The Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church in Dresden Germany
The Frauenkirche (IPA: [ˈfʁaʊənˌkɪʁçə], Church of Our Lady) is a Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. Destroyed during the Allied firebombing of Dresden towards the end of World War II, the church was reconstructed between 1994 and 2005.
The current structure is the third church building to stand at this site. The earliest was founded as a Catholic church before being converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. It was replaced in the 18th century by a larger Baroque Lutheran building. Considered an outstanding example of Protestant sacred architecture, it featured one of the largest domes in Europe. It was originally built as a sign of the will of the citizens of Dresden to remain Protestant after their ruler had converted to Catholicism. Having been reconstructed, it now also serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.
Credit and thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial footage.
The current structure is the third church building to stand at this site. The earliest was founded as a Catholic church before being converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. It was replaced in the 18th century by a larger Baroque Lutheran building. Considered an outstanding example of Protestant sacred architecture, it featured one of the largest domes in Europe. It was originally built as a sign of the will of the citizens of Dresden to remain Protestant after their ruler had converted to Catholicism. Having been reconstructed, it now also serves as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.
Credit and thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial footage.
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00:00The Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, is a Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of
00:12the German state of Saxony. Destroyed during the Allied firebombing of Dresden towards
00:17the end of World War II. The church was reconstructed between 1994 and 2005. The current structure
00:24is the third church building to stand at this site. The earliest was founded as a Catholic
00:29church before being converted to Protestantism during the Reformation. It was replaced in
00:34the 18th century by a larger Baroque Lutheran building. Considered an outstanding example
00:39of Protestant sacred architecture, it featured one of the largest domes in Europe. It was
00:44originally built as a sign of the will of the citizens of Dresden to remain Protestant
00:48after their ruler had converted to Catholicism. Having been reconstructed, it now also serves
00:54as a symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies. After the destruction of
00:59the church in 1945, the remaining ruins were left for nearly half a century as a war memorial.
01:05Following decisions of local East German leaders. Following the reunification of Germany, it
01:10was decided to rebuild the church, starting in 1994. The reconstruction of its exterior
01:15was completed in 2004, and the interior the following year. The church was reconsecrated
01:21on 30 October 2005 with festive services lasting through the Protestant observance of Reformation
01:27Day on 31 October. The surrounding Neumarkt Square with its many valuable Baroque buildings
01:33was also reconstructed in 2004. The Frauenkirche is often called a cathedral, but it is not
01:38the seat of a bishop. The Church of the Landsbischof of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony
01:44is the Church of the Cross. Once a month, an Anglican Evensong is held in English, by
01:49clergy from St. George's Anglican Church, Berlin. Dresden market with the Frauenkirche,
01:55The 1749-1751 painting by Bernardo Bellotto, a church dedicated to Our Lady, Kirche zu
02:01unser Liebfrauen, was first built in the 11th century in a Romanesque style. Outside the
02:07city walls and surrounded by a graveyard, the Frauenkirche was the seat of an archpriest
02:11in the Meissen diocese until the Reformation, when it became a Protestant church. This first
02:17Frauenkirche was torn down in 1727 and replaced by a new, larger church with a greater capacity.
02:23The Frauenkirche was rebuilt as a Lutheran, Protestant parish church by the citizenry.
02:29Even though Saxony's prince-elector, Frederick August I, had converted to Catholicism to
02:34become king of Poland. He supported the construction which not only gave an impressive cupola to
02:39the Dresden townscape but also reassured the Saxonians that their ruler was not going to
02:43force the principal quius regio, eius religio upon them. The original Baroque church was
02:49built between 1726 and 1743 and was designed by Dresden's city architect, George Barr,
02:56who did not live to see the completion of his greatest work. Barr's distinctive design
03:01for the church captured the new spirit of the Protestant liturgy by placing the altar,
03:05pulpit, and baptismal font directly center given the entire congregation. In 1736, famed
03:12organ maker Gottfried Silbermann built a three-manual, 43-stop instrument for the church. The organ
03:18was dedicated on the 25th of November and Johann Sebastian Bach gave a recital on the
03:22instrument on the 1st of December. The church's most distinctive feature was its unconventional
03:28high dome, 67 meters high, called die Steinernglöck or stone bell, an engineering feat comparable
03:34to Michelangelo's dome for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Frauenkirche's 12,000-ton sandstone
03:41dome stood high resting on eight slender supports. Despite initial doubts, the dome proved to
03:46be extremely stable. Witnesses in 1760 said that the dome had been hit by more than 100
03:52cannonballs fired by the Prussian army led by Friedrich II during the Seven Years' War.
03:57For more than 200 years, the bell-shaped dome stood over the skyline of Old Dresden, dominating
04:02the city.
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