# Dresden, most beautiful city of Germany? (Pics)



## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

*DRESDEN, most beautiful city of Germany? (Pics)*

DRESDEN, even very underrated, it is perhaps the most beautiful city in Germany. As most of you know, it was almost completely destroyed in WWII...

Here are some awsome pics I searched just for you in Google. ;-)

Dresden waterfront:




































Altstadt:











































































































































































New and old symbol of Dresden:




























More Pics are coming soon.


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## Puntagorda (Jan 19, 2003)

IMO: No.
Of course, the historic quarter of Dresden (shown in the pictures) is unique and gorgeous. Some districts along the Elbe valley are as well. But in the rest of the city the wounds of World War II are still deep, and the urban redevelopment during the GDR era didn´t help improving the city´s urbanistic quality.


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Puntagorda, Yes, that might be true... :-(
But Dresden has now the chance to get a part of its old beauty back. Theres some serious renovation and reconstruction going on.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Dresden used to be the most beautiful city in Germany before the bombardment. The pictures are taken in a small area that reminds us of the past greatness of the city. 

Keep the pictures coming, also from different parts of the city!


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## Desven (May 18, 2004)

one of my favourite cities and definitely the best in eastern germany besides berlin!


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## LuckyLuke (Mar 29, 2005)

Some more from Dresden


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## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

Beautiful indeed !


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## Lost Cosmonaut (Feb 10, 2005)

ummm???
Dresden Dolls????

Cool!!!


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## LuckyLuke (Mar 29, 2005)

mark renton said:


> ummm???
> Dresden Dolls????


Dresden Dolls? What do you mean? Dresden isn't really famous for dolls.


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## Pommes-T (Dec 7, 2005)

Not bad....

But it's not even the most beautiful german city on the Elbe!!!

Ever been in Hamburg?


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## Lost Cosmonaut (Feb 10, 2005)

LuckyLuke said:


> Dresden Dolls? What do you mean? Dresden isn't really famous for dolls.



HEHEHEHEH!!!

just kidding!!!

Dresden Dolls is a cabaret rock band!!!


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## Lost Cosmonaut (Feb 10, 2005)

http://www.myspace.com/dresdendolls


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## LuckyLuke (Mar 29, 2005)

Interesting! Why did they chose this name "Dresden Dolls"?


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## Lost Cosmonaut (Feb 10, 2005)

I´dont have idea?


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## waccamatt (Mar 7, 2004)

LuckyLuke said:


> Dresden Dolls? What do you mean? Dresden isn't really famous for dolls.


That's what Dresden is known for!


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## Farrapo (Oct 7, 2003)

Great pics! Dresden is amazing! Its architecture is very, very beautiful!


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## parisuite (Apr 14, 2006)

Very beautiful! As is the rest of Germany ;]


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## earth intruder (Apr 4, 2006)

I love Drezno


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

If its allowed to take some photos from www.fotocommunity.com, then look at this:










breathtaking, right? :eek2:


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## Andrew (Sep 11, 2002)

If the whole city was like this before WW2 then it must have easily been one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
I heard somewhere that Churchill ordered the flattening of Dresden as a punishment for the flattening of Coventry and that there was not much of military importance there, it was just pure revenge. Is that true? If so Churchill may have helped win the war but he was a bastard!


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## Das Tier (Sep 19, 2002)

Andrew said:


> I heard somewhere that Churchill ordered the flattening of Dresden as a punishment for the flattening of Coventry and that there was not much of military importance there, it was just pure revenge. Is that true? If so Churchill may have helped win the war but he was a bastard!


Yes that`s true. Most of the shellfires on german cities in the last 6-12 months were like that. It was a mix of revenge and of an attempt to demoralize the german population in the hope that they send fuckin` Hitler to hell.


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## Bluegate74 (Nov 28, 2005)

*revenge tactics*

If anyone would like to read the hilghtly detailed recent books on the destruction of Dresden, and the previously unavailable documents and data from the Russian archives you will see that contrary to popular belief, Dresden was a legitimate target for attack.

It was and still is a major rail route in eastern Germany which thousands of Reich troops were travelling through ( and yes refugees also.) The numerous factories around Dresden were not making, talcum powder and china as indicated by Communist propoganda after the war but were geared to war production as was the nearby Meissan procelain factory. 

In war, destruction of beautiful buildings and the loss of civillian lives is unfortunate and unavoidable, but lets not forget the fact who started the war, who developed and started air warfare against civillians. The destruction of Dresden DID have the effect of slowing down troop movements and was done with the agreement of the Russians, helping to relive their armies in the east. The bombing raids were also carried out not just by the British but also the Americnas the next day. 

Yes there was I am sure an element of revenge and why not. The Luftwaffe targeted Bath, Norwich, Exeter, York and Canterbury, purely for their artistic/historic value in a series of raids known as the Baedekker raids, named after German tour guides. Did Britain do the same, NO cities such as Bamberg, Heildeberg, Ludwigsburg, Trier, Worms and many other were never touched. The targets we chose were strategic and were conrtibuting to Germanys war effort. SO lets give UK a break for a change and get off this tedious band waggon of blaming the British for everything.


