Dresden

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Coordinates: 51°02′N, 13°44′E

Dresden
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
Administrative region	Dresden
District	urban district
Population	500,068 [1] (2006)
Area	328.30 km²
Population density	1,523 /km²
Elevation	113 m
Coordinates	51°02′ N 13°44′ E
Postal code	01001 to 01462
Area code	0351
Licence plate code	DD
Mayor	Lutz Vogel (stand-in for Ingolf Roßberg)
Website	dresden.de

Dresden (Sorbian: Drježdźany; etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest) is the capital city of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The city's population is 500,000 (2006) and the population in greater Dresden is 1.25 million. Dresden is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area, with an overall population of over 3.2 million.

Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with extraordinary cultural and artistic splendor. The controversial bombing of Dresden in World War II and 40 years within the Soviet bloc state of East Germany changed the face of the city dramatically.

Since German re-unification, Dresden has emerged as a cultural, political, and economic centre in the eastern part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Location 1.2 Surroundings 1.3 Nature 1.4 Climate 1.5 Flood protection 1.6 City structuring 2 History 2.1 Early and pre-war history 2.2 Post-war period (communist rule) 2.3 Post-reunification 2.4 Military history 3 Government and politics 3.1 Municipality and city council 3.1.1 City council 3.1.2 Burgomasters and municipality 3.2 Local affairs 3.3 Sister cities 3.4 Coat of arms 4 Culture and architecture 4.1 Entertainment 4.2 Museums, presentations and collections 4.3 Architecture 4.3.1 Royal household 4.3.2 Sacral buildings 4.3.3 Contemporary architecture 4.3.4 Other buildings 4.4 Cinemas and cinematics 5 Infrastructure and economy 5.1 Infrastructure 5.1.1 Transport 5.1.2 Public utilities 5.2 Economy 5.2.1 Facts and figures 5.2.2 Enterprises 5.2.3 Media 5.3 Education and science 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 9 Further reading

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography and urban development of Dresden

[edit] Location

Dresden lies on both banks of the river Elbe, mostly in the Dresden Elbe Valley Basin, with the further reaches of the eastern Ore Mountains to the south, the steep slope of the Lusatian granitic crust to the north and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the east at an altitude of about 113 meters. The highest point of Dresden is at about 384 meters in altitude.

With a pleasant location and a mild climate on the Elbe, as well as Mediterranean architecture, Dresden was given the sobriquet "Elbflorenz" (Florence of the Elbe).

The incorporation of neighboring rural communities over the past 60 years has made Dresden the fourth largest urban area in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. The most important river in Dresden is the Elbe river, the only navigable body of water to flow through the city. There are also a number of tributaries such as the river Weißeritz.

[edit] Surroundings

The nearest German cities are Chemnitz (80 km to the southwest), Leipzig (100 km to the northwest) and Berlin (200 km to the north). The Czech capital Prague is about 150 km to the south; the Polish city of Wrocław is about 200 km to the east. There are some medium-sized towns such as Pirna (40,000 inhabitants), Freital (40,000), Radebeul (33,000 inhabitants) and Meißen (28,000 inhabitants) in the borough of Dresden. Riesa and Freiberg are not far away.

Greater Dresden, which spreads in the neighbouring districts of Kamenz, Meißen, Riesa-Großenhain, Sächsische Schweiz, Weißeritzkreis and in small parts in the district of Bautzen, has a population of around 1,250,000 inhabitants.^[2]

[edit] Nature

Due to the many rural districts it has incorporated, among other things, Dresden is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with 63% of the city being green areas and forests. The Dresden Heathland ("Dresdner Heide") in the north of Dresden is a cohesive forest of 50 km² in size. There are four nature reserves in Dresden. The additional Special Areas of Conservation cover an area of 18 km². The protected gardens, parkways, parks and old graveyards host 110 natural monuments in the city.^[3] The Dresden Elbe Valley is a world heritage site which is focused on the conservation of the cultural landscape in Dresden. One important part of that landscape is the Elbe meadows which cross the city, 20 kilometers long.

