 17th century, but had to cede the Protestant leadership role in the Holy Roman Empire to Brandenburg in

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3040-1203: The 16th century. Dresden's Striezelmarkt is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany and is considered the first genuine Christmas market in the world. Nearby sights include the National Park of Saxon Switzerland , the Ore Mountains and the countryside around Elbe Valley , Moritzburg Castle and Meissen , home of Meissen porcelain . [REDACTED] Margravate of Meissen , 1319–1423 [REDACTED] Electorate of Saxony , 1423–1806 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Saxony , 1806–1848 [REDACTED] German Empire , 1848–1849 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Saxony , 1849–1918 [REDACTED] North German Confederation ( Kingdom of Saxony ), 1867–1871 [REDACTED] German Empire ( Kingdom of Saxony ), 1867–1918 [REDACTED] Weimar Republic ( Free State of Saxony ), 1918–1933 [REDACTED] Nazi Germany , 1933–1945 [REDACTED] Soviet occupation zone of Germany , 1945–1949 [REDACTED] East Germany , 1949–1990 [REDACTED]   Germany ( Free State of Saxony ), 1990–present Although Dresden

3135-525: 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 , Dresden not only had garrisons but a whole military borough , the Albertstadt . This military complex, named after Saxon King Albert,

3230-649: 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

3325-631: The Augustan age. At this time, Saxony was one of the more important powers in Europe. The Dresden Baroque reached its peak in the residential city of Dresden, and the Dresden art collections achieved European-wide importance. The end of the Augustan Age is considered to be the conclusion of the Treaty of Dresden in 1745 or the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, which almost coincided with

3420-468: The Elbe). The incorporation of neighbouring rural communities over the past 60 years has made Dresden the fourth largest urban district by area in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne . The nearest German cities are Chemnitz 62 kilometres (39 miles) to the southwest, Leipzig 100 kilometres (62 miles) to the northwest and Berlin 165 kilometres (103 miles) to the north. Prague (Czech Republic)

3515-505: The German average, with a January average temperature of 0.1 °C (32.18 °F). The driest months are February, March and April, with precipitation of around 40 mm (1.6 in). The wettest months are July and August, with more than 80 mm (3.1 in) per month. Personal union of Poland and Saxony This period was the first since Bolesław I the Brave that Poland and Meissen/ Saxony were politically connected. Due to

3610-526: 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 Rathaus 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", ISBN   3-930195-03-8 ). When

3705-610: The Kingdom of Prussia and some cabinet ministers, became a theater of war and suffered. When the Seven Years' War ended with the Peace of Hubertusburg in 1763, the Electorate of Saxony, which had previously been quite prosperous, was ruined. Saxony also had no influence whatsoever on the awarding of the Polish crown: Poland-Lithuania had come under Russian hegemony more than ever; as successor to Augustus III. Stanisław August Poniatowski

3800-415: 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 Russia, Vladimir Putin , was stationed in Dresden by the KGB , where he worked for Lazar Matveev ,

3895-406: The Polish Crown Army. Polish fortresses had been occupied and arrests made as early as 1713. Since this would have been a first step towards the establishment of an absolutist hereditary monarchy in Poland, it provoked the uprising of the Tarnogród Confederacy in 1715/16, led by Stanisław Ledóchowski and Jan Klemens Branicki , which put Augustus at risk of his throne. It was mainly a revolt of

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3990-442: The Polish crown. In 1793, preparations for the Polish Kościuszko Uprising were initiated by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Dresden in response to the Second Partition of Poland . Through Napoleon and the Confederation of the Rhine , the Saxon Electorate became a kingdom in 1806, and in 1807 Frederick Augustus I was also named Duke of Warsaw . The constitution dictated by Napoleon for the Duchy of Warsaw linked it hereditarily to

4085-411: The Polish royal title in the Treaty of Altranstädt in 1706 and recognize Stanislaus I Leszczyński , who was supported by Sweden, on the throne. After the Swedish defeat in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the Saxon Elector was able to regain the throne. After regaining the royal crown, King Augustus II sought to overthrow the Sejm in a coup. His representatives called for the Saxon army to be merged with

4180-412: The Polish uprisings of 1831 , 1848 and 1863 many Poles fled to Dresden, including the artistic and political elite, such as composer Frédéric Chopin , war hero Józef Bem and writer Adam Mickiewicz . Mickiewicz wrote one of his greatest works, Dziady , Part III , there. Dresden itself was a centre of the German Revolutions in 1848–1849 with the May Uprising , which cost human lives and damaged

