November, 2005 - Nr. 11
Dresden’s Famous ‘Church of our Lady’ Rebuilt with International Donations
Re-consecration October 30, 2005
Toronto -- Dresden’s Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, is almost ready for its re-consecration on October 30th. Painters and carpenters are putting the finishing touches on the interior of the Protestant church where Johann Sebastian Bach once gave an organ concert and Richard Wagner debuted his "Love Feast of the Apostles".
Originally built in 1726 by George Baehr, the church collapsed on February 15, 1945, in the aftermath of the Allies’ firebombing of the previous two days. With more than 125 million Euros in donations from the city of Dresden, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony and organizations and people throughout the world, the Frauenkirche has now been rebuilt. The gold cross topping its magnificent dome was crafted by the son of one of the British bomber pilots participating in the raids.
Architecturally speaking, the Frauenkirche was famous for its central plan and its size - it was, and now is again, the largest German Baroque and Protestant church in Germany. It has been reconstructed, stone for stone, in the original style, the builders using as many of the original stones as possible and placing them in their original locations. The contrast between the darker old and the lighter new stones will be a reminder of the church’s long-time role as a memorial to those killed during the firebombing and to war victims everywhere.
The Consecration Day, October 30- will start with a brass band concert on Neumarkt Square in front of the church, followed by a solemn consecration ceremony. The church will then be open to visitors for the afternoon, an ecumenical service taking place at 6:00 p.m., including Bach’s Cantata BWV 137, and a massive concert at 10:00 p.m. Following that, the church will be open to the public. The lines are expected to be long.
For more information, please contact: www.dresden-tourist.de. The re-consecration of the Frauenkirche will usher in the coming year’s 800th anniversary of the founding of Dresden in 1306.
For general information on Germany, please contact the German National Tourist Office’s toll free number, 1-877-315-6237, send an e-mail to gntonyc@d-z-t.com, or visit GNTO’s Web site www.cometogermany.com.