[edit] Climate

Dresden lies in a climate zone of cold-moderate climate crossing over to a continental climate while most of the city is in the Elbe valley, where the microclimate differs from that on the slopes and in the highlands. Klotzsche, at 227 metres above sea level, is one of the higher districts of the city. Klotzsche hosts Dresden weather station. According to experience, the weather in Klotzsche is 1-3°C colder than the inner city's climate. Especially in summer the nights are well-temperatured in the city: Temperatures of 25°C at midnight are no exception.

The average temperature in January is −0.7°C and in July 18.1°C.^[4] Summers are hotter in Dresden and winters are colder than the German average. The inner city's average monthly temperatures are at 10.2°C per year. The driest months are February and March, with precipitation of 40 mm. The most precipitation falls in July and August, at 60 mm per month.

[edit] Flood protection

Due to its location on the banks of the Elbe and where some water sources from the Ore Mountains flow to, flood protection is an important aspect of the city's development. Large areas are kept free of buildings to provide a floodplain. Two additional trenches of about 50 metres in width have been built to keep the inner city free of water from the Elbe river by dissipating the water downstream through the inner city's gorge portion. Flood regulation systems like detention basins and water reservoirs are almost all outside the city area.

However many locations and areas have to be defended by walls and sheet pilings. A number of districts in Dresden become waterlocked if the Elbe river is flooding some of its old bayous.

[edit] City structuring

Dresden is a spacious city, not only due to the most recent incorporations in the 1990s. The districts of the city differ in their structure and appearance. Many parts of city still contain an old village core, while some quarters are almost completely preserved as rural settings. Other characteristic kinds of urban areas are the historic outskirts of the city, the former suburbs with dotted housing. In Socialist times a lot of apartment blocks were built. Not unsurprisingly, the districts in Dresden are a mix of all these kinds of area. The original parts of the city are almost all in the districts of Altstadt (Old town) and Neustadt (New town). Growing outside the city walls, the historic outskirts were built in the 18th century. They were planned and constructed on the instruction of the Saxon monarchs, which is why the outskirts are often named after the sovereigns. From the 19th century the city only grew by incorporating other districts. Dresden has been divided into ten districts called "Ortsamtsbereich" and nine former boroughs ("Ortschaften") which have been incorporated.

[edit] History

Although Dresden is a younger city of slavic origin it's areas were settled already in the neolithic by some Linear Pottery culture tribes around 7500 BC. Dresden's foundation and early rising is implicated by the German eastward expansion, the mining in the nearby Ore Mountains and the Margraviate of Meissen.

[edit] Early and pre-war history

An ancient Slavic settlement known as Drežďany ("alluvial forest dwellers") was the archetype of naming a German settlement Dresdene on the southern bank. The Slavic part remained independent until and was later called Altendresden (Old Dresden). Dietrich, Margrave of Meissen chose Dresden as his interim residence in 1206 which is documented in a record paper calling the place "Civitas Dresdene".

Since 1270 Dresden became the capital of the margravate. Later the city became the property of the King of Bohemia and the Margraves of Brandenburg. It was restored to the Wettin dynasty in about 1319. From 1485 it was the seat of the dukes of Saxony, and from 1547 the electors as well.

The Elector and ruler of Saxony Frederick Augustus I was King August the Strong of Poland in personal union. Warschau still remained capital of Poland but since then Dresden was also known as Drezno in Poland. Under his rule European porcelain was invented in Dresden and Meißen. He gathered many of the best architects and painters from all over Europe to Dresden; the city also experienced a vibrant blossoming of musical life at this time, particularly under the direction of Johann Adolph Hasse. His reign marked the beginning of Dresden's emergence as a leading European city for technology and art. His son Frederick August II also was King of Poland in personal union. During his reign the city was seat of a treaty that ended the Second Silesian War, and suffered heavy destructions in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763).

Between 1806 and 1918 the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony (which was a part of the German Empire from 1871). During the Napoleonic Wars the French emperor made it his base of operation, winning here a famous battle on August 27 of that year.

During the 19th century, the city became a major center of industry, including automobile production, food processing, and the production of medical equipment. The city also developed into an important center for the international sale of art works and antiques. The city's population quadrupled from 95,000 in 1849 to 396,000 in 1900 as a result of industrialization. In the early 20th century Dresden was particularly well-known for its camera works, such as Ihagee and Pentacon, which produced the Praktica, and the cigarette factories, one of which was in the impressive Yenidze, a building with a multicoloured glass roof shaped like a mosque which still stands today. Between 1918 and 1934 Dresden was capital of the first Free State of Saxony.