4275-412: The Prussian (customs) policy of the time. But it was the Seven Years' War that brought Saxony's collapse in 1756. The Saxon army, which was too small, surrendered without a fight at Lilienstein under Count Rutowski , King Augustus III. and his court moved to Warsaw, where they remained in relative political powerlessness until the end of the war. The Electorate of Saxony, now provisionally administered by

4370-617: The Saxon royal family, but ended along with Napoleon's power in 1815. After the failed November Uprising in 1830, many Polish refugees and emigrants came to Saxony, whose graves can still be found, for example, in the Old Catholic Cemetery in Dresden , founded by Augustus II the Strong. Saxony willingly accepted the refugees. Polish refugees included the artistic and political elite, such as composer Frédéric Chopin , war hero Józef Bem and writer Adam Mickiewicz . Mickiewicz wrote one of his greatest works, Dziady , Part III , there. Poet and activist Wawrzyniec Benzelstjerna Engeström founded

4465-429: The Strong. In addition to the lengthy and frustrating reform work in Poland, the permanent securing of Wettin rule in Poland played an important role in the politics of Augustus II. A first step in this direction was taken in 1733 when Elector Frederick Augustus II , the son of Augustus II, with the support of Austria and Russia and the usual bribes against the candidate of Sweden and France, Stanisław Leszczyński ,

4560-420: The additional reputation that the Polish crown brought. The economy, administration and army stagnated due to the additional burdens caused by the enormous additional expenditure on art and representation. There was a lack of a consistent economic policy towards manufacturers in Saxony. Regional planning and improvement of agriculture were also neglected in Saxony. Saxony also lagged behind the neighboring powers in

4655-401: The allied raids, were reconstructed. Dresden Dresden ( / ˈ d r ɛ z d ən / , German: [ˈdʁeːsdn̩] ; Upper Saxon : Dräsdn ; Upper Sorbian : Drježdźany , pronounced [ˈdʁʲɛʒdʒanɨ] ) 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,

4750-488: The aristocratic republic, which was constantly in internal blockage and power struggles, lacked the will and coherence to make something of it. A central economic and financial policy could not be implemented in Poland, a large part of the taxes (up to 20%) were stuck in the collection system and mercantilist thinking was limited to the self-interest of the magnate families. Permanent postal routes from Dresden to Poznań , Toruń and Warsaw were established under Augustus II

4845-570: The bombing saved their lives. The Semper Synagogue was destroyed in November 1938 on Kristallnacht . During the German invasion of Poland at the start of World War II , in September 1939, the Gestapo carried out mass arrests of local Polish activists. Other 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

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4940-462: The book Dresdner Totentanz ( Dresden's Death Dance ). The damage from the Allied air raids was so extensive 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

5035-435: The city by Tadeusz Kościuszko in response to the Second Partition of Poland . In 1806, Dresden became the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony established by Napoleon . During the Napoleonic Wars the French Emperor made it a base of operations , winning there the Battle of Dresden on 27 August 1813. As a result of the Congress of Vienna , the Kingdom of Saxony became part of the German Confederation in 1815. Following

5130-422: 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

5225-458: 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 of 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

5320-446: The city in 1933, one by the SA on Wettiner Platz, the second one by German Student Union at the Bismarck Column on Räcknitzhöhe. 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. One of the survivors was Victor Klemperer with his non-Jewish wife, who believed that

5415-425: The city's baroque landmarks were built. These include the Zwinger Royal Palace , the Japanese Palace , the Taschenbergpalais , the Pillnitz Castle 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 ,

5510-584: 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 is located south-east of the city. 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

5605-423: The coats of arms of Poland and Saxony and Polish royal cyphers , located in various towns in present-day eastern Germany and south-western Poland. The Constitution of 3 May 1791 , passed by the Sejm as a result of the First Partition of Poland , stipulated that the respective “ruling Elector of Saxony should rule as king in Poland”. Elector Frederick Augustus III, however, due to the political situation, renounced

5700-413: The connection with Poland if it managed to acquire a land bridge between the two countries. This hope was dashed with the Prussian annexation of Silesia after 1740. As long as communication, goods traffic and troop movements depended on the good will of Habsburg or Brandenburg-Prussia, Saxony-Poland could not be considered a great power. The idea of a real union between these opposing territories as such

5795-468: The death of King Augustus II and thus the end of the Saxon-Polish personal union. The union resulted in increased contacts between Poles and Sorbs , coincidentally at a time when the Sorbian national revival began and resistance to Germanization emerged. Polish dignitaries traveled through Lusatia on their way between Dresden and Warsaw, encountering Sorbs, and some Polish nobles owned estates in Lusatia. Polish and Sorbian students established contacts at

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5890-401: The empire. Another important motif were the question of rank and prestige, which at that time indicated the position of power and therefore had immediate political significance. All princes of this time followed the French model of Louis XIV , such as elaborate courtly ceremonies, lavish banquets with opera performances and ballets. The acquisition of the Polish royal crown therefore represented