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## Kampflamm (Dec 28, 2003)

Trier suffered a lot of damage during the war as well, so I don't know where you're getting your information from.



> SO lets give UK a break for a change and get off this tedious band waggon of blaming the British for everything.


Who's blaming for the British for everything? Dresden had little military value and the war was practically over by february of 45.


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Bluegate74 said:


> If anyone would like to read the hilghtly detailed recent books on the destruction of Dresden, and the previously unavailable documents and data from the Russian archives you will see that contrary to popular belief, Dresden was a legitimate target for attack.
> 
> It was and still is a major rail route in eastern Germany which thousands of Reich troops were travelling through ( and yes refugees also.) The numerous factories around Dresden were not making, talcum powder and china as indicated by Communist propoganda after the war but were geared to war production as was the nearby Meissan procelain factory.
> 
> ...


Sorry you made a mistake!
Trier is my hometown and it was destroyed to 40%...

But please do not start a discussion about the terrible bombings on both sides...:-(
I think this is not the right thread for ist.


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

Here´s the story about the new gilded cross on top of the reconstructed Frauenkirche - A great symbol against war!

The new gilded cross on top of the dome was forged by London Gold and Silversmiths Grant Macdonald using the original 18th-century techniques as much as possible. It was constructed by Alan Smith, a British goldsmith whose father, Frank, was a member of one of the aircrews who took part in the bombing of Dresden. Before travelling to Dresden, the cross was exhibited for five years in churches across the United Kingdom including Coventry Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and St Paul's Cathedral in London. In February 2000, the cross was ceremonially handed over by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, to be placed on the top of the dome a few days after the 60th commemoration of D-Day on 22 June 2004. The external structure of the Frauenkirche was completed. For the first time since the last war, the completed dome and its gilded cross grace Dresden's skyline as in centuries prior. The cross that once topped the dome, now twisted and charred, stands to the right of the new altar.
Another relationship to England is that the Cathedral of Coventry was rebuilded in 1956-1962 with the help of german donations.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

It is truly a breathtaking city, and what happened to it in the war was absolutely shameful and done from spite. How many of these old buildings survived, and how many were rebuilt? Some of the stone looks much more weathered and dark than just a half a century.


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

Bluegate74 said:


> Dresden was a legitimate target for attack.


 Such terrible bombings (on booth sides) can´t be "legitim"!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Bluegate74 said:


> If anyone would like to read the hilghtly detailed recent books on the destruction of Dresden, and the previously unavailable documents and data from the Russian archives you will see that contrary to popular belief, Dresden was a legitimate target for attack.
> 
> It was and still is a major rail route in eastern Germany which thousands of Reich troops were travelling through ( and yes refugees also.) The numerous factories around Dresden were not making, talcum powder and china as indicated by Communist propoganda after the war but were geared to war production as was the nearby Meissan procelain factory.
> 
> ...


What a load of utter nonsense. :sleepy:


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

Taller said:


> It is truly a breathtaking city, and what happened to it in the war was absolutely shameful and done from spite. How many of these old buildings survived, and how many were rebuilt? Some of the stone looks much more weathered and dark than just a half a century.


79% of all dwellings in the city were either destroyed totally or were damaged, with the inner-city buildings faring the worst; the center became a sea of ruins.

I know that the Frauenkirche was rebuild like a big puzzle using some of the original stones!
I guess it was the same way they reconstructed some other buildings...


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Thanks for the info! The whole disaster sickens me, but it shows the resilience of
human nature!


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## Das Tier (Sep 19, 2002)

Only one more thing:

Heidleberg wasn`t touched, because the U.S. chosed it as their HQ in Germany.

Let`s get back to topic before it´s getting a ugly discussion. My proposal: Back to topic or it`s better to close this thread.


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## Sideshow_Bob (Jan 14, 2005)

Dresden is really interresting to look at in Google Earth!


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## Desven (May 18, 2004)

stop the discussion about the bombing,that ruins this thread!!

i'm glad that my aunt and my oncle live there so i always have a free accommodation
when i am in dresden!and the good thing is they live in a pretty nice and expensive flat near the old part of the town,just 5 minutes on foot!


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

For an amazing 360° Interior Panorama of the world famous Semper Opera-->Click here<--


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## LeeUK (Aug 17, 2005)

Not bad


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## Andrew (Sep 11, 2002)

Oh dear what have I started!?! It was a simple question, there was no need for it to turn into an argument. It seems I was stupid to think that I could get an answer to my question without starting an argument. Oh well I have my answer now, no need for anyone else to mention it. Back to the topic at hand.


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## Harkeb (Oct 12, 2004)

Germany has some of the most magnificent old baroque & magical architecture. However, the modern structures they put up lately, really suck. Some of them are extremely horrendous.


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## LLoydGeorge (Jan 14, 2006)

WOW!!!


