Dresden Church - why you should visit - SKIP

Another site that you must visit when you are in Dresden is the Protestant Church of Our Lady. Although it is brand new, it is considered one of the most beautiful baroque churches in this part of Europe…

From its dome, you have the whole city in the palm of your hand, which makes it another reason to visit it. You will find out the third reason if you read this text to the end.

History

The Dresden church is located in the very center of the old town and has had a very exciting history.

On the foundations of the old wooden church from the 11th century, 1726. the construction of the church from solid material began. Although there were many opinions that it was unfeasible, thanks to the vision and courage of the chief architect Georg Bar, the new church was built with a stone dome.

At that time, raising a 12,000-ton dome to that height was a real construction undertaking. This makes this church one of the most important religious buildings north of the Alps.

In order to withstand that weight, the walls in the lower part of the church are 2 m thick, and the upper ones are 1.2 m thick. Construction lasted from 1726 to 1743, when a cross was placed on the dome. The dome is also called “stone bell”.

Since then, the church dominates the panorama of Dresden until 1945, when, like the rest of the city, it was razed to the ground. However, history says that the church resisted for almost two days thanks to the massive pillars, between which people sought protection.

But when one of the 650,000 bombs fell in the center, there was no escape for the church.

After the war, the citizens of Dresden collected as much debris and remains as possible, which were stored for the next 45 years. Even the fragments with paint from the original frescoes, painted by Giovanni Battista Grone, a Venetian and the chief painter at court, were used much later. In 1989, a group of enthusiasts decided to start a restoration project, but in such a way as to be as faithful as possible to the original.

A large campaign to collect voluntary contributions was launched and in the end, the restoration of the church cost 180 million dollars.
The most symbolic moment of the restoration was the donation of the golden cross by the British people. The English were also heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe.
In front of the church is the original part of the dome, completely black from the explosion as a reminder…

The restoration of the church was completed in 2005.

Description

This church is considered one of the best examples of Protestant architecture, when the old Catholic church was replaced during the Reformation. Due to the events mentioned above, it is possible to see dark and light blocks on the church.

Over 45% of the church is made of original material. It is believed that in several hundred years it will not be possible to see the difference between the old and the new.

People with disabilities can enter the church from the back using a platform, which will be opened by an official. It is enough to contact them at the entrance.

The interior of the church is walkable and you can stroll around the main floor with a wheelchair.

The walls are painted in light pastel tones. Many expressed doubt that those colors existed at that time, but thanks to the preserved fragments, there was no more room for doubt.

The windows are completely simple, because they wanted as much light as possible in the church. Eight paintings depict the four evangelists Matthew, Luke, John and Mark, as well as an allegory of the main Christian virtues: faith, hope, love and charity.

The central part of the church is occupied by the altar, which is visible from all sides.

This altarpiece depicts the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. You can see the olive tree and Jesus praying to the angel coming down from heaven.

Miraculously, this piece partially survived the bombing and fire that destroyed the Church. Some of the figurines are real originals.

Above the altar, there is an organ almost three stories high, of a more modern design. It was on the original organ on the day of the inauguration in 1736. played Bach for several thousand people present.

If you want to see the gallery, you can climb to 27 meters in height by elevator.

The total height of the church with the cross is about 300 meters, and the dome with the observation tower is located at 67 meters.

The viewpoint can be reached by a ramp, which is 162 m long.

It was used to raise the material to a height. During the climb, you go around the dome 2 to 5 times.

The spiral has an inclination of 14 degrees. Of course, this does not apply to people in wheelchairs, because the viewpoint itself is reached at the end of a steep spiral staircase. The dome and observation deck are not accessible for people with disabilities.

The observation deck offers a 360-degree view of Dresden and its surroundings.

On a clear day, you can see as far as the famous forests of Saxon Switzerland in the north or the Ore mountains in the south, while Meissen, the city of porcelain, is in the west.

Here, at the observation deck, you can see all the main points in Dresden.

These are: Samperopera, Castle, Catholic Church, Albertinum, Academy of Fine Arts.

Of course, the most beautiful view is the river Elba and its several bridges.

Below is a view of the square, which has been carefully renovated. Until recently, there was the main collection point for debris, which was preserved after the bombing.

Today it is the square from which all walks around Dresden start. It is very easy to get around.

On the square there is a monument to Frederick Augustus II, King of Saxony.

Adults pay 10 EU for entrance to the viewpoint, and if you have a Dresden card, it is 6 EU. The working hours of the church are from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 12:39 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Conclusion

Although a visit to the church is mandatory, I like the square where it is placed the most. Fairytale Christmas markets are held there, and when it’s not Christmas, you can also eat well.