Dresden Infoservice

Dresden. Definitely different.
Dresden for the
mind and spirit
Infoservice Winter 2015
Contents
Dear Friends of Dresden
2
3
We wish you a healthy, happy and successful 2015.
On the traces of Martin Luther
Ten years on from restoration
to the heart of Dresden
4 Dresden’s Kreuzchor:
Musical ambassador to the world
5 Cranach & Son: Painters of the
Reformation
6 Diversity: Dresden – a city in
which many religions coexist
7Competition
8
8
Tourism Contacts and Offers
Legal Notice
The media are currently giving blanket coverage to demonstrations taking place all over Germany, and that includes Dresden.
This is a city that can look back on 800 years of history and on the
way in which it has survived the toughest of times, including major
wars, always dusting itself off and carrying on regardless. A city
that is appreciated by many visitors from home and abroad for its
beauty, its rich legacy and, not least, for the immense hospitality
of the local people. An attractive tourist destination, a location
where businesses can prosper, and a place where people can
study, research and live well.
On that note, you may rest assured that visitors and new citizens
from home and abroad will always receive a warm welcome. Your
local partners in the tourism industry such as hotels, restaurants
and cultural amenities will greet you with their customary
high-quality service and genuine cordiality.
And in line with our application to become European Capital of
Culture in 2025, the capital city of Saxony is laying on some really
impressive events this year. We invite you to join us. This edition of
Infoservice will tell you more.
Your Dresden Marketing Board
On the traces of Martin Luther
The life of Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) and the story of Dresden are closely intertwined, because the
great Reformer spent most of his life in the Electorate of Saxony. Luther was still an Augustinian monk
when, on 31st October 1517, he made history by nailing his 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, a city which in those days was still part of Saxony. He also left traces of his two visits to the city of Dresden in 1516 and 1518. For example, he preached
to the Saxon royal court in the castle chapel. Luther’s activities had far-reaching consequences; two
decades later, Saxony was to become the first sovereign state to officially implement the Reformation.
In 1539, the first Protestant church service in Dresden was conducted in the German language in the
presence of Prince Elector Johann Friedrich and Duke Heinrich in the Church of the Holy Cross. A rich
Protestant heritage flourishes in Dresden to this day.
Press contacts
Book Museum at the
Saxon State and University
Library (SLUB)
Katrin Nitzschke
Buchmuseum@­slubdresden.de
Dresden Marketing Board
Christoph Münch
christoph.muench@­
marketing.dresden.de
Our recommendations
44 Visitors to Dresden encounter Martin Luther in a prominent location. Since 1885, a statue of the reformer has dominated the Neumarkt open space in front of the Frauenkirche. The sculpture was created
by Adolf von Donndorf and cast in bronze at the local bell foundry owned by Christian Albert Bierling.
The head of the figure was designed by sculptor Ernst Rietschel. After sustaining damage during the
­Second World War, the Luther Memorial was re-erected in 1955. Extensive restoration work was carried
out between 2003 and 2004.
44 Martin Luther’s own handwritten copy of his first lecture as professor of theology at Wittenberg –
Commentarius in psalmos Davidis (1513 – 1516) – is kept along with the part score of Bach’s Mass in B
minor in the vault of the Book Museum at the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB).
44 On the traces of Martin Luther in Dresden in 1 Day is the name of a tourist trail devised by the city
of Dresden. It takes in all of the main places where the influence of the Reformer can still be detected
today. The tour begins at the world famous Zwinger and includes museums and galleries such as the Old
Masters with its magnificent works of art and the Green Vault in the Royal Palace which houses one of
the largest princely treasures of the world, also calling in at the Hofkirche (Catholic Cathedral) and the
Protestant Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross). Lunch is taken in the baroque Sophienkeller Restaurant named after the oldest Protestant church in the city, which was demolished by the East German
communist government in 1964. The tour ends with a memorable visit to one of the major Dresden cultural venues such as the Frauenkirche or the Semperoper. Tourist trail
Info
44 Book Museum at the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB)
44 For a more detailed text on Luther and the Dresden connection
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
www.slub-dresden.de
www.mediaserver.dresden.de
Picture:
The famous Luther statue in
front of the Frauenkirche in
Dresden was sculpted and
cast to a design by Dresden
artist Ernst Rietschel.