The city has suffered repeated destruction: by fire in 1491, from bombardment by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1760, and during the suppression of the constitutionalist May Uprising in 1849 and the destructive Allied bombing raid of February 1945.

[edit] Post-war period (communist rule)

After the Second World War, Dresden became a major industrial center in communist East Germany with a great deal of research infrastructure. Many important historic buildings were rebuilt, although the communists leaders of the city chose to reconstruct large areas of the city in a bland socialist modern style for economical and ideological reasons, namely to break away from the city's past as the royal capital of Saxony and a stronghold of the German bourgeoisie. However, some of the bombed-out ruins of churches were razed by Soviet authorities in the 1960s instead of being repaired. From 1985 to 1990 the KGB stationed Vladimir Putin, the incumbent President of Russia, in Dresden.

On 3 October 1989, (the so-called "battle of Dresden"), a convoy of trains carrying East German refugees from Prague passed through Dresden on its way to West Germany. Local activists and residents, joined in the growing civil disobedience movement spreading across East Germany by staging demonstrations and demanding the removal of the non-democratic government. The fact, that the violent riot in Dresden was used for propaganda, indicated peaceful protest and revolution in the following months.

[edit] Post-reunification

Dresden has experienced dramatic changes since the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s. The city still has many of its wounds from the bombing raids of 1945 but Dresden has undergone significant reconstruction in recent years. The most important urban renewal/reconstruction project was the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady") and the surrounding Neumarkt district. The church, once the city's symbol and considered the world's finest Protestant church, was rebuilt following German reunification in 1991 from the remaining pile of rubble of the original church's ruins thanks to private and corporate donations. It was completed in 2005, a year before Dresden's 800th birthday. The new Frauenkirche was rebuilt according to historical drawings and photographs and is now open to public service since Reformation Day 2005. Despite the inner city's almost total destruction in World War II, many areas in the central city have been restored to their former glory. The urban renewal process in Dresden will continue for many decades but public and government interest remains high and there are numerous large budget projects underway — both historic reconstructions and modern plans — that will continue the city's recent architectural renaissance.

Nevertheless Dresden remains a major cultural center of historical memory, owing to the city's destruction in World War II. Every year on 13 February, the anniversary of the major British fire-bombing raid that destroyed most of the city, tens of thousands of demonstrators gather to commemorate the event. Similar ceremonies held during the period of communism were specifically directed at demonizing the Western Allies, above all the United States. Since reunification, the tone of the ceremonies has taken on a more neutral and pacifist tone. In recent years, however, right-wing extremist skinheads have tried to instrumentalize the event for their own political ends. Affiliated with the radical right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), they cite the bombing of Dresden in order to portray Germans as the real victims of the Second World War, and try to take advantage of anti-American sentiment to do it. In 2005, Dresden was host to the largest Neo-Nazi demonstration in the post-war history of Germany. Between five and eight thousand Neo-Nazis took part, mourning what they call the Allied bomb-holocaust (German: Alliierter Bombenholocaust).

In 2002, torrential rains caused the Elbe to flood 9 m, past its 1845 record height, damaging many landmarks (See 2002 European flood). The destruction from this "millennium flood" is no longer visible, due to the rapidity of reconstruction. Disaster relief for the millennial flood came from around the world. In April 2006 the river flooded again, but did not reach 8 meters. Though not as significant economically as the 2002 flood, some homes and businesses were again flooded - only 4 years after the last such disaster.

In 2004 the United Nation's cultural organization UNESCO declared Dresden and the surrounding section of the Dresden Elbe Valley to be a "World Heritage" site. After beeing set on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites in 2006, the city is most likely going to lose the "title" in July 2007 due to the construction of the Waldschlößchenbrücke. The UNESCO stated in 2006 that the bridge will destroy the cultural landscape. The attempts of the city's council not to build the brigde failed juristically.

