Yesterday, I came across Anja’s post over at aei of an article on Dresden’s Frauenkirche which got me reminiscing. And I notice that Ailsa’s travel theme today is architecture, so I’m rapidly updating and re-posting this!!!
Anja shows the restored Frauenkirche, but I have never seen the finished article. I visited Dresden with my husband in 1993 and in 2001. In 1993, the ruins of the Frauenkirche still stood stark against the sky, and many of the fallen stones were still strewn around (although the cataloging and documentation was already underway).
By the time we returned in 2001, the stones had been completely catalogued and stored ready for incorporation into the new structure, which had already reached some considerable height. I picked up a leaflet on ‘Dresden’s Miracle in Stone’, detailing the background to the restoration, which proudly proclaimed that ‘the rebuilding is well along’. As indeed it was. We were able to go down into the restored undercroft, which was most impressive. And outside, we could view the reproduction of the Spire Cross, financed by British donations and crafted by Alan Smith, the son of one of the RAF airmen in the Dresden bombing raid. The original Turmkreuz (Spire Cross) was largely intact, but kept inside the church as a memorial to the destruction.
I welcome any comments on my posts, I love feedback…
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How cool you found your photos that fast! It’s crazy, but I only recognize the undercroft. And on your first photo you see the remains that have been interoperated with the new building. I took my photo almost from the same spot 😉 Thanks for sharing – it’s a really good addition to my post.
Thanks, Anja! I have many of my slides still loaded into magazines for the projector (from years ago!) so they are easy to find….and I wanted to scan them quickly, before I forgot. I’m pleased you liked this post. 🙂
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Dresden lost so much in the war – it’s taken a long time but nice to see the reconstruction, and to be financed by British donations is a nice touch.
Thanks for commenting, Lynne. I believe donations came from many different countries, but I know the British financed the Spire Cross, and possibly more general restoration as well.
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