Dresden Germany

Located halfway between modern Berlin and Prague, the small Slovic settlement named Dresden in 1206 has graced the gentle banks of the river Elba for the eight hundred years ever since. Under the ambitious 1670 to 1733 rule of Augustus the Strong, (so named for of his legendary physical strength), the name Dresden became synonymous with the art, culture, and Baroque architecture still defining the city today. Undertaking massive building projects, Augustus (and later his son) pummeled the city with stunning Baroque structures. Attracting artists and musicians from around Europe, Dresden rapidly became a cultural center rivaling those of France and Italy.

Despite heavy destruction during eighteenth and nineteenth century wars, Dresden doggedly rebuilt and remained a center for art, culture, and industry well into the twenty century. For many foreigners (especially those from west of the Atlantic) the city is even today a mystery, remembered mainly for the tragic and still controversial fire bombing by Great Brittan and the United States just weeks before the end of World War II. As part of Eastern Germany swallowed up by the Soviets after the war, Dresden fell off the radar of most of us in the west. Isolated from mainstream Europe and seemingly forgotten, Dresden fell into disrepair during the forty years under communist rule until German reunification in 1990.

Self proclaimed as one of Europe’s greenest cities (the OLD “green”, not the new), Dresden today boasts over sixty-two percent of its area are woods and green spaces. A young city with a median age of 45, the bustling streets are swarming with eager young students with no memory of communism. There are still plenty of thirty and forty-somethings (and older) who, while grateful for increased prosperity under capitalism, bring with them the shared sense of community responsibility necessary to survive more difficult times. Try finding a dentist in the US, for example, who makes house calls! You will find that in Dresden.

While taking enormous pride in its cultural heritage and unbelievably beautiful Baroque architecture, Dresden has woven modern shopping areas seamlessly into its cityscape. Compact in size, the visitor can wander easily between the historic beauty of old town and the trendy multi-cultural streets of the Neustat district. Museums abound, as does music, world class dining, and night life.

Despite an unemployment rate lingering around sixteen percent, Dresden is recovering, even thriving. Boasting a shining new light rail system, the S-Bahn would be the envy of any modern city. Now teaming with ten million (mostly German) tourists a year, this emerald destination is still “undiscovered” by most American and many European travelers. A foray here can earn one bragging rights for knowing a “best kept travel secret.”


©2008 Robert J Trede

My Bad

Oh geeze... Has it really been two years since I last made an entry? My bad!

It's now Mid-February, 2009, so I have a lot of catching up to do. That includes the better part of a year in California and two summers in Germany.

By the way, I did get a pleasant surprise this morning when I was notified by Freelance Writterville (http://www.freelancewriterville.com) that I had won third place in a little writing contest on their website. Kudos are always nice. :-)

I'll be back soon, my friends!

RJ