Church of Frauenkirche (Dresden). Frauenkirche (Church of the Theotokos): description, history

The administrative center of Saxony, the city of Dresden, because of the wealth of its architecture in literature, was called "Florence on the Elbe". Monuments of Baroque architecture made the city famous throughout the world.

The third in the list of attractions

The palace and park complex Zwinger, the Palace of Markolini and the Japanese Palace, the Kreuzkhirhe Church are far from all the legendary sights of Dresden. Frauenkirche (St. Mary's Church) is the brightest of them. It ranks third in the list of the main unique sites in Dresden and throughout Germany. The main and largest Lutheran church of the city has an extraordinary and mysterious history, rooted in the 11th century, to the time when the Slavic people lived in Dresden (or Luzhichans - the West Slavic people, Lusatian Serbs).

History of occurrence

On the site of the Frauenkirche church (Dresden), long before the founding of the city itself, there was the same small church. A century later, around 1142, there was a cult structure, made in the Romanesque style (in the 15th century the tower was built up). By 1722 it had decayed so much that it was not subject to reconstruction, because of what the decision was made to demolish it. The magnificent cathedral, erected on a vacant site in 1726-1742 and designed for 3,500 seats, is just one of those architectural monuments in the Baroque style, which is famous for Dresden. Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church. It was erected on the orders of Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), the King of Poland and the Saxon Elector (imperial prince). Initially, it was conceived as an object that was bound to eclipse the Catholic cathedrals, although Augustus himself was a Catholic.

Main Lutheran Church

A huge, but elegant temple after its discovery became a symbol of the Reformation (the struggle in Western Europe in the 16th century against Catholicism and papal authority). Frauenkirche (Dresden) was originally transferred to the city's Lutheran community of the city. Dresden is indicated in parentheses because the same church exists in Munich. It can be added that it was in this cathedral that the famous German composer Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672) was buried. After the demolition of the original church, his grave was lost, but in the restored cathedral there is a mention of the burial.

Bright distinctive feature

The height of the Church of St. Mary is 95 meters. It is visible from every corner of the city, especially from Carolbrucke (the Carola bridge). From this perspective, the church especially shakes the imagination of its greatness. The famous German architect George Beru (1666-1738) managed to create a masterpiece of baroque art, which Dresden takes pride in. Frauenkirche (church) stands out from all the buildings of the city with its unique huge 12-ton dome (among the ones built entirely of stone, it is the largest in the world), which has no additional supports inside the building.

Engineering solutions ahead of time

The design of the dome of the amazing Dresden building, which at that time was a construction miracle, was incredibly strong. According to historical evidence, during the Seven Years' War, the artillery of Prussian King Frederick II released about 100 shells specifically over the dome, which, because of the strength of the structure, did not cause the dome any slightest harm. Destroy it was able only American aircraft, which destroyed on February 13, 1945, almost the whole of Dresden. Frauenkirche also turned into ruins. In general, on the square of Neumarkt, except for some miraculously preserved monument to Martin Luther, there was not a single building left.

Movement for recovery

The fiery whirlwind, whose temperature reached 1,400 degrees, destroyed everything. But the melted parts of the body protected the amazing altar of the church, he took refuge in a peculiar cocoon. This is why the details of the altar were preserved, and they were used to restore it. Since 1989, the movement of a not indifferent public started under the name of "Action-Frauenkirche", which was headed by Ludwig Güttler, the world-renowned trumpeter and conductor. To restore the church gathered for donations, and they did in the amount of $ 100 million from 26 countries. But close to the restoration of this cathedral began only after the unification of Germany, specifically in 1996.

The only surviving

Restoration by archaeological reconstruction continued until 2005. Today, this facility can not be called a new building, if only because it was possible to use 43% of the building material of the old building, it was built according to original, historical drawings. A small wooden bell-shaped bell was installed next to the construction site from the moment the work began. In it hung the only surviving bell (from the former four), made in 1732. In general, the history of the bells of this church deserves a separate article.

Beautiful inside and out

The cathedral outside is faced with slabs of sandstone warm tones. In them, similar parts of the burnt down building are mounted. The ancient plates are darker and give the building a unique appearance, and also serve as a reminder of the tragic fate of the cathedral.

The Frauenkirche church in Dresden is famous not only for its exalted majesty, but also for its rich interior decoration. The light yellow color of the walls creates a solemn atmosphere, full of air and appeasement. The height of the inner part of the dome is 26 meters. It is divided into eight sectors, decorated with paintings and gold. In four of them, the evangelists are depicted, in the remaining are depicted the allegories of Christian virtues - Faith, Hope, Love and Mercy. Magnificent restored in the original beauty of the altar, over which there is an organ. In the center of the altar is a sculptural picture depicting the prayers of Christ on Good Friday night on the Mount of Olives. The entire reconstruction cost the country 180 million euros.

The Church in our day

The Frauenkirche church is the present Evangelical-Lutheran cathedral. Attractive church and the fact that it regularly sounds wonderful organ-bell concerts. A year in the church of St. Mary give about 130 concerts. After the restoration on the dome is equipped with a beautiful observation deck, which makes it possible to look at Dresden from the height of the dome. Frauenkirche as a cathedral and as a place of panoramic review is very popular among residents and visitors of the city.

On weekdays, the cathedral and its observation deck are open to visitors from 10 to 18 hours, on Saturday from 12-00. The rise costs 8 euros, for retirees and students there are discounts.