5985-422: The exhausting Second Northern War , the Commonwealth was a country without state administrative bodies, with an underdeveloped economy, insufficient tax revenues and an army that was neither qualitatively nor numerically ready for the requirements of the time. Poland-Lithuania had a wealth of raw materials and was therefore interesting for commercial Saxony. In Poland, Polish officials, the Polish Crown Army and

6080-458: The first step in rebuilding the Neumarkt area. The areas around the square were divided into eight "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; quarters III and quarter VII were still partly under construction in 2020. In 2002, torrential rains caused

6175-423: The following decades. One driving force behind the attainment of royal dignity was the desire for political sovereignty, which Elector Frederick Augustus I promised to give further weight in foreign policy. The long-lasting and consolidated dominance of the Habsburg dynasty in the empire encouraged the elector to avoid the threat of a loss of rank and power by increasing his rank in an area that did not belong to

6270-404: The following years, the city became a major centre of economy, including motor car production, food processing, banking and the manufacture of medical equipment . In the early 20th century, Dresden was particularly well known for its camera works and its cigarette factories. During World War I , the city did not suffer any war damage, but lost many of its inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1934, Dresden

6365-562: The forest", from Proto-Slavic *dręzga ("woods, blowdowns"). Dresden later evolved into the capital of Saxony . Around the late 12th century, a Sorbian settlement called Drežďany (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 , chose Dresden as his interim residence in 1206, as documented in

6460-412: The fourth largest by area (after Berlin , Hamburg , and Cologne ), and the third most populous city in the area of former East Germany , after Berlin and Leipzig. Dresden's urban area comprises the towns of Freital , Pirna , Radebeul , Meissen , Coswig , Radeberg and Heidenau and has around 790,000 inhabitants. The Dresden metropolitan area has approximately 1.34 million inhabitants. Dresden

6555-399: The further development of its military. With Augustus' conversion to Catholicism , Saxony lost its leading role among the Protestant imperial estates to Brandenburg-Prussia. However, Augustus renounced the use of the instrument cuius regio, eius religio , which would have enabled him to re-catholize Saxony or at least emancipate the Catholic religion. He instead assured his Saxon subjects in

6650-427: The historic inner city. Since German reunification in 1990, Dresden has once again become a cultural, educational and political centre of Germany. The Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) is one of the 10 largest universities in Germany and part of the German Universities Excellence Initiative . The economy of Dresden and its agglomeration is one of the most dynamic in Germany and ranks first in Saxony. It

6745-426: The historic town of Dresden. The uprising forced Frederick Augustus II of Saxony 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 in 1871. In

6840-631: The last official debris clearance team was only disbanded in 1977. Rather than repair them, German Democratic Republic (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

6935-552: The list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city lost the title in 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. Dresden lies on both banks of

7030-607: The next Polish king. At least Poland recovered economically from the effects of the Great Northern War in the 1920s. The feudal nobility could produce intensively, and the exchange of goods between Poland and Saxony, promoted by the Leipzig Trade Fair and facilitated by customs agreements, increased. The raw materials preferably came from Poland and finished products from Saxony. Palaces, parks and numerous new churches showed that Poland still had resources. But

7125-649: 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

7220-534: The religious insurance decree of 1697 (renewed by his son in 1734) that his conversion to the Catholicism has no consequences for them. Nevertheless, the change of faith, which only occurred as a result of power-political calculations, alienated the sovereign from his Protestant subjects. The “Polish adventure” of their sovereign cost the Saxons dearly. Huge amounts of bribes flowed from the Saxon state treasury to

7315-475: The removal of the communist government. Dresden has experienced dramatic changes since the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s. The city still bears many wounds from the bombing raids of 1945, but it has undergone significant reconstruction. Restoration of the Dresden Frauenkirche, a Lutheran church, began in 1994 and was completed in 2005, a year before Dresden's 800th anniversary; this

7410-574: The rivers rising there and flowing through Dresden, the longest of which are the Weißeritz and the Lockwitzbach . 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 , who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendor, and

7505-546: 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 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

7600-508: The small nobility against the king; Important magnates such as Lithuania's hetman Ludwik Pociej (a friend of Peter the Great ) tended to try to mediate. Although the Saxon troops remained victorious in all major battles, they were unable to end the uprising, so money began to run out. King Augustus II accepted the Tsar's mediation and achieved only partial success in the Peace of Warsaw in 1716 and

7695-437: The son of the former King John III. Sobieski , Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine , Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden , Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and twelve other candidates were therefore hopeless. François Louis, Prince of Conti who traveled from France for the royal election, was even able to garner a larger number of votes than August, but had to return to his homeland, forced by Saxon troops. After