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## salvius (Aug 4, 2004)

"I know that the Frauenkirche was rebuild like a big puzzle using some of the original stones!"

This is actually what shocks me and amazes me about Dresden the most--and it's not the only building. The puzzle-piece building of old and new absolutely SHOCKED me when I saw it. I could not beleive the engineering effort that must have gone into the rebuilding projects. Well worth the effort, of course. I have a hard time beleiving many cities on this earth would bother.

Dresden has a beautiful, fairly compact, altstadt, with atmosphere so thick you could cut a knife through it... It's not the most beautiful city in Germany, though. Outside of the few areas not in the old city, large swaths of the city are dotted with rows and rows of monotone commieblocks. It's an incredible shame.

However, it must be seen, just for the rebuilding effort alone!


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## ZOHAR (Jul 16, 2005)

i've been there...so wonderful place!
can u post some pics of the mall?


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## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

No city would be complete without some nice commieblocks:

Budapester Straße, 11 stories, looking like a giant wall due to its position on a small hill:









Some renovated blocks in Johannstadt:


















And the old powerhouse in between some really broke down buildings:









One of the more good-looking blocks:


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## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

And now some pictures of the famous apartment block on Prager Straße which is under renovation right now. It's really a fascinating building with a lot of nice details, although most of the peolpe passing by don't pay any 
attention to them and would rather see the building gone:


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## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

Some images of other areas:

The BAB 17 freeway bridge overthe "Plauen'scher Grund":









The "Begerburg" right beside it:









Loschwitz with the Schwebebahn: (note the sign on the right ^^)


















"Großer Garten", a 2 km² park area just a kilometer from the city center:


















Dresden has a very good public transport system, on this picture you can see a modern low-floor light rail on 

lawn tracks:









The "Elbwiesen", UNESCO world cultural heritage (dunno why, anyway, this has led to heavy disputes between the 

city of Dresden and the UNESCO which is more or less blackmailing Dresden not to built a bridge arcoss the 

river...)


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## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

Now, some night shots (unfortunatelly, my cheap camera isn't that great when it's getting dark...)

"Kugelhaus", a building with a globe-shaped center:









Setting the record for the longest light rail (that was before the sky got cloudy  )









Mercure Hotel at blue hour:









The old town:









Prager Spitze:


















World Trade Center at night:









The VW factory:









Congress Center with Yendize in the background:










At last, some nice scenerys shot from my balcony


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## coolink (Apr 20, 2005)

what's the population of dresen?


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## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

500.000 inside city limits, and about 650,000 if you include Radebeul and Coswig (two cities just beyond city limits that merge with Dresden).

Anyway, 1933, Dresden had 642,000 inhabitants, 1945, there were 468,000 peolpe.


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## QatPhils (Dec 14, 2006)

maybe


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Thanks to hYp Dresden now seems pretty ugly to me...:lol: 
As the one who started this thread, I can now answer myself:

"No, not really!"


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## Kampflamm (Dec 28, 2003)

Commieblocks make me uke:. I wish they'd just tear them all down.


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## seattlehawk (Nov 18, 2005)

The "Florence on the Elbe" seems to recovered quite well after the wounds left by WW2 bombing and Communism.

By the way, which german cities were least affected by WW2? Which German cities/towns have the best preserved historical structures?


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## Bond James Bond (Aug 23, 2002)

Great stuff, keep the pics coming!


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## Kampflamm (Dec 28, 2003)

seattlehawk said:


> By the way, which german cities were least affected by WW2? Which German cities/towns have the best preserved historical structures?


The best preserved/reconstructed city is probably Munich. Some other midsize cities look pretty good as well, eg Erfurt, Potsdam, Wiesbaden, Freiburg.


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## LuckyLuke (Mar 29, 2005)

I don't see any pictures hYp :redx:


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Kampflamm said:


> The best preserved/reconstructed city is probably Munich. Some other midsize cities look pretty good as well, eg Erfurt, Potsdam, Wiesbaden, Freiburg.


You forgot to mention the city with the most untouched heritage of architecture:
Regensburg! The only completely preserved big city in Germany.


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

^ There are plenty of nearly untouched cities (smaller ones) that you didn't mention: I would count Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Quedlinburg, Lübeck and Tübingen for example.

By the way, I know some of them were bombed - but these cities did a great job at the reconstruction!  (It's inconceivably that almost every town in Germany was touched by bombs or stupid Allieds, who shot at buildings without any reason or relevance) ...


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## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

holy crap, i love this city!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

^^ Even all these commieblocks?


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## Lucas. (Feb 18, 2007)

any new pictures???


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## MasEl (May 23, 2007)

Dresden (Drezno in polish) is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Zwinger is just amazing. And you have a monument of polnische König August des Starken in the city center  (Kurfürst von Sachsen Friedrich August I). Too bad he was probably the worst polish king 



erbsenzaehler said:


> ^^ Even all these commieblocks?


Sooner or later there will be no commieblocks in former eastern block countries :guns1: Especially in rich Germany no one will want to live in "commies"


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## briker (Aug 21, 2008)




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