Dresden Infoservice
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Dresden. Definitely different. Dresden 2015/16 – Must-sees Infoservice Contents Dear Friends of Dresden, Dresden is a city that has featured in various film productions – 2 Autumn and winter highlights for example the Zwinger Palace as a backdrop in Grand Budapest 4 A must-see for lovers of the arts Hotel and Cinderella. But good as the cinema is, it doesn’t com- 5 Discover Dresden in Hollywood pare with real life. The romantic setting of the Zwinger is not the blockbusters only reason to plan a trip to Dresden this year. You will also be 6 Dancing and partying till the sun amazed when you see the treasures of the Münzkabinett (Coin comes up Cabinet) on display in the Royal Palace in all their glory. 7 Anticipating 2016: So you’re interested in Dresden but can’t squeeze in a visit this The highlights of next year year? We have put together some highlights for 2016, such as the 8 Indulging all the senses SemperOperaball in January and the 800th anniversary celebra- 9 Dinner is served! Saxon-Caribbean tions of the Kreuzchor (Choir of the Holy Cross). As you can see, cuisine that you can do at home Dresden is always worth a visit. 10 Event Hightlights in Dresden 2015 Your Dresden Marketing Board 12 Tourism Contacts and Offers 12 Legal Notice Autumn and winter highlights Martin Luther was the guiding light of the Reformation, and for the past 130 years (with a relatively brief Press contacts interruption from 1945 to 1955 due to bomb damage) his larger-than-life image cast in bronze has gazed Staatliche Kunstsammlungen down on the central square in front of the Frauenkirche. As part of the ‘Luther Decade’ marking the Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, numerous exhibitions will be exploring the legacy of the Dr Stephan Adam great theologian. There is also good reason to celebrate a new development at the Royal Palace. [email protected] Our recommendations Frauenkirche Dresden Grit Jandura 4 At Hartenfels Castle in Torgau (Saxony), around 100 kilometres to the north-west of Dresden, the presse@frauenkirche- Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden) are organising a first national dresden.de exhibition, Luther und die Fürsten: Selbstdarstellung und Selbstverständnis des Herrschers im Zeitalter der Reformation (Luther and the Princes: Self-Portrayal and Self-Image of the Ruler in the Era of the Reformation). Up until Reformation Day on 31st October, this historic site will be exhibiting art treasures, paintings, old manuscripts and various other items illustrating the relationship between the Reformation and the ruling classes during the period 1515 – 1591. 4 For the past ten years, Dresden has once again had the Frauenkirche at its heart. This magnificent example of baroque architecture was destroyed in an air raid towards the end of the Second World War, but with the help of donations from around the world, it was rebuilt and reconsecrated in October 2005. To mark the tenth anniversary in 2015, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) will be holding more than 130 concerts, 160 special church services, 550 prayer meetings and a series of public lectures, taking as its theme Kommt, und geht in Frieden (Come and go in peace). The celebrations reach their climax on the ten festival days between 22nd and 31st October 2015. 4 Since June 2015, the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) housed in the Georgenbau of the Royal Palace has been displaying its treasures in all their glory in the place where they belong. Since the closure of the permanent collection at the Albertinum in 2004, the components could only be exhibited selec- tively, but visitors can now admire around 3,300 exhibits set out over an area comprising 250 square Picture: metres. Amongst them is the world’s largest collection of Saxon coins and medallions. The permanent The Frauenkirche in Dresden celebrates its tenth anniver- exhibition, which has been completely redesigned, represents the completion of another stage in the sary since reconstruction. reconstruction of the Royal Palace (Residenzschloss). The process will reach its eventual conclusion Meanwhile, the city is com- with the faithful reconstruction of the audience chamber and other magnificent rooms from the reign memorating the great Martin of Augustus the Strong. Luther whose legacy is explored in numerous exhi- bitions. Dresden Infoservice Summer II/2015 [email protected] page 2 4 Providing a special treat at Christmas time are the eleven different Christmas markets in the city centre, including Germany’s oldest, the world-famous Striezelmarkt. From the end of November onwards, the Weihnachtsmeile (Christmas Mile) extending from the main railway station via the Altmarkt and Neumarkt to the Baroque quarter in Dresden Neustadt pulls in vast crowds who come to admire and enjoy the culinary delights and traditional craftsmanship. In addition, there are also numerous concerts in Dresden’s churches plus seasonal theatre performances and exhibitions at various locations, including the City Museum and the asisi Panometer. Info 4 Luther und die Fürsten (Luther and the Princes), Schloss Hartenfels, Torgau, 15th May – 31st October 2015 www.luther.skd.museum 4 Kommt, und geht in Frieden! (Come and go in peace!), Ten years in the life of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Dresden, 22nd – 31st October 2015 www.frauenkirche-dresden.de 4 Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) in the Georgenbau of Dresden Royal Palace www.skd.museum 4 Weihnachtshauptstadt Dresden (Christmas City of Dresden), 26th November – 24th/31st December 2015 www.dresden.de/weihnachtshauptstadt Dresden Infoservice Summer II/2015 [email protected] page 3 A must-see for lovers of the arts Obligatory viewing! There are certain high-profile events without which no visit to the city is complete, Press contacts first and foremost an evening at the