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 2
Ten years on from restoration to the heart of Dresden
Ten years ago, the Frauenkirche was reinstated as Dresden’s main landmark, once again dominating the
skyline with its distinctive dome. Until the Second World War, the church built by George Bähr was the
spiritual and musical centre of the city. After the Allied bombing raids of 13th February 1945, the burntout shell collapsed in a heap of rubble. For more than 40 years, the ruin served as a memorial and a
warning to future generations of the consequences of war. In 1989, however, a citizens’ initiative made
the case for reconstruction – and very convincingly too. The citizens’ initiative was formalised as
the ­Gesellschaft für den Wiederaufbau der Dresdner Frauenkirche (Society for the Reconstruction
of the Frauenkirche), and its membership swelled to 5,600 in more than 20 countries. Donations
amounting to more than € 100 million came in from well over a million individuals.
Our recommendations
44 Under the banner headline Kommt, und geht in Frieden! 10 Jahre Leben in der Frauenkirche
(Come, and go in peace! 10 years of life in the Frauenkirche), the restored house of worship marks its
­anniversary in 2015 with more than 130 concerts, 160 church services, 550 devotions and numerous
lectures. The celebrations reach their climax during a ten-day festival between 22nd and 31st October.
44 The organ in the baroque Frauenkirche was one of the finest ever built by Gottfried Silbermann. In
­December 1736, Johann Sebastian Bach gave a concert on the newly installed organ while the church
was still in the final phase of construction. Every October, the Frauenkirche honours his memory with
the Frauenkirchen-Bachtage (Frauenkirche Bach Festival). Separate from the annual festival is the
BACHzyklus (Bach Cycle). Resident organist Samuel Kummer has joined with Frauenkirche cantor
­Matthias Grünert to work their way through the entire organ works of Bach on 20 evenings spread over
two years (next dates: 28th February, 27th March, 6th April).
44 Once a month (usually the third Sunday on the calendar), the evening service at 6 PM takes the form
of Anglican evensong celebrated in English (next dates: 15th February, 15th March, 19th April).
44 Two exhibitions will be staged in Dresden to mark the 70th anniversary of the air raids which devastated the city centre. The artist Yadegar Asisi has created a 360-degree panorama inside the asisi Pano­
meter showing the aftermath. Meanwhile, the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr is putting
on a special exhibition entitled Slaughterhouse 5, which takes the literary works of Kurt Vonnegut,
­Martin Walser and other authors as a starting point to examine and interpret the destruction of Dresden.
Info
44 Frauenkirche Dresden www.frauenkirche-dresden.de
44 Frauenkirchen-Bachtage · 3rd – 10th October 2015 www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/musik
44 asisi Panometer · Dresden 1945 – Tragedy and Hope of a European City (until 31st May 2015)
www.asisi.de
44 Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr · Slaughterhouse 5 – Literary Testaments to the
­Destruction of Dresden (until 12th May 2015) www.mhmbw.de
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
Press contacts
Frauenkirche Dresden
Grit Jandura
presse@frauenkirchedresden.de
asisi GmbH
Karsten Grebe
karsten.grebe@asisi.de
Military History Museum
of the Bundeswehr
Alexander Georgi
pressestelle@­
mhmbundeswehr.de
Picture:
The juxtaposition of pale and
dark stones in the external
walls of the Frauenkirche
is a stark reminder of the
destruction which this building sustained and is a symbol
to the world of reconstruction,
renewal and peace.
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 3
Dresden’s Kreuzchor: Musical ambassador to the world
Dresden is home to the Kreuzchor, one of the most famous and longest-established of all boys’ choirs.
Alongside the Leipzig-based Thomaner choir, it ranks as one of the most prestigious and traditional of
all Protestant musical institutions. The choir, which is made up of 150 boys aged nine to 18 years, sings at
the Sunday morning service (9.30 AM) and at Saturday Vespers (5 PM) in Dresden’s Kreuzkirche (Church
of the Holy Cross). In 2016, the Kreuzchor will be celebrating its 800th anniversary. The origins of the choir
date back to 1216 when the first mention is made in contemporary records of Dresden as a city. In 1539,
the choir transferred its allegiance to the Protestant denomination. That same year, it sang at the first fully
Protestant service which officially marked the establishment of Luther’s Reformation in Dresden.
