Dresden, overlooking the historic and beautiful River Elbe, is the capital of the Free State of Saxony in Germany and since its inception, the city has held a special place in the long and impressive history of the Saxon people. These days, Dresden is probably best known for the destructive bombing campaign led by Allied forces that totally and completely destroyed the city. This sad fallout for Germany’s greed and anger was a hard pill to swallow, and when Dresden was completely razed to the ground, more than Germany wept at the loss of one of the most impressive cities ever built.
Despite its destruction, Dresden re-emerged after the war and the division of Germany and is once again a wonderful city, although much valuable history was forever wiped off the face of the Earth during the fateful bombings. Still, the Dresden rally shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with its history. Dresden has existed in some capacity since the 8th century BC. C., when it was inhabited by Neolithic people. After the Renaissance, Dresden became the place to be for anyone involved in music, writing, painting and architecture after the famous King Augustus brought peace and prosperity to the nation and Dresden immediately became a one of the most artistically important cities in Europe. The beautiful buildings of Dresden were an inspiration for all kinds of creativity and the Dresden skyline was immortalized in paintings by masters such as Johan Christian Dahl and Bernardo Bellotto. Unfortunately, nothing remains of these magnificent buildings except for the aforementioned paintings.
However, the bombing of Dresden during World War II was not the first time the city had been razed to the ground. Dresden has had the misfortune of being attacked several times in history, most notably in the Seven Years’ War, the Napoleonic Wars, and the May Rising, which occurred in 1756, 1813, and 1849, respectively. The community’s ability to rebuild and go on living is a testament to the efficient and industrious nature of the best German people, but Dresden still pays tribute to the lives and buildings lost during its most fateful periods. Every year on February 13, thousands of Germans flock to Dresden to commemorate the attacks, although this anniversary in recent years has become increasingly separatist, with many neo-Nazis attending the mourning and using the event to bolster their position. . It’s a shame because it has begun to overshadow what was really lost during World War II: it wasn’t Nazi ideals, but glorious landmarks like the Saxony State Opera and Dresden Castle that were forever altered. Despite the neo-Nazis, Dresden is still a beautiful city in its own right and people are very familiar with what can happen when extremism becomes the norm. Dresden must be visited for its history and impressive new architecture. Yesterday’s Dresden, however, must be remembered from time immemorial as a warning against the destructive nature of war and the darker side of man.