7790-576: The state treasury were subordinate to the Sejm , whose policies were determined by the powerful magnate families and the Szlachta . Their penchant for forming confederations turned the kingdom into a powder keg. The Polish parliament was unable to act due to these private interests ( Liberum Veto ); the crown itself had only limited income, which was subordinate to the crown treasurer Jan Jerzy Przebendowski . This meant that Poland had an extreme predominance of

7885-636: The two countries, this danger could be averted for the time being. Both powers needed mutual support in Northern Europe , where the Prussian , Swedish and Russian armies were far superior to the Saxon and Polish armies. Since Poland-Lithuania was the larger of the two partners, the local nobility had reason enough to believe that they would succeed in protecting their interests. As constitutionalists, they were also more likely to succeed in controlling

7980-421: The two countries. During the Seven Years' War they even obtained the consent of their three allies for a renewed Polish crown candidacy for the Saxons, but the successes did not last. In Saxony, after the fall of Aleksander Józef Sułkowski , Heinrich von Brühl led the government from 1738 to 1756, and in 1746 he formally became prime minister. He was a successful diplomat and consolidated the administration, but

8075-522: The usual bribes, Elector Augustus the Strong was able to return on 26/27 July. Contrary to all initial expectations, he was elected on the electoral field in Wola in June. On 15 September 1697 he was crowned as Augustus II in Kraków . After the coronation, advantageous opportunities arose for both sides. Both sides felt threatened by Brandenburg-Prussia and its territorial ambitions. By joining forces between

8170-582: Was appointed by Empress Catherine the Great, ending the personal union between Saxony and Poland. Saxon rule over Poland remained loose, so that the separation of Poland from Saxony in 1706 and 1763 did not tear apart any structures that had grown together. There were attempts to expand the Saxony-Poland personal union into a real state union. There were plans in Poland to establish a Saxon succession. However, these efforts did not lead anywhere. The Electorate of Saxony had clearly overextended itself despite

8265-632: Was certainly utopian, but the actors still considered a certain unification of the two countries in the areas of administration, military, economics and finance, similar to the core countries in the Habsburg Empire, possible. Points of connection, for example, were Poland's wealth of raw materials and Saxony's manufacturing economy. After the occupation of Saxony by the Swedes in the Great Northern War , King Augustus II had to give up

8360-686: 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. Widely quoted Nazi propaganda reports claimed 200,000 deaths, but the German Dresden Historians' Commission, made up of 13 prominent German historians, in an official 2010 report published after five years of research concluded that casualties numbered between 22,500 and 25,000. The destruction of Dresden allowed Hildebrand Gurlitt ,

8455-541: Was done with the help of 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 square on which the Frauenkirche is situated, was expected to take decades, but numerous large projects were under way in the first part of the 21st century. Dresden remains

8550-568: Was elected King of Poland. This triggered the War of the Polish Succession . Frederick Augustus II was crowned King of Poland as Augustus III of Poland on 17 January 1734 and claimed the crown in the Peace of Vienna (1738) . Given this situation, the king and his prime minister Heinrich von Brühl hoped to control Poland with the “ministerial system” of magnates loyal to Saxony (who were placed in key positions) and tried to politically connect

8645-722: Was not specifically targeted in the bombing of Dresden . During the final months of the Second World War, Dresden harboured some 600,000 refugees, with a total population of 1.2 million . Dresden was attacked seven times between 1944 and 1945, and was occupied by the Red Army after the German capitulation . The bombing of Dresden by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) between 13 and 15 February 1945

8740-475: Was once by personal union the family seat of Polish monarchs. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its Baroque and Rococo city centre. The controversial American and British bombing of Dresden towards the end of World War II killed approximately 25,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and destroyed the entire city centre. After the war, restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of

8835-410: Was sharply attacked in the state parliament in 1749 because of his financial policies. Despite Brühl's ruthless financial measures, the Electorate of Saxony was heading into crisis. The economy was damaged, the Saxon army, which was already too small, had to be disarmed and a significant portion of the taxes had to be pledged. There was also pressure from outside, as Saxon exports were severely hindered by

8930-644: Was the capital of the first Free State of Saxony as well as a cultural and economic centre of the Weimar Republic . The city was also a centre of European modern art until 1933. During the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, a large military facility called Albertstadt was built. It had a capacity of up to 20,000 military personnel at the beginning of the First World War . The garrison saw only limited use between 1918 and 1934, but

9025-606: Was then reactivated in preparation for the Second World War . 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. Soldiers had been deployed as late as March 1945 in the Albertstadt garrison. The Albertstadt garrison became the headquarters of the Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army in

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