Press contacts
Kreuzchor
Christian Schmidt
presse@kreuzchor.de
Heinrich Schütz Musikfest
Carsten Gerth
carsten.gerth@mittel
deutsche-barockmusik.de
Our recommendations
44 The 2016 anniversary will be celebrated in style. In addition to various festival concerts in the Kreuzkirche, the Kreuzchor will be performing at the 2016 Dresden Semper Opera Ball and at the International
Bach Festival in Dresden. Nine guest tours are planned that will take the boys from Germany via Salzburg to New York.
44 The choir is to be especially commended for the way it has nurtured the legacy of Heinrich Schütz,
widely considered to be the ‘Father of Protestant Church Music’, having performed many of his ecclesiastical works in the Kreuzkirche. Schütz was Kapellmeister in Dresden for more than 50 years. He was
eventually laid to rest in the old Frauenkirche, but his tomb was lost when this building was demolished
in 1727. An inscription in the floor of the present-day Frauenkirche and a relief in the Kreuzkirche now
commemorate this first German composer of European standing.
44 As part of the project to restore the Neumarkt area, Heinrich Schütz’s former residence in Frauengasse has been rebuilt. The wall: the Restaurant Henricus, which now occupies the house in which
­Heinrich Schütz lived, is one of the top dining establishments in Dresden. Through a glass wall, diners
can watch as the chefs prepare and cook a fascinating array of international dishes. The Henricus Spa
pampers its guests with massages, fragrant baths and a spacious sauna suite.
44 The annual Heinrich Schütz Musikfest is held in honour of the composer. This year’s festival is dedicated to the complex relationship between music and painting and to the way in which these art forms
provide mutual inspiration. The concerts will take place in various towns and cities in central Germany
which have some connection or other to Schütz, namely Dresden, Bad Köstritz, Weissenfels and Halle.
Info
44 Dresdner Kreuzchor · Concert at the Kreuzkirche as part of the Dresden Music Festival (6th June 2015) ·
Advent Concert of the Ten Thousand Voices (Glücksgasstadion, 18th December 2015) www.kreuzchor.de
44 Restaurant Henricus www.restaurant-henricus.de
44 Heinrich Schütz Musikfest · 1st – 10th November 2015 www.schütz-musikfest.de
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
Picture:
The Dresdner Kreuzchor,
one of the world’s most
­famous boys’ choirs, will
soon be celebrating its
800th anniversary.
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 4
Cranach & Son: Painters of the Reformation
Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 – 1555) is widely regarded as the outstanding painter of the Reformation.
The artist maintained a close friendship with the founder of this religious movement, Martin Luther. Indeed, when Luther married the former nun Katharina von Bora in 1525, Cranach was his best man. Today,
the Dresden Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) holds one of the largest collections of works by him and his son, Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515 – 1586), as well as others emanating
from their workshop. Visitors to the gallery can embark on a colourful journey back in time to the Germany of almost 500 years ago when Luther not only caused a major upheaval in the Christian faith with his
95 Theses but also effectively brought the Middle Ages to an end and ushered in the Renaissance p
­ eriod.
Starting in May, art lovers will have yet another good reason for making a day trip to the city of Torgau,
about 1 ½ hours drive north of Dresden. That’s when the 1st national special exhibition with its unique historical exhibits from the Reformation opens in this former residence of the Saxon royal family.
Press contacts
1st national special exhibition
Torgau Information Center
info@tic-torgau.de
Dresden State Art Collections
Dr Stephan Adam
presse@skd.museum
Our recommendations
44 Luther and the Princes: This is the theme of the 1st national special exhibition to commemorate
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation from 15th May to 31st October 2015. At Hartenfels Castle in
Torgau on the River Elbe, the Dresden State Art Collections will be presenting numerous works of art as
well as historical documents illustrating the political dimension of the Reformation. The picturesque
backdrop of Renaissance Torgau has been chosen for a reason: the castle chapel was the first Protestant
church building to be consecrated by Martin Luther in person.
44 The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) in Dresden has 58 works by Lucas
Cranach the Elder and the Younger, as well as other paintings completed in their workshop. The collection
therefore ranks as one of the most significant of 15th- and 16th-century German art. Masterpieces by
­Lucas Cranach the Elder include the Dresden Triptych showing The Martyrdom of St Catherine (1506),
and the Double Portrait of Duke Henry the Pious and his wife Duchess Catherine of Mecklenburg (1514).
