Frauenkirche in Dresden, Germany

Postmarked Briefzentrum 04, dated 10 April 2009.
Dresden - Frauenkirche
1726-1743 von Georg Bähr erbaut - 1945 zerstört
Wiederaufbbau 1992-2005
Zentralansicht Orgel und Altar

Photos Jörg Schöner.

The church survived the bombing at the end of the war but collapsed the next day. For a time the ruins were preserved in a similar way to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral in England, but because the ruins continued to decay, it was rebuilt as a symbol of reconciliation between warring nations.

The reconstruction started in 1993 using the original plans and as much as possible of the material left in the ruins. Many of the original stones were used and two thousand pieces of the original altar were built into the new one. The older stones look different from the new ones and give a mottled appearance to the church until in time they all become a uniform colour.  It is a story very well worth reading if you follow the link. The final piece of the rebuilding, the cross for the dome, was made in London, exhibited in several churches in England before being put into place on 22 June 2004, the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

Once a month a service is held in English. It is a very popular tourist destination, having thousands of visitors a day.