[edit] Military history

In the metropolitan function of a German principality and kingdom, Dresden has been a military centre for centuries. Implicated by the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, a large military facility called Albertstadt was constructed. The facility has had a capacity of up to 20,000 military personal at the beginning of the First World War. The garrison was only restricted used between 1918 and 1934 but then reactivated in the preparation for the Second World War. It was not attacked in the bombings of Dresden but restricted in its functions by attacks on the railway network in the last month of war.

The Albertstadt garrison became the headquarter of the Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany after the war. Except the German officer school of the army called Offizierschule des Heeres there are no more military units in Dresden since the army merger during German reunification and fallback of the soviet forces in 1992.

[edit] Government and politics

Main article: Government of Dresden

[edit] Municipality and city council

[edit] City council

The city council defines the basic principles of the municipality by decrees and statutes. The council gives orders to the burgomaster by voting for resolutions and thus has some executive power. It is elected by the citizenry for a legislature of five years by an election system of three votes per citizen. There an advisory councils for local affairs of senior citizens and immigrants. The ten Ortsamtsbereiche (districts) have an advisory council which has to be heard in district affairs. The Ortschaften (former boroughs) have even smaller councils, which can decide even more freely in local affairs.

Currently there is no persistent governing majority in the city council of Dresden. Decisions and majorities of the council depending on the political subjects.

[edit] Burgomasters and municipality

The Supreme Burgomaster is directly elected by the citizens for a term of seven years. Executive functions are normally elected indirectly in Germany. However, the Supreme Burgomaster shares a lot of executive rights with the city council. Governing majorities can be in opposition to the Supreme Burgomaster. He is the head of the municipality, is responsible for the city's operative affairs, and is ceremonial representative of the city. The highest departments of the municipality are managed by seven burgomasters. The First Burgomaster (currently the burgomaster of culture) is also the deputy to the Supreme Burgomaster.^[5] The municipality is divided into seven departments and the Mayor's Office.^[6]

The current Supreme Burgomaster Ingolf Roßberg was convicted in the criminal cases of embezzlement and abetted bankruptcy in the first instance. He has been given a suspended sentence and was suspended from his position by a higher authority. The First Burgomaster and burgomaster of culture Lutz Vogel is standing in for him.

[edit] Local affairs

Local affairs in Dresden often center around the urban development of the city and cityspaces. Architecture and design of public places is a specifically controversial subject. The discussion of the Waldschlößchenbrücke, which is a planned bridge crossing the Elbe river, received international attention due to it crossing the Dresden Elbe Valley World Heritage Site. Opponents of the bridge are concerned that its construction would cause the loss of the status of a World Heritage site.^[7] The city held a public referendum on whether to build the bridge in 2005.

In 2006 Dresden sold its publicly subsidized housing organization, WOBA Dresden GmbH, to the US-based private investment company Fortress Investment Group. The city received 987.1 Million Euros and paid off its remaining loans, making it the first large city in Germany to become debt free. Opponents to the sale were concerned about Dresden's loss of control on the subsidized housing market^[8]

The construction of a new soccer stadium has been in planning for several years but has not yet been realized. The earliest start date for upgrading the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion is in spring 2007.

[edit] Sister cities

Along with its twin city Coventry, Dresden was one of the first cities to twin with a foreign city. The two cities became twins after World War II in an act of reconciliation as both had been nearly destroyed by bombing during the war.

• Coventry, United Kingdom, since 1959
• Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1961
• Wrocław, Poland, since 1963
• Skopje, Macedonia, since 1967
• Ostrava, Czech Republic, since 1971
• Brazzaville, Congo, since 1975
• Florence, Italy, since 1978
• Hamburg, Germany, since 1987
• Rotterdam, Netherlands, since 1988
• Strasbourg, France, since 1990
• Salzburg, Austria, since 1991
• Columbus, Ohio, USA, since 1992

[edit] Coat of arms

Blazon: Party per pale on a golden shield showing a black lion to dexter and two black pales to sinister. The lion is looking to dexter and has a red tongue. The city's colours are derivatively black and yellow (Or).

Meaning: The lion was representing the Margraviate of Meissen and the pales called the Landsberger Pfähle were representing the Mark Landsberg both ruling the city of Dresden. Since 1309 both coat of arms in combination are verifiably in use. The pales were originally blue but converted to black to differentiate from the two other important Saxon cities of Leipzig and Chemnitz having very similar coat of arms.