Works by his son include Hercules Awakes and Drives off the Pygmies, The Sleeping Hercules Beset by
Pygmies (both 1551), the portraits of Prince Alexander, Princess Elisabeth, Princess Elector Anna and
Prince ­Elector Augustus of Saxony (1554 – 1565), The Crucifixion (1573) and Elijah and the Prophets of
Baal. The quincentenary of Cranach the Younger’s birth is being celebrated this year.
Info
44 1st national special exhibition · Schloss Hartenfels in Torgau · 15th May – 31st October 2015
www.skd.museum
44 Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) · Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
(Dresden State Art Collections) · 10 AM – 6 PM, closed on Mondays www.skd.museum
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
Picture:
David and Bathsheba. This oil
painting on linden panel by
Lucas Cranach the Elder is
displayed in the Dresden
Old Masters Picture Gallery.
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 5
Diversity: Dresden – a city in which many religions coexist
For many centuries now, people of different religions and denominations have been living together
peacefully in Dresden. One of the reasons for this can be traced back to the year 1697 when the Saxon
Elector Prince Augustus the Strong converted to Catholicism in order to ascend to the Polish throne.
­Because as a Protestant, his coronation would have been blocked by the Polish nobility. Rather than
­demanding of his Saxon subjects that they also convert – as was common practice in those times –
­Augustus allowed his people to remain Protestant. Since then, Dresden has been a welcoming environment to a diverse range of world philosophies.
Our recommendations
44 Religious art in all its guises is on display at the Dresden State Art Collections. The Gemäldegalerie
Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) derives its global reputation from the presence of such
­outstanding works as Raphael’s Sistine Madonna and Correggio’s Holy Night. The Türckische Cammer
(Turkish Chamber) holds one of the ­oldest and most important collections of Ottoman art outside
­Turkey, while the Damaskuszimmer (Damascus Room) in the Japanese Palace affords an insight into
the rich colours and highly ornamental decor of Arabic interiors (the Damaskuszimmer is currently
­being renovated but will reopen in spring).
44 The New Synagogue of the Jewish community is located on the banks of the Elbe, at the eastern
end of Brühl’s Terrace. It was completed in 2001. Members of the public interested in seeing inside can
register for a guided tour.
44 The onion domes of the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Simeon the Stylite dominate the skyline
south of the main railway station. The sacred structure on Fritz-Löffler-Strasse looks particularly exotic
in close proximity to the university and surrounded by student halls of residence.
44 The Hofkirche (Catholic Cathedral) on Theaterplatz is a prominent feature of the famous Dresden
‘Elbe Panorama’. Built between 1739 and 1755 in the Baroque style, it was severely damaged in the air
raids of 1945. Reconstruction was completed in 1965. Today, it serves as the cathedral for the Diocese of
Dresden-Meissen.
44 You wouldn’t be the first person to mistake the Yenidze for a Muslim house of worship. Although it
looks like a mosque, it was in fact built in 1908/09 as a cigarette factory. Today, diners in the Kuppelrestaurant can enjoy beautiful views of the city.
44 A rather unusual recommendation for tourists interested in cultural and historical sites is a visit to
Dresden’s cemeteries where many well-known exponents of early 19th-century German Romanticism
are buried. Of particular interest are the cemeteries in Loschwitz and Tolkewitz.
Press contacts
Dresden State Art Collections
Dr Stephan Adam
presse@skd.museum
Jewish Community
in Dresden
sekretariat@
jg-dresden.org
Hofkirche
(Catholic Cathedral)
info@kathedraledresden.de
Kuppelrestaurant
in the Yenidze
info@kuppelrestaurant.de
Info
44
44
44
44
44
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) www.skd.museum
New Synagogue www.jg-dresden.org
Russian Orthodox Church of the Saint Simeon the Stylite www.orthodox-dresden.de
Hofkirche (Catholic Cathedral) www.kathedrale-dresden.de
Kuppelrestaurant in the Yenidze www.kuppelrestaurant.de
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
Picture:
The New Synagogue adjacent
to Brühl’s Terrace has served
the Jewish community of
Dresden as a place of worship
since 2001.
