Around 12,000 people on Monday gathered in Dresden and joined hands to form a human chain in a message of "peace and reconciliation" marking the anniversary of the deadly firebombing of the city by Allied forces towards the end of the Second World War. 

The act aimed at reminding the participants of the brutal bombing, considered one of the Allied forces more controversial acts during the war. 

"In this world, several conflicts are being carried out in a warlike manner and human rights are being trampled on," said Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert. 

"This suffering affects us directly in a globalized world," he added, placing a white rose on a memorial of the controversial attack. 

However, Hilbert also recalled the atrocities committed by the Nazi dictatorship, questioning why many of the city's citizens lacked humanity for the "destitute" of that time, whether a "Jew, homosexual or an oppositionist." 

This recollection "has to strike the bridge into the present," the Dresden mayor said. 

The firebombing of Dresden on February 13 and 14, 1945 is believed to have left approximately 25,000 people dead, according to an official study conducted in 2008. 

Since 2014, the city has witnessed a surge in far-right activism, with rallies organized by anti-Islamization group PEGIDA pulling thousands of demonstrators and counter-protests. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Magnificent building on the Elbe This famous oil painting from 1751 by the Venetian artist Bernado Bellotto, also called Canaletto, shows Dresden's Frauenkirche church and the new market.  Construction on the Baroque "Church of Our Lady" began in 1726.  The protestant church became part of a plan by Saxony's prince-elector, Frederick August I, to turn his residential city of Dresden into a European metropolis. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche A unique dome The reconstruction of the dome in the 1990s followed the original plans.  Some 13,000 tons of sand stone were built onto a wooden frame.  The Baroque dome from 1736 was a masterpiece designed by architect George Bährs.  Back then, no one believed that the church pillars and walls would withstand the weight of the bell-shaped stone dome. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Delicate ceiling paintings The Frauenkirche covers the equivalent of half of the surface of a soccer field.  Due to this lack of space, architect George Bähr designed up towards the sky.  If you cast your eyes upwards when in the church, you'll see paintings in the cupola depicting the four Evangelists and four Christian virtues: an identical copy of what was originally created by the Venetian artist Battista Grono. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Destruction during the war On February 13, 1945, British and US fighter planes started firebombing Dresden's inner city.  The church withstood the heat generated by the incendiary bombs for two days, until it eventually collapsed.  All that remained of this jewel of European church architecture were the remnants of two walls.  The 17-meter high rubble heap surrounding the ruins were left untouched until 1993. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche A symbolic ruin Communist East Germany often organized rallies to commemorate the destruction of Dresden.  In 1966, the remnants of the church were officially declared a memorial against war.  On the anniversary of the bombing, February 13, 1982, the ruins became the site of a peaceful protest movement against the East German regime, making the church ruin part of a growing civil rights movement. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Post-reunification energy On February 13, 1990, a citizens' initiative founded by Ludwig Güttler (pictured sitting on the left side), a noted Dresden musician, began raising funds to rebuild the Frauenkirche.  Four trusts in the US, France, Britain and Switzerland and some 13,000 people worldwide supported this drive.  An exhibition in the lower church shows the story of its reconstruction. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Archeological puzzle To reconstruct the church in 1993, hundreds of architects, art historians and engineers began sorting the thousands of stones in the rubble heap, identifying and labeling each of them for reuse.  The actual reconstruction work began in 1994.  Some 46 percent of the original stones were reused in the new structure.  By looking closely, it is easy to identify them in the walls of the rebuilt church. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Place of honor in the crypt The final resting place of the church's architect re-emerged from under the rubble after having been buried for 48 years.  The remains of George Bährs were preserved.  Today, his restored tomb can be viewed in the lower church.  It is surrounded by the graves of other local dignitaries who were also buried in the crypt during the 18th century. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Baroque altar From the chancel, you can see the impressive number of figurines standing in the altar.  They were rebuilt using fragments, like those of this statue of Moses and the Ten Commandments.  Nearly 80 percent of the altar was made using the original materials, making it the best preserved section of the church. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche Church and concert hall For the past 10 years, up to 1,800 people find space in the light-flooded interior of the church.  Church services and concerts are held here.  This tradition goes as far back as 1843, when the famous composer Richard Wagner premiered the only piece he ever composed for choirs, "The Feast of Pentecost."  It was performed by some 1,200 singers. 

The history of Dresden's Frauenkirche The old and new landmark It cost around 183 million euros ($200 million) to rebuild the church, and of this sum, about 100 million came from donations.  The historical streets surrounding the church were also restored to their former glory.  With nearly 20 million visitors from Germany and abroad in the past 10 years, Dresden's Frauenkirche has become a tourist magnet.  Author: Frederike Müller / sbc



ls/kl (AFP, dpa)