[edit] Culture and architecture

Dresden is seeking to regain the kind of cultural importance it held from the 19th century up until the 1920s when it was a centre of both fine and visual arts, architecture and music. During that period, famous artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix, Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Strauss, Gottfried Semper and Gret Palucca were active in the city. Dresden also is home to several important art collections, world-famous musical ensembles and significant buildings from various architectural periods, many of which were rebuilt after the destruction of the Second World War.

Main article: Culture in Dresden

[edit] Entertainment

The Saxon State Opera descended from the opera company of the former electors of Saxony in the Semperoper. Its musical ensemble is the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden which was founded in 1548. The State Theatre Dresden runs a number of smaller theatres. The Dresden State Operetta is the only independent operetta in Germany. The Herkuleskeule (Hercules' club), an important site in the German-speaking political cabaret.

There are some choirs in Dresden of which the Kreuzchor (Choir of The Cross) is the best known. It is a boy's choir consisting of pupils of the Kreuzschule and was founded in the 13th century. The Dresdner Kapellknaben are not related to the Staatskapelle but to the former Hofkapelle which is the Catholic cathedral since 1980. The Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra is the orchestra of the city of Dresden.

In Summer 2006, as part of Dresden's 800th Anniversary celebrations, the Pet Shop Boys performed together with the Dresdner Sinfoniker (symphony orchestra) on the pedestrian mall at Prager Strasse. The back drop for the performance was a GDR-era concrete apartment block upon which a light show was displayed.

[edit] Museums, presentations and collections

Dresden hosts the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) which is one of the world's most important museums and collections. The art collections consist of eleven museums of which the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Grünes Gewölbe are the best known.

Other museums and collections owned by the Free State of Saxony in Dresden are:

• The Deutsche Hygiene-Museum was found for mass education in hygiene, health, human biology and medicine.
• The Military Historical Museum of the Bundeswehr in the former garrison in the Albertstadt
• The Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (State Museum of Prehistory)
• The Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden (State Collection of Natural History)
• The Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden (Museum of Ethnology)
• Dresden City Museum
• The "Universitätssammlung Kunst + Technik" (Collection of Art and Technology of the Dresden University of Technology)
• Verkehrsmuseum Dresden (Transport Museum)

[edit] Architecture

Although Dresden is often said to be a Baroque city, its architecture is influenced by more than one style. Other eras of importance are the Renaissance and Historism as well as the contemporary styles of Modernism and Postmodernism.

[edit] Royal household

The royal buildings are among the most impressive buildings in Dresden. The Dresden castle was once the home of the royal household. The wings of the building have been renewed, built upon and restored many times. Due to this segued integration of styles, the castle is made up of elements of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist styles.

The Zwinger Palace is just on the other side of the road from the castle. It was built on the old stronghold of the city and was converted to a centre for the royal art collections and a place to hold festivals. Its gate (surmounted by a golden crown) by the moat is a very famous part of the building.

Other royal buildings and ensembles:

• Brühl's Terrace was a gift to Heinrich, count von Brühl and became an ensemble of buildings above the river Elbe
• Dresden Elbe Valley with the Pillnitz Castle and other castles

[edit] Sacral buildings

The Hofkirche was the church of the royal household. August the Strong, who wanted to became King of Poland, was forced to convert to the Catholic religion, as the Polish king had to be Catholic. At that time Dresden was strictly Protestant. August the Strong ordered the building of the Hofkirche to establish a sign of religious importance in Dresden. The church is the cathedral "Sanctissimae Trinitatis" since 1980. The church hosts the crypt of the Wettin Dynasty. In contrast to the Roman-catholic church the Frauenkirche was build almost contemporaneously by the citizens of Dresden. It is said to be the greatest cupola building in Central and North Europe. Furthermore, the Frauenkirche is the largest church in Dresden, leading Dresden to be one of the few places where a cathedral is not the largest Christian sacral building. The cities historic church is the Kreuzkirche. Nevertheless, there are also other churches in Dresden, for example a Russian Orthodox Church in the district Südvorstadt.

