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DRESDEN

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 576 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DRESDEN , a See also:

city of See also:Germany, See also:capital of the See also:kingdom of See also:Saxony, 71 M. E.S.E. from See also:Leipzig and 111 m. S. from See also:Berlin by railway. It lies at an See also:altitude of 402 ft. above the Baltic, in a broad and pleasant valley on both See also:banks of the See also:Elbe. The prospect of the city with its cupolas, towers, See also:spires and the See also:copper See also:green See also:roofs of its palaces, as seen from the distance, is one of striking beauty. On the See also:left See also:bank of the See also:river are the Altstadt (old See also:town) with four old suburbs and numerous new suburbs, and the Friedrichstadt (separated from the Altstadt by a See also:long railway viaduct); on the right, the See also:Neustadt (new town), Antonstadt, and the See also:modern military suburb Alberstadt. Five See also:fine See also:bridges connect the Altstadt and Neustadt. The beautiful central bridge—the Alte or Augustusbrucke—with 16 See also:arches, built in 1727-1731, and 1420 ft. long, has been demolished (1906) and replaced by a wider structure. Up-stream are the two modern See also:Albert and Konigin Carola bridges, and, down-stream, the Marien and the Eisenbahn (railway) bridges. The streets of the Alstadt are mostly narrow and somewhat gloomy, those of the Neustadt more spacious and See also:regular. On See also:account of its delightful situation and the many See also:objects of See also:interest it contains, Dresden is often called " See also:German See also:Florence," a name first applied to it by the poet See also:Herder. The richness of its See also:art treasures, the educational advantages it offers, and its attractive surroundings render it a favourite resort of See also:people with private means.

There are a large number of See also:

foreign residents, notably Austro-Hungarians and Russians, and also a considerable See also:colony of See also:English and Americans, the latter amounting to about 1500. The See also:population of the city on the 1st of See also:December 1905 was 516,996, of whom 358,776 lived on the left bank (Altstadt) and 158,220 on the right (Neustadt). The royal See also:house belongs to the See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:confession, but the bulk of the inhabitants are Lutheran Protestants. Dresden is the See also:residence of the See also:king, the seat of See also:government for the kingdom of Saxony, and the headquarters of the XII. (Saxon) See also:Army See also:Corps. Within two decades (1880-1900) the capital almost at a single See also:bound advanced into the front See also:rank of German commercial and See also:industrial towns; but while gaining in prosperity it has lost much of its See also:medieval aspect. Old buildings in the See also:heart of the Altstadt have been swept away, and their See also:place occupied by modern business houses and new streets. Among the public squares in the Altstadt must be mentioned the magnificent Theaterplatz, with a fine equestrian statue of King See also:John, by Schilling; the Altmarkt, with a See also:monument commemorative of the See also:war of 1870-71; the Neumarkt, with a See also:bronze statue of King See also:Frederick See also:Augustus II.,by E. J. Hahnel; the Postplatz, adorned by a See also:Gothic See also:fountain, by See also:Semper; and the Bismarckplatz in the Anglo-See also:American See also:quarter. In the Neustadt are the See also:market square, with a bronze equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong; the Kaiser Wilhelmplatz; and the Albertplatz. The continuous Schloss-, See- and Prager-Strasse, and the Wilsdruffer- and See also:Konig Johann-Strasse are the See also:main streets in the Altstadt, and the Hauptstrasse in the Neustadt.

