Dresden

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For other uses, see Dresden (disambiguation).

Dresden
 clockwise: skyline of the city, Semper Opera, dome of Our
Lady's, Catholic Court Church, Crown Gate of Zwinger Castle, New
Market, domes of Our Lady's and of the Academy of Fine Arts, Zwinger
Castle

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Coat of arms

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Location of Dresden

Dresden

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 Coordinates:  51°2′N 13°44′ECoordinates:  51°2′N 13°44′E

Country Germany
State Saxony
District Urban district

Government
 • Lord mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP)

Area
 • City 328.8 km2 (127.0 sq mi)

Elevation 113 m (371 ft)

Population
 (2019-12-31)[3]
 • City 556,780
 • Density 1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi)
 • Urban 790,400[2]
 • Metro 1,343,305[1]

Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)

 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)

Vehicle registration DD

Website www.dresden.de
Former UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name Dresden Elbe Valley
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii, iv, v
Designated 2004 (28th session)
Reference no. 1156
Region Europe
Delisted 2009 (33rd session)

Historic city centre with main sights

Dresden (/ˈdrɛzdən/, German: [ˈdʁeːsdn̩] ( listen); Upper and Lower 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 largest by area
(following only Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne), and the third most populous city in the
area of former East Germany, following only (East) Berlin and Leipzig. Dresden's urban
area comprises the towns of Freital, Pirna, Radebeul, Meissen and Coswig and has
around 790,000 inhabitants.[2] The Dresden metropolitan area has approximately 1.34
million inhabitants.[1]
Dresden is the second largest city on the River Elbe after Hamburg.[a] 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, while 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 and
the Lockwitzbach.
The name of the city as well as the names of most of its boroughs and rivers are
of Slavic origin. Dresden is the second largest city in the Thuringian-Upper
Saxon dialect area, following only Leipzig. The Sorbian language area begins east of
the city, in Lusatia.
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
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 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 in 1990, Dresden has again become a cultural, educational
and political centre of Germany and Europe. The Dresden University of Technology 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.[4] It is dominated by high-tech branches,
often called “Silicon Saxony”. According to the Hamburgische Weltwirtschaftsinstitut
(HWWI) and Berenberg Bank, in 2019, Dresden had the seventh best prospects for the
future of all cities in Germany.[5]
Dresden is one of the most visited cities in Germany with 4.7 million overnight stays per
year.[6][7] 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, the Semperoper and the Dresden Castle.
Furthermore, the city is home to the renowned Dresden State Art Collections,
originating from the collections of the Saxon electors in 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. [8] Nearby sights include the
National Park of Saxon Switzerland, the Ore Mountains and the countryside
around Elbe Valley and Moritzburg Castle.

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Early history
o 1.2Early-modern age
 o 1.319th and early 20th century
 1.3.1Military history
o 1.4Second World War
o 1.5Post-war
o 1.6Post-reunification
 2Geography
o 2.1Location
o 2.2Nature
o 2.3Climate
o 2.4Flood protection
o 2.5City structuring
 3Demographics
 4Governance
o 4.1Mayor and city council
o 4.2Public utilities
o 4.3Local affairs
o 4.4Twin towns – sister cities
 5Cityscape
o 5.1Architecture
 5.1.1Royal household
 5.1.2Sacred buildings
 5.1.3Historicism
 5.1.4Modernism
 5.1.5Contemporary architecture
 5.1.6Bridges
 5.1.7Statues
o 5.2Parks and gardens
o 5.3Main sights
 6Culture
o 6.1Entertainment
o 6.2Museums
 7Transport
o 7.1Roads
o 7.2Rail
o 7.3Aviation
o 7.4Trams
 8Economy
o 8.1Enterprises
o 8.2Media
 9Education and science
o 9.1Universities
o 9.2Research institutes
o 9.3Higher secondary education
 10Sport
 11Quality of life
 12Sons and daughters of the city
 13Honorary citizens
 14Notes
 15References
 16Bibliography
 17External links

History[edit]
See also: Timeline of Dresden

The Fürstenzug—the Saxon sovereigns depicted in Meissen porcelain

Although Dresden is a relatively recent city of Germanic origin followed by settlement

of Slavic people,[9] the area had been settled in the Neolithic era by Linear Pottery
culture tribes c. 7500 BC.[10] Dresden's founding and early growth is associated with
the eastward expansion of Germanic peoples,[9] mining in the nearby Ore Mountains,
and the establishment of the Margraviate of Meissen. Its name etymologically derives
from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the forest. Dresden later evolved into
the capital of Saxony.
Early history[edit]
This section needs
expansion with: the help of
German wikipedia article. You can
help by adding to it. (March 2015)

Dresden in 1521

Around the late 12th century, a Slavic settlement called Drežďany[11] (meaning either

"woods" or "lowland forest-dweller"[12]) 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,[11][13] both literally "old
Dresden". Dietrich, Margrave of Meissen, 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 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 the electors as well.
Early-modern age[edit]
Zwinger, 1719, wedding reception of Augustus III of Poland and Maria Josepha of Austria

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, [14] architects and
painters from all over Europe to Dresden. [15] 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 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, the Grünes
Gewölbe and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon.
In 1726 there was a riot for two days after a Protestant clergyman was killed by a soldier
who had recently converted from Catholicism.[16] In 1745, the Treaty of Dresden between
Prussia, Saxony, and Austria ended 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.[17]