[edit] Contemporary architecture

Dresden has been an important site for the development of contemporary architecture for centuries, and this trend has naturally extended into the 20th and 21st centuries.

Historicist buildings made their presence felt on the cityscape until the 1920s. One of the youngest buildings of that era is the Hygiene-Museum, which is designed in an impressively monumental style but employs plain facades and simple structures. It is often but wrongly attributed to the Bauhaus school.

Most of the present cityscape of Dresden was built up after 1945, a mix of reconstructed or repaired old buildings and new buildings of the modern and postmodern styles of the second half of the 20th century. Important that were established between 1945 and 1990 are the Centrum-Warenhaus (a large department store) representing the international style, the Kulturpalast and a lot of smaller and two bigger complexes of Plattenbau habitation while there is also habitation build in the era of the Stalinist architecture.

After 1990 and German reunification, new styles emerged. Important contemporaly buildings are the New Synagogue (which is a postmodern building with only few windows), the Transparent Factory, the Saxon State Parliament and the New Terrace, the UFA-Kristallpalast cinema by Coop Himmelb(l)au (one of the biggest buildings of Deconstructivism in Germany) and the Saxon State Library. Daniel Libeskind and Norman Foster both change existent building. Norman Foster roofed the Dresden Hauptbahnhof with translucent teflon-coated synthetics. Daniel Libeskind changes the hole structure of the Military History Museum by placing a wedge through the historistic arsenal building.

[edit] Other buildings

Other buildings include important bridges crossing the Elbe river as there are the Blaues Wunder bridge and Augustusbrücke which is on the oldest location of a bridge in Dresden.

There are about 300 fountains and springs in Dresden were they are often placed in parks or on squares. The wells only serve in a decorative function since there is a fresh water system in Dresden. Springs and fountains are also elements in contemporary cityspaces.

The most famous sculpture in Dresden is the golden equestrian sculpture of August the Strong called the "Goldener Reiter" (Golden Cavalier) on the Neustädter Markt square. It shows August at the beginning of the Hauptstraße (Main street) on its way to Warsaw where he was King of Poland in personal union. Another sculpture is the memorial of Martin Luther in front of the Frauenkirche.

[edit] Cinemas and cinematics

There still a lot of small cinemas and theatres of cinematic arts offering a programme of cult films and current films of low budget or weak promotion that were selected by their cultural worth. Dresden also has a couple of Multiplex Cinemas of which the Rundkino is the oldest. The cinema build in a circular building is today again in order as a three-dimensional cinema.

Dresden has been a centre in the production of animated films and of the optical cinematic techniques. The Dresden Filmfest hosts a contest of short subjects which is among the most endowed contests in Europe.

[edit] Infrastructure and economy

In 1990 Dresden — an important industrial centre of East Germany — had to struggle with the economic collapse of the Soviet Union and the other export markets in eastern Europe. East Germany had been the richest Communist country but was faced with competition from western Germany after reunification. After 1990 a completely new law and currency system was introduced in the wake of Communism's downfall, and eastern Germany's infrastructure was largely rebuilt with funds from western Germany. Dresden as a major urban center has developed much faster and more consistently than most other regions in the former East Germany, but the city still faces many social and economic problems which stem from the collapse of the communist system, including high unemployment levels.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transportation in Dresden

The Bundesautobahn 4 (European route E40) crosses Dresden in the northwest from west to east. The Bundesautobahn 17 leaves the A4 in a south-eastern direction. In Dresden it begins to cross the Ore Mountains towards Prague. The Bundesautobahn 13 leaves from the three-point interchange "Dresden-Nord" and goes to Berlin. The A13 and the A17 are on the European route E55. Several Bundesstraße roads crossing or running through Dresden.

There are two main inter-city transit hubs in the railway network in Dresden: Dresden Hauptbahnhof and Dresden-Neustadt railway station. The most important railway lines run to Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Chemnitz. A commuter train system (Dresden S-Bahn) operates on three lines alongside the long-distance routes.

Dresden Klotzsche Airport is the international airport of Dresden, located at the north-western outskirts of the town in the district of Klotzsche. Its infrastructure has been improved by new terminals and a motorway access route.

