It's often referred to locally as Elbflorenz , or "Florence on the Elbe", reflecting its location on the Elbe river and its historical role as a centre for the arts and beautiful architecture - much like Florence in Italy. While Florence flourished during the early renaissance, the Golden Age of Dresden was in the 18th century when, under August the Strong and his son, Friedrich August II, Saxony was a rich and important state and the rulers invested in lavish architectural projects in their capital and supported artists of worldwide renown.
At the end of World War II in Europe , Dresden suffered catastrophic damage from Allied bombing, and then lost much of its remaining architectural heritage at the hands of East German city planners. However, the city has managed to resurrect some of its charm by rebuilding various landmarks. The reconstruction of the famous Frauenkirche was completed just in time for the what was marketed as the city's th birthday in dated from the first mention in extant historical documents, as is common in Germany.
Today, Dresden remains a charming, relaxed and in many ways beautiful city and has become a very popular tourist destination, in addition to being a regional economic, political and academic centre. About ten million tourists visit Dresden annually, most from within Germany. Dresden is over years old, having become a city in Many Saxon princes, dukes and kings called Dresden home, the most famous of them being August der Starke Augustus the Strong , who was also King of Poland.
The many buildings and rich art collections that date from this era, are testimony to the monarchs' extreme wealth. Raphael's Sistine Madonna , a famous oil painting of the Virgin Mary, was bought by the son of August the Strong, and is on display in Dresden.
The last Saxon king abdicated in , famously saying " macht doch euern Dregg aleene " roughly translated from the original Saxon as "do your dirty work yourselves" when he did so. Three quarters of the historical centre of Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombing on 13 February Between 20, and 30, people died in the firestorms; the exact number is unknown.
