Frauenkirche Dresden
Saxony, Germany • Religious Establishment
Frauenkirche Dresden, hailed as a symbol of Dresden, started as a Catholic church, like most establishments named after the Virgin Mary, but transformed into a Lutheran church after the Reformation, and was rebuilt in the 18th century. Its round shape offers a certain charm. The church's facade displays a beige color overall, but one of the pillars is black, suggesting the use of black bricks in parts of the exterior wall. Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies from February 13 to 15, 1945, during World War II, destroying half of the city, including Frauenkirche Dresden, except for some exterior walls. The East German government left the church's ruins untouched for over 50 years, possibly due to disinterest in reconstruction or to convey the horrors of war, similar to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin. Reconstruction began after German reunification in 1990, with citizens of Dresden voluntarily contributing photographs and documents related to the church. Part of the exterior walls that remained standing through the bombing were incorporated into the rebuild. The destroyed organ and its altar were almost entirely restored based on citizens' submissions. On October 30, 2005, the reconstruction of Frauenkirche Dresden was completed. Nobel laureate Günter Blobel donated his entire Nobel Prize money to the effort, and the son of a pilot who participated in the bombing was responsible for the cross at the top of the dome. Today, remnants of the bombing can still be seen around Frauenkirche Dresden, and the museum nearby offers an unvarnished view of the documents, photographs, and reconstruction process. Germany openly preserves, displays, and discusses these traces of its past mistakes, in stark contrast to countries that choose to hide or distort their history.