Dresden has a large tramway network that is operated by the Dresden Transport Authority. Because the geological bedrock does not allow the building of underground railways, the tramway is very important in public transport in Dresden. The Transport Authority operates twelve lines on a 200 km network.^[9] Many of the new low floor vehicles are up to 45 metres long and produced by Bombardier Transportation in Bautzen. While many tracks in the system are on separated roadbeds (often with grass grown around them to avoid noise) some tracks are still placed on the streets especially in the inner city.

The CarGoTram is a tram that supplies Volkswagen's Transparent Factory, crossing the city. The transparent factory is located not far from the city centre next to the city's largest park.^[10]

[edit] Public utilities

Dresden is the capital of a German Land (federal state). It is home to the Saxon state parliament and the ministries of the Saxon government. The controlling Constitutional Court of Saxony is in Leipzig. The highest Saxon court in civil and criminal law, the Higher Regional Court of Saxony, has its home in Dresden.

Most of the Saxon state authorities are located in Dresden. Dresden is home to the Regional Commission of Dresden, which is a controlling authority for the Saxon Government. It has judicial superintendence over eight rural districts, two urban districts and the city of Dresden.

Just like many cities in Germany, Dresden is also home to a local court, has a trade corporation and a Chamber of Industry and Trade and many subsidiaries of federal agencies (such as the federal labour office or the Federal Agency for Technical Relief). Additionally, Dresden hosts some subdepartments of German Customs and the eastern Federal Waterways Directorate.

Dresden is also home to a military subdistrict command but no longer has large military units as it did in the past. Dresden is the traditional location of army officer schooling in Germany which is today carried out in the Offizierschule des Heeres.

[edit] Economy

Until famous entreprises like Dresdner Bank left Dresden in the socialists era to avoid their nationalization, Dresden has had a huge importance among German cities. The period of the GDR until 1990 was characterised by low economic growth in comparison to west German cities. The entreprises and production sites broke down almost completely as they entered the social market economy. Since then the economy of Dresden is on a way of recreation.

Main article: Economy of Dresden

[edit] Facts and figures

The unemployment rate fluctuates between 13 and 15% and is still relatively high today. Nevertheless, Dresden is the city that has developed the most effectively in all of East Germany and has raised its GDP per capita to 31,100 euro, which is equal to the GDP per capita of some poor West German communities (the average of the 50 biggest cities is around 35,000 euro).^[11]

The economy of Dresden involves extensive public funding. Due to extensive public funding of technology, the rate of highly-qualified is around 20%. Due to its dynamism, among other factors, the economy of Dresden is ranked among the best ten cities in Germany to live in.^[12]

[edit] Enterprises

Three major sectors can be seen as dominating the Dresden economy:

The semiconductor industry was built up in 1969. Major enterprises today are AMD, Infineon Technologies (now partly owned by Qimonda), ZMD and Toppan Photomasks. Their factories attract many suppliers of material and cleanroom technology enterprises to Dresden.

The pharmaceutical sector came up at the end of the 19th century. The Sächsisches Serumwerk Dresden (Saxon Serum Plant, Dresden), which is owned by GlaxoSmithKline, is a world leader in vaccine production. Another traditional pharmacy producer is the Arzneimittelwerke Dresden (Pharmaceutical Works, Dresden).

A third (traditional) branch is that of mechanical and electrical engineering. Major employers are the Volkswagen Transparent Factory, EADS Elbe Flugzeugwerke (Elbe Aircraft Works), Siemens and Linde-KCA-Dresden.

Tourism is another branch with high revenue and many employees. There are 87 Hotels in Dresden, which is a famous site of heritage tourism.

[edit] Media

The media in Dresden includes two major newspaper: The Sächsische Zeitung (circulation is around 300,000) and the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten (circulation is around 50,000). Dresden has a broadcasting center of the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. The Dresdner Druck- und Verlagshaus (Dresden printing plant and publishing house) prints parts of the Spiegel circulation among other newspapers and magazines.

[edit] Education and science

Dresden is home to a number of renowned universities, but among German cities is a more recent location for academic education.

The Technische Universität Dresden with almost 35,000 students (2004)^[13] was founded in 1828 and is among the oldest and largest Universities of Technology in Germany. It is currently the university of technology in Germany with the highest count of students but also has many courses in social studies, economics and other non-technical sciences. It offers a huge spectrum of 126 courses.

