October 2003 - Nr. 10
Frauenkirche unveiled in Dresden
DN - Following reconstruction efforts that have broken world records in their scope, the scaffolding was removed from the cupola of Dresden’s Frauenkirche last week, revealing the pinnacle of one of Germany’s most beloved baroque churches.
Over 58 years after the church was destroyed in the last stages of World War Two bombing, the Frauenkirche’s cupola — fondly referred to as the "Stone Bell" — has reassumed its position in Dresden’s cityscape.
The unveiling is one more milestone in an ongoing reconstruction effort which has been marked by various stages, including the first ringing of the church bells on Pentecost (June 6).
Built between 1726 and 1743 by architect George Bähr at the highpoint of Protestant church construction in Saxony, the church is without comparison and holds an important position in architectural history for its construction techniques and its singular design and handwork — at the forefront of technology in its day.
For over two hundred years, the "Stone Bell" of the cupola was a focal point of the city’s skyline. Long after bombing devastated the region in 1945, the church’s rubble stood as a symbol of the destruction of war.
Since 1994, artists, statisticians, construction workers, and stone masons have been rebuilding the church with unrelenting attention to detail, making it a symbol of reconciliation, religious worship, and artistic mastery world-wide.
Construction is being undertaken according to 260-year-old plans and will go into history as the most extensive reconstruction effort to date, having involved more than 60,000 donors’ financial support. Millions more will be needed before the church to be re-christened on Reformation Day (October 31) in 2005. The holiday celebrates Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses in Wittenberg (1517) which marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Links:
