I'm lucky enough to work in the city of Dresden in Germany a
couple of times per year. I've been going back and forth there since 2008.
When I mention the city of Dresden, to the average
non-German, the first topic that is usually said in response is about the
almost complete destruction of the city by Allied bombers in the Second World
War. This was destruction so severe that it caused a firestorm which sucked
oxygen from protective basements suffocating thousands, and lifted people from
their feet into tornados of swirling fire. It's an apocalyptical image so
terrible that it is difficult to imagine. After the Second World War, Dresden
became a part of East Germany and placed under Soviet Rule until the
revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe – a little known fact outside of Dresden
is that up to the fall of communism, Vladimir Putin was head of the KGB (secret
police) in Dresden.
Historically Dresden dates back to the 12th Century, it has
been visited by Napoleon and was the home to many rulers and kings, most
notably King Augustus II the Strong (actually of Poland). With such a rich history
the city's Old Town (Alstadt) reflects this with magnificent buildings
including the Zwinger Palace, Semper Opera House, Dresden Palace, Church of our
Lady (Frauenkirche) and Catholic Cathedral.
The bombing of the city in the Second World War, caused
almost complete destruction, most historic buildings were either flattened, or the
sandstone bricks simply disintegrated in the heat.
Reconstruction following the war has seen these former
magnificent buildings recreated in their original form, occasionally you can
see black bricks in the buildings – these are the original bricks that were
rescued from the bombed rubble.
In June 2019, I was lucky enough to be invited to Dresden to
work with on a social media project with a superb local events and marketing
company, Know-How Event & Marketing GmbH and also to meet with colleagues from
the nearby University of Cooperative Education in nearby Riesa to work on an Erasmus+
relationship.
It just so happened that I was in Dresden on the 21st
of June for the Summer Solstice. Armed with my walking pole mounted Hero7, I
wandered the almost empty streets of the Alstadt as the sun rose. It was an
absolutely beautiful experience to see this fabulous city bathed in the glow of
the rising sun, without tourists, seemingly having the Old Town to myself. Here
is a little bit of film that I made during my walk around, I hope you enjoy
watching it, as much as I enjoyed making it.
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