The most imposing churches include the Roman Catholic Hofkirche, built (1739–1751) by C. Chiaveri, in See also:

rococo See also:style, with a See also:tower 300 ft. high. It contains a fine See also:organ by Silbermann and pictures by See also:Raphael See also:Mengs and other artists, the outside being adorned with 59 statues by Mattielli. On the Neumarkt is the Frauenkirche, with a See also:stone See also:cupola rising to the height of 311 ft.; See also:close to the Altmarkt, the Kreuzkirche, rebuilt after destruction by See also:fire in 1897, also with a lofty tower surmounted by a cupola; and near the Postplatz the Sophienkirche, with twin spires. In the Neustadt is the Dreikonigskirche (dating from the 18th See also:century) with a high pinnacled tower. Among more modern churches may be mentioned: in the Altstadt, the Johanneskirche, with a richly decorated interior; the Lukaskirche; and the Trinitatiskirche; and in the Neustadt, the See also:Martin See also:Luther-Kirche and the new See also:garrison See also:church. Apart from the chapels in the royal palaces, Dresden contains in all 32 churches, viz. 21 Evangelical, 6 Roman Catholic, a Reformed, a See also:Russian, an English(erected byGilbert See also:Scott) with a graceful See also:spire, a Scottish (Presbyterian), and an American (Episcopal) church, the last a handsome See also:building, with a See also:pretty parsonage attached. Of See also:secular buildings, the most noteworthy are grouped in the Altstadt near the river. The royal See also:palace, built in 1530-1535 by See also:Duke See also:George (and thus called Georgenschloss), was thoroughly restored, and in some measure rebuilt between 1890 and 1902, in German See also:Renaissance style, and is now an exceedingly handsome structure. The Georgentor has been widened, and through it, and beneath the royal apartments, vehicular See also:traffic from the centre of the town is directed to the Augustusbrucke. The whole is surmounted by a lofty tower—387 ft.—the highest in Dresden.

The interior is splendidly decorated. In the palace See also:

chapel are pictures by See also:Rembrandt, See also:Nicolas Poussin, Guido Reni and Annibale See also:Caracci. The adjoining Prinzen-Palais on the Taschenberg, built in 1715, has a fine chapel, in which are various See also:works of S. Torelli; it has also a library of 20,000 volumes. The Zwinger, begun in 1711, and built in the rococo style, forms an enclosure, within which is a statue of King Frederick Augustus I. It was intended to be the See also:vestibule to a palace, but now contains a number of collections of See also:great value. Until 1846 it was open at the See also:north See also:side; but this space has since been occupied by the museum, a beautiful Renaissance building, the exterior of which is adorned by statues of See also:Michelangelo, Raphael, See also:Giotto, See also:Dante, See also:Goethe and other artists and poets by See also:Rietschel and Hahnel, and it contains the famous picture See also:gallery. The See also:Bruhl palace, built in 1737 by See also:Count Bruhl, the See also:minister of Augustus II., has been in some measure demolished to make See also:room for the new Standehaus (See also:diet house), with its main See also:facade facing the Hofkirche; before the main entrance there is an equestrian statue (1906? of King Albert. Close by is the Briihl See also:Terrace, approached by a fine See also:flight of steps, on which are See also:groups, by Schilling, representing See also:Morning, Evening, See also:Day and See also:Night. The terrace commands a view of the Elbe and the distant heights of Loschwitz and the Weisser See also:Hirsch, but the prospect has of See also:late years become somewhat marred, owing to the See also:extension of the town up the river and .to the two new up-stream bridges. The See also:Japanese palace in the Neustadt, built in 1715 as a summer residence for Augustus II., receives its name from certain See also:oriental figures with which it is decorated; it is sometimes called the Augusteum and contains the royal library. Among other buildings of See also:note is the See also:Hof See also:theatre, a magnificent edifice in the Renaissance style, built after the designs of Semper, to replace the theatre burnt in 1869, and completed in 1878.

