Good evening, its RR time! The last pic from the dome of Meissen; lets have a look into the crypt of the house WETTIN, Saxony`s leading noble family, who reigned over Saxony for nearly 900 years! The Wettin family is one of the oldest noble families of the old medieval Germany. The oldest known ancestor is DIETRICH I. (Thidrico), who died before 976. The family is named after castle WETTIN, situated near the german city Halle at the river Saale in Thuringia. In 1089 the house Wettin got the margraveship of Meissen, the later Saxony and reigned over Saxony (and other territories) till the end of World War I., when the last german emperor went into his exile to Holland and the German Reich became a republic. The occupation of the Soviet Red Army in 1945 ended the reignship of the Wettins in Saxony in real life and Saxony became part of the communistic Germany. House Wettin was a very great family and feuds were regular. The margraveship of Meissen existed till 1423. In 1485 the house Wettin divided itsself through a feud in two branches, which reigned over "Saxony" and "Thuringia", now provinces of recent Germany. Both parts of these branches exist till today. The Wettins were margraves of Saxony and Thuringia, kings of Poland, Portugal, Bulgary, Belgium and Great Britain; as prince-electors (1 of 9) they could vote the german kings and emperors. What a mighty dynasty! Recently they are one of the biggest land owners in Germany and they have strong family relationships in other countries: The recent king of Belgium, Albert, is member of the house Wettin although as her majestity, Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain (over the connection of house Windsor - house Hannover in Germany, which is part of Wettin) Inside the dome of Meissen are 164 graves of the mighty and noble, many of them members of house Wettin. Some of them are buried in the margraves`s chapel here, which was built in around 1400 at the westside of the dome by prince-elector FRIEDRICH DER STREITBARE "Friedrich the Angry". His bronce sarkophag is seen here in the middle, surrounded by other noble members of the house Wettin. The more modern wettin members are buried in the catholic church of Dresden, the recent capital of Saxony. Friends, another novel here, uff! Tomorrow some words about the white gold, the famous porcellaine of Meissen.... Thanks for your interest and your fine comments for my last pic. Please feel free to send some new. But at first: Enjoy! Good night and greetings from Berlin billcody