Dresden Frauenkirche: German Baroque

The Dresden Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, is a Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of state of Saxony, Germany. Originally this church was a Roman Catholic church until it became Protestant during the Reformation, the current Baroque building was purposely built Protestant. This building is a good example of Protestant sacred architecture, featuring one of the largest domes in Europe. Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden during World War II. The remaining ruins were left as a war memorial.

The interior is decorated with baroque influences, very ornate. The interior is a shell for painting, sculpture and stucco with large-scale ceiling frescoes within the dome of the structure. The front alter Combines architecture, sculpture and painting into an integrated, unified whole which is bel composto. 

 The church was rebuilt after the reunification of Germany. Using original plans from builder Georg Bähr in the 1720s, reconstruction finally began in January 1993 under the direction of church architect and engineer Eberhard Burger. The church – except for its dome – was rebuilt using original material and plans, with the help of modern technology. The foundation stone was laid in 1994, the crypt was completed in 1996 and the inner cupola in 2000.

The exterior has elements from the baroque era, broken pediments, pilasters with capitals, and the ballastre along the cornice of the building.

Additional Sources:


http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de//language/nb-DE/Default.aspx/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5OuOaKeBJI


http://www.dresden.de/en/05/035_frauenkirche.php