A new town See also:

hall of huge dimensions, also in German Renaissance, with an octagon tower 400 ft. in height, stands on the former See also:southern ramparts of the inner town, close to the Kreuzkirche. In the Altstadt the most striking of the newer edifices is the Kunstakademie, constructedfrom designs by K. See also:Lipsius in the See also:Italian Renaissance style, 189o-1894. The Albertinum, formerly the See also:arsenal, built in 1559–1563, was rebuilt 1884–1889, and fitted up as a museum of oriental and classical antiquities, and as the depository of the See also:state archives. On the right bank of the Elbe in Neustadt stand the fine buildings of the ministries of war, of See also:finance, See also:justice, the interior and See also:education. The public monuments of Dresden also include the See also:Moritz Monument, a See also:relief dedicated by the elector Augustus to his See also:brother See also:Maurice, a statue of See also:Weber the composer by Rietschel, a bronze statue of Theodor Korner by Hahnel, the Rietschel monument on the Bruhl Terrace by Schilling, a bust of See also:Gutzkow, and a statue of See also:Bismarck on the See also:promenade. In the suburbs which encircle the old town are to be noted the vast central Hauptbahnhof (1893–1898) occupying the site of the old Bohmischer railway station, the new premises of the municipal See also:hospital and the Ausstellungs-See also:Halle (See also:exhibition buildings). The See also:chief See also:pleasure-ground of Dresden is the Grosser Garten, in which there are a summer theatre, the Reitschel museum, and a See also:chateau containing a museum of antiquities. The latter is composed chiefly of objects removed from the churches in consequence of the See also:Reformation. Near the chateau is the zoological See also:garden, formed in 1860, and excellently arranged. A little to the See also:south of Dresden, on the left. bank of the Elbe, is the See also:village Racknitz, in which is See also:Moreau's monument, erected on the spot where he was mortally wounded in 18'3. The mountains of Saxon See also:Switzerland are seen from this neighbourhood.

Art.—Dresden owes a large See also:

part of its fame to its extensive See also:artistic, See also:literary and scientific collections. Of these the most valuable is its splendid picture gallery, founded by Augustus I. and increased by his successors at great cost. It is in the museum, and contains about 2500 pictures, being especially See also:rich in specimens of the Italian, Dutch and Flemish See also:schools. The See also:gem of the collection is Raphael's " Madonna di See also:San Sisto," for which a room is set apart. There is also a See also:special room for the " Madonna " of the younger See also:Holbein. Other paintings with which the name of the gallery is generally associated are See also:Correggio's " La Notte and " See also:Mary Magdalene "; See also:Titian's " See also:Tribute See also:Money " and " See also:Venus "; " The See also:Adoration " and " The See also:Marriage in See also:Cana," by See also:Paul Veronese; See also:Andrea del Sarto's " See also:Abraham's See also:Sacrifice "; Rembrandt's " Portrait of Himself with his Wife sitting on his See also:Knee "; " The See also:Judgment of See also:Paris " and " The See also:Boar See also:Hunt, by See also:Rubens; See also:Van Dyck's " See also:Charles I., his See also:Queen, and their See also:Children." Of modern painters, this magnificent collection contains masterpieces by Defregger, Vautier, See also:Makart, See also:Munkacsy, Fritz von See also:Uhde, See also:Bocklin, Hans See also:Thoma; portraits by See also:Leon Pohle, See also:Delaroche and See also:Sargent; landscapes by Andreas and See also:Oswald See also:Achenbach and allegorical works by Sascha See also:Schneider. In See also:separate compartments there are a number of See also:crayon portraits, most of them by Rosalba Carriera, and views of Dresden by Canaletto and other artists. Besides the picture gallery the museum includes a magnificent collection of engravings and drawings. There are upwards of 400,000 specimens, arranged in twelve classes, so as to See also:mark the great epochs in the See also:history of art. A collection of casts, likewise in the museum, is designed to display the progress of plastic art from the See also:time of the Egyptians and Assyrians to modern ages. This collection was begun by Raphael Mengs, who secured casts of the most valuable antiques in See also:Italy, some of which no longer exist. The Japanese palace contains a public library of more than 400,000 volumes, with about 3000 See also:MSS. and 20,000 maps.

