CITY DESTINATION: Frauenkirche of Dresden

By Jorge Jefferds May 8, 2019

     Located only a couple of blocks south of the Elbe River in Dresden, surrounded by restaurants, steakhouses, and even by other landmarks such as a classic Martin Luther Statue and the Neumarkt area, the Frauenkirche of Dresden resurrected to the world in 2005. After being severely damaged during the World War II, the city of Dresden brought this Baroque-style church back to our modern era in the aforementioned year. 

Frauenkirche and Surroundings

     The name "Frauenkirche", which literally translates as "(Our) Lady's church", is by no means unusual: You will find a Frauenkirche or Liebfrauenkirche in around 100 cities throughout Germany, including Meißen, Munich, Nuremberg and Bremen. They can also be found in other European countries such as Belgium or France, where they are called "Notre Dame", or "Our Lady", and refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The original name of the Dresden Frauenkirche was ‘Unserer Lieben Frauen’, which dates back to the time the church was founded in the Middle Age. The name was shortened over time to ‘Frauenkirche’ and even retained after the Reformation despite the fact that the Protestant Church knows no adoration of the Virgin Mary. Thus, a "Frauenkirche" is a church that has been or is consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary. 

The Main Nave

     The Frauenkirche is regarded as the symbol of protestant church construction. The evangelical concept of faith and church service has been translated here into architectural form. The brave idea of a centralized church room integrated into an octagonal outline underneath a tremendous stone dome goes back to Geore Bähr, the first architect of its kind, who translated Luther's convictions into stone.

     The Frauenkirche is a sandstone church erected on a comparatively small base area. The structure is topped by four corner towers and crowned by a circular dome with a stone lantern. Seven doors lead into the main church; three of which (B, D and F) into the nave and four (A, C, E and G) via staircases in the four towers up to the galleries. George Bähr decided that none of these doors should be a special main entrance as all visitors should feel equally welcome no matter where they came from.

A Close-up of the Altar

     The present structure of the Frauenkirche is so impressive because its generally light façade is set off by a scattering of the original, darker-colored stones across many parts of its surface. The Frauenkirche will thus continue to bear witness to its own history for a long time to come. Old and new stones have been joined to give a clear, meaningful indication that the past is always part of the future and that wounds can heal. 

The Martin Luther Statue

     The Frauenkirche is crowned by a circular dome with a stone lantern. This dome is distinctive on many counts. Built totally of sandstone, it weighs in at more than 12,000 t. It is said to be the largest stone dome north of the Alps thanks to its height of 24 m and diameter of 26 m. The dome's shape is also unique with the curved base giving it a bell-like look, which is why the Frauenkirche was also nicknamed the ‘Stone Bell’. On top of the dome you find the so-called "lantern" to which all visitors climb up in order to enjoy the spectacular views from the viewing platform. Because of the open structure they can look into all four cardinal directions. Even further up is the lantern cover on top of which the new tower cross found its final place. Donated under the spirit of reconciliation by the British people, this replica is meant to be a representation of the old tower cross, which still displayed in the nave for peace after the destructive effects of the war. 

View from the Tower

     The Frauenkirche is an open house of God and man. It cordially welcomes all people to enjoy the beauty of the building and to receive the message of the church – building bridges, living reconciliation and strengthening faith.

     Normally, the Frauenkirche can be visited from Monday to Friday both in the mornings and the afternoons (between 10am and noon, and 1pm and 6pm). Visiting is also possible at the weekends. However, we strongly recommend that you inform yourself in advance about the times when the church is open through the event schedule. Times may have to be curtailed because of preparation for concerts platform building or rehearsals, or during the weekends, marriages, christenings and services are taking place.

Frauenkirche at Dusk

     Whilst the church is open, the main church area can be visited. The galleries might not be freely accessible, though. In order to get to know the Frauenkirche in its entirety, you can choose from various offers:

     Volunteer tour guides are available to answer questions. They can also tell you whether you can spontaneously join a guided tour. Audio guides can be hired for a small charge. In addition, different forms of material from tour guides for children to detailed brochures are offered for information. The Lower Church, as a place of serenity, is set aside for prayer and personal devotions. Normally, it is accessible at the times when the church is open. A small exhibition area informs also about the destruction and reconstruction of the church.

     For further details about Worship, Calendar of Events and more, you can visit https://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/