Hi friends! This is the heart of Dresden, the Frauen-Kirche (Women`s Church) Today, 15th february, it is exactly 67 years ago, when this 1726-1743 built jewel in baroque-style was destroyed. Back in the year 1945, 10 weeks befor this war ended: In the night of the 13th february 1945, Dresden was attacked by a great bomber fleet of the U.S. and the british airforce. 4 waves of bombers smashed the whole old city core of Dresden. Between 20 000 and 25 000 residents were killed in this horrible night, nobody knows exactly, and the firestorm lasted 2 days. Only the church had survived - and crashed two days later after burning out. For the people of Dresden it was very sad, it felt as a last, special kick-ass.... Please imagine: More than 60 years this place here was a big mount of stones and some ruined walls, nothing else. The government of the communistic GDR tried to rebuild the church since 1947, they collected and catalogised the stones, but there was no real chance for the whole time. They declared the mount as a memorial, a "monument against war". Many inhabitants of Dresden used it as a memorial place for their killed family members (after the great firestorm most dead bodies couldn´t be identified; they were burnt directly here at the place at great fires and have no graves) Dresden had gotten what Nazi Germany had done to other cities, too, for example COVENTRY in U.K., which was heavy bombed by the german Luftwaffe and lost its cathedral, too. In 1959 Dresden and Coventry began a partnership and then a city friendship. It was Dresdens first and Coventry was a strong signal and a symbol. After the fall of the Berlin wall some residents of Dresden had the idea to rebuild the Frauenkirche and began to realise it. The reconstruction works lasted from 1996 till 2005. The price was 180 million Euro, and people from Germany and from all parts of the world gave donations, more then 120 millions. More than 1 million came from the U.K. ("Dresden Trust"), and even the queen and her family gave donations. The residents of Dresden love their "Women`s Church", it gives them back their hearts and their souls, and after this story you know why... Dear friends, thanks for your nice comments and the two favs for my last pic; I am happy about, of cource, but more important is the little kick to do things better; they are very helpful. So thank you again. Greetings from Berlin, whereever you live. billcody