It is especially rich in the See also:

ancient See also:classics, and in works bearing on literary history and the history of Germany, See also:Poland and See also:France. There are also a valuable See also:cabinet of coins and a collection of ancient works of art: A collection of See also:porcelain in the " Museum Johanneum " (which once contained the picture gallery) is made up of specimens of See also:Chinese, Japanese, See also:East See also:Indian, Sevres and See also:Meissen manufacture, carefully arranged in See also:chronological See also:order. There is in the same building an excellent See also:Historical Museum. In the Griine Gewolbe (Green Vault) of the Royal Palace, so called from the See also:character of its See also:original decorations, there is an unequalled collection of See also:precious stones, pearls and works of art in See also:gold, See also:silver, See also:amber and See also:ivory. The objects, which are about 3000 in number, are arranged in eight rooms. They include the See also:regalia of Augustus II. as king of Poland; the electoral See also:sword of Saxony; a See also:group by Dinglinger, in gold and See also:enamel, representing the See also:court of the See also:grand See also:mogul Aurungzebe, and consisting of 132 figures upon a See also:plate of silver 4 ft. 4 in. square; the largest See also:onyx known, 63 in. by 24 in.; a See also:pearl representing the See also:dwarf of Charles II. of See also:Spain; and a green brilliant weighing 40 carats. The royal palace also has a gallery of arms consisting of more than 2000 weapons of artistic or historical value. In the Zwinger are the zoological and mineralogical museums and a collection of See also:instruments used in mathematical and See also:physical See also:science. Among other collections is that of the Korner museum with numerous reminiscences of the Goethe-See also:Schiller See also:epoch, and of the See also:wars of liberation (1813-15), and containing valuable See also:manuscripts and See also:relics. Founded by Hofrath Dr Emil Peschel, it has passed into the See also:possession of the city. Education.—Dresden is the seat of a number of well-known scientific associations.

The educational institutions are numerous and of a high order, including a technical high school (with about 1 too students), which enjoys the See also:

privilege of conferring the degrees of See also:doctor of See also:engineering, doctor of technical sciences, &c., a veterinary See also:college, a See also:political-economic institution (Gehestiftung), with library, a school of architects, a royal and four municipal gymnasia, numerous See also:lower grade and popular schools, the royal conservatorium for See also:music and See also:drama, and a celebrated See also:academy of See also:painting. Dresden has several important hospitals, asylums and other charitable institutions. Music and the Theatres.—Besides the two royal theatres, Dresden possesses several See also:minor theatres and music halls. The See also:pride of place in the See also:world of music is held by the See also:orchestra attached to the court theatre. Founded by Augustus II., it has become famous throughout the world, owing to the masters who have from time to time been associated with it—such as See also:Paer, Weber, Reissiger and See also:Wagner. See also:Symphony and popular concerts are held throughout the See also:year in various public halls, and, during the See also:winter, concerts of church music are frequently given in the See also:Protestant Kreuz- and Frauen-Kirchen, and on Sundays in the Roman Catholic church. Communications and See also:Industries.—Dresden lies at the centre of an extensive railway See also:system, which places it in communication with the chief cities of See also:northern and central Germany as well as with See also:Austria and the East. Here See also:cross the grand See also:trunk lines Berlin-See also:Vienna, See also:Chemnitz-GBrlitz-See also:Breslau. It is connected by two lines of railway with Leipzig and by See also:local lines with neighbouring smaller towns. The See also:navigation on the Elbe has of See also:recent years largely See also:developed, and, in addition to See also:trade by river with Bohemia and See also:Magdeburg-See also:Hamburg, there is a considerable pleasure-See also:boat traffic during the summer months. The communications within the city are maintained by an excellent system of electric trams, which bring the more distant suburbs into easy connexion with the business centre. A considerable business is done on the See also:exchange, chiefly in local industrial shares, and the See also:financial institutions number some fifty banks, among them branches of the Reichs Bank and of the Deutsche Bank.