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 6
Competition
Several cities are marking the quincentenary of the birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger this year with
special exhibitions. One of the world’s largest and most important collections of paintings by the two
Cranachs and from their workshop is to be found in Dresden. The German National Tourist Board has
identified this anniversary as an important theme, closely linked to another which is due to be
­celebrated in 2017, namely 500 years since the start of the Reformation. What specific event does this
anniversary refer to?
a) Luther’s refusal to renounce his writings in the presence of the German Emperor Charles V at the
Diet of Worms. The large Luther statue in Worms was sculpted by Ernst Rietschel from Dresden and his
students who also mainly came from the city.
b) On 31st October in the German city of Wittenberg, Luther published his 95 Theses against the abuse
of indulgences. The Dominican friar Johann Tetzel had raised substantial funds for the construction of
St Peter’s Basilica in Rome with the snappy rhyming slogan Sobald das Geld im Kasten klingt,
die Seele in den Himmel springt! (As soon as your money is in the collection box, your soul will be
winging its way to heaven). His reported birthplace in the historic town of Pirna near Dresden is still
­preserved.
c) Martin Luther published the German Mass and Order of Divine Service. Thirteen years later, Dresden’s
first Protestant service was held in the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross), sung by the Dresdner
Kreuzchor. The old Church of the Holy Cross was destroyed by Prussian artillery bombardment in 1760.
The present building was completed in 1800 but sustained damage in the air raids of 1945. It was
­subsequently rebuilt with the somewhat plainer interior you see today.
Please send us an e-mail with your name and postal address to
presse@marketing.dresden.de
You can win an English-language catalogue of the Old Masters Picture Gallery together with the German-­
language version (text by Bernhard Maaz): Cranach in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden.
The money value of the prize is € 40.
Picture:
Hercules Awakes and Drives
off the Pygmies. This oil
­painting on linden panel is by
Lucas Cranach the Younger
(born 4th October 1515).
Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
presse@marketing.dresden.de page 7
Tourism Contacts and Offers
DRESDEN
INFORMATION
For tourism services, inquiries and offers
please contact the Dresden Information.
Dresden Information at the Frauenkirche
Neumarkt 2, 01067 Dresden
Opening times:
Mon to Fri: 10 AM – 7 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sun and Holidays: 10 AM – 3 PM
Dresden Information in the
Main Railway Station
Wiener Platz 4, 01069 Dresden
Opening times:
Mon to Sun: 9 AM – 7 PM
Service Center
Mon to Sun: 9 AM – 6 PM
Tel.: +49 351 501 501
Fax: +49 351 501 509
info@dresdeninformation.de
www.dresden.de/tourismus
Further information
Please use our Mediaserver for photos,
texts, audios and video material.
www.mediaserver.dresden.de
Visit Dresden on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/Dresden.Marketing
Follow us on Twitter.
www.twitter.com/DD_Marketing
Follow us on Google+.
http://plus.ly/dresden
Legal Notice
Published by
Dresden Marketing Board
Messering 7, 01067 Dresden, Germany
Phone: + 49 351 50173-0
Fax: + 49 351 50173-111
info@marketing.dresden.de
www.marketing.dresden.de
Managing Director: Dr. Bettina Bunge
Chair of the Supervisory Board: Helma Orosz
Local court: Dresden HRB 27229
VAT No: 201/107/09642
Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden
A/c No: 31 00 33 28 99
Sort code: 850 503 00
Editors
Christoph Münch / Karla Kallauch
Dresden Marketing Board,
Press and PR
christoph.muench@marketing.dresden.de
Sandstein Kommunikation GmbH
www.sandstein.de
Photos
Page 1: Agentur Opium effect; page 2: Christoph Münch;
page 3: Christoph Münch (left), Stiftung Frauenkirche
Dresden, Photo: Gunter Bähr (right); page 4: Dresdner
Kreuzchor; page 5: Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staat­
liche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Photo: Klut; page 6:
Christoph Münch; page 7: Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister,
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Photo: Elke Estel
and Hans-Peter Klut
The Dresden Infoservice newsletter is issued as a
direct marketing service.
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Sandstein Kommunikation GmbH, Dresden
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Dresden Infoservice Winter 2015
presse@marketing.dresden.de