The University of Applied Sciences Dresden was founded in 1992 and had about 5,300 students in 2005.^[14]

The Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden was founded in 1764 and is famously known for its former professors and artists such as George Grosz, Sascha Schneider, Otto Dix, Oskar Kokoschka, Canaletto, Carl-Gustav Carus, Caspar David Friedrich and Gerhard Richter.

The Palucca School of Dance was founded by Gret Palucca in 1925 and is a major European school of free dance.

The Carl Maria von Weber University of Music was founded in 1856.

Other universities include the "Hochschule für Kirchenmusik", a school specializing in church music, the "Evangelische Hochschule für Sozial Arbeit", an education institution for social work, the "Fachhochschule der Wirtschaft" and the "Offizierschule des Heeres". The "Dresden International University" is a privately founded post-graduate university, founded a few years ago in cooperation with the Dresden University of Technology.

Moreover, Dresden hosts many research institutes of which some have gained an international standing. The domains of most importance are micro- and nanoelectronics, transport and infrastructure systems, material and photonic technology as well as bio-engineering. The institutes are well connected among one other as well as with the academic education institutions.

The Max Planck Society focuses on fundamental research. In Dresden there are three Max Planck Institutes (MPI); the "MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics", the "MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids" and the "MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems"

The Fraunhofer Society hosts institutes of applied research that also offer mission-oriented research to enterprises. With eleven institutions or parts of institutes, Dresden is the largest location of the Fraunhofer Society worldwide.^[15] The Fraunhofer Society has become an important location factor and is seen as a serviceable part of the "knowledge infrastructure".

Dresden is home to the

• Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Sintered Materials IKTS
• Fraunhofer Institute for Electron and Plasma Technology FEP
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS (developers of the MP3 audio format)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS
• Fraunhofer Center Nanoelectronic Technologies CNT (in cooperation with Qimonda and Advanced Micro Devices)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS,
• Fraunhofer Applications Center for Processing Machinery and Packaging Technology AVV
• Fraunhofer Institute for Transport and Infrastructure Systems IVI as well as
• branches of other Fraunhofer Institutes headquartered elsewhere in Germany.

The Leibniz-Gemeinschaft operates a research centre in Rossendorf which is the largest complex of research facilities in Dresden, located a short distance outside the urban areas. It still focuses on nuclear medicine. "Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research" and the "Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research" are in the material and high technology domain while the "Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development" is focused on more fundamental research into urbanism.

[edit] See also

• Statistical overview of the Dresden facts and figures
• Bombing of Dresden in World War II

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Important institutions

• Official homepage of the city
• Dresden International Airport
• Technische Universität Dresden

Important cultural institutions

• Dresden State Art Collections
• Semper opera house
• Dixieland Jazz Festival
• German Hygiene Museum

Tourism and business

• Dresden travel guide from Wikitravel
• Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt
• Congress Dresden
• Official incoming service
• GermanPlaces - Dresden

Media, webcams and information

• Dresden City Panoramas
• City Map of Dresden
• Livecam Dresden downtown
• 3D-Dresden-Panorama-sight
• Dresden: the making of a baroque city

[edit] Further reading

• Dresden: Tuesday, 13 February, 1945 by Frederick Taylor, 2005; ISBN 0-7475-7084-1
• Dresden and the Heavy Bombers: An RAF Navigator's Perspective by Frank Musgrove, 2005; ISBN 1-84415-194-8
• Return to Dresden by Maria Ritter, 2004; ISBN 1-57806-596-8
• Dresden: Heute/Today by Dieter Zumpe, 2003; ISBN 3-7913-2860-3
• Destruction of Dresden by David Irving, 1972; ISBN 0-345-23032-9
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, 1970; ISBN 0-586-03328-9
• "Disguised Visibilities: Dresden/"Dresden" by Mark Jarzombek in Memory and Architecture, Ed. By Eleni Bastea, (University of Mexico Press, 2004).
• La tutela del patrimonio culturale in caso di conflitto Fabio Maniscalco (editor), 2002; ISBN 88-87835-18-7