Among the more notable industries may be mentioned the manufacture of See also:

china (see See also:CERAMICS), of gold and silver ornaments, cigarettes, See also:chocolate, coloured postcards, See also:perfumery, See also:straw-plaiting, artificial See also:flowers, agricultural machinery, See also:paper, photographic and other scientific instruments. There are several great breweries; See also:corn trade is carried on, and an extensive business is done in books and objects of art. Surroundings.—The environs of the city are delightful. To the north are the See also:vine-clad hills of the See also:Lossnitz commanding views of the valley of the Elbe from Dresden to Meissen; behind them, on an See also:island in a See also:lake, is the See also:castle of Moritzburg, the See also:hunting See also:box of the king of Saxony. On the right bank of the Elbe, 3 M. above the city, lies the village of Loschwitz, where Schiller, in the summer of 1786, wrote the greater part of his See also:Don See also:Carlos: above it on the fringe of the Dresdner See also:Heide, the See also:climatic See also:health resort Weisser-Hirsch; farther up the river towards See also:Pirna the royal summer palace See also:Pillnitz; to the south the Plauensche Grund, and still farther the Rabenauer Grund. History.—Dresden (Old Slav Drezga, See also:forest, Drezgajan, forests dwellers), which is known to have existed in 1206, is of See also:Slavonic origin, and was originally founded on the right bank of the Elbe, on the site of the See also:present Neustadt, which is thus actually the old town. It became the capital of See also:Henry the Illustrious, See also:margrave of Meissen, in 1270, but belonged for some time after his See also:death, first to See also:Wenceslaus of Bohemia, and next to the margrave of See also:Brandenburg. See also:Early in the 14th century it was restored to the margrave of Meissen. On the See also:division of Saxony in 1485 it See also:fell to the Albertine See also:line, which has since held it. Having been burned almost to the ground in 1491, it was rebuilt; and in the 16th century the fortifications were begun and gradually extended. John George II., in the 17th century, formed the Grosser Garten, and otherwise greatly improved the town; but it was in the first See also:half of the 18th century, under Augustus I. and Augustus II., who were See also:kings of Poland as well as See also:electors of Saxony, that Dresden assumed something like its present See also:appearance. The Neustadt, which had been burned down in the 17th century, was founded anew by Augustus I.; he also founded Friedrichstadt.

The town suffered severely during the Seven Years' War, being bombarded in 1760. Some damage was also inflicted on it in 1813, when See also:

Napoleon made it the centre of his operations; one of the buttresses and two arches of the old See also:bridge were then blown up. The dismantling of the fortifications had been begun by the See also:French in 181o, and was gradually completed after 1817, the space occupied by them being appropriated to gardens and promenades. Many buildings were completed or founded by King See also:Anthony, from whom Antonstadt derives its name. Dresden again suffered severely during the revolution of 1849, but all traces of the disturbances which then took place were soon effaced. In 1866 it was occupied by the Prussians, who did not finally evacuate it until the See also:spring of the following year. Since that time numerous improvements have been carried out. See See also:Lindau, Geschichte der See also:Haupt- and Residenzstadt Dresden (2 vols., Dresden, 1884-1885) ; PrOlss, Geschichte See also:des Hoftheaters in Dresden (Dresden, 1877); See also:Schumann, Fiihrer durch See also:die konigl. Sammlungen zu Dresden 1903) ; Woerl, Fiihrer durch Dresden ; See also:Daniel, Deutschland (1894).

End of Article: DRESDEN

Additional information and Comments

hi readers, me from Dresden, the beautifulest town i know. my english isn´t so good to translate this article. but i am happy to get them. and i want to say all readers, please come to my hometown and enjoy about all our sights. and take 8 weeks or better a half year. i show you all of my town, but don´t be sad if the time is over and you haven´t seen all. please welcome to Dresden, your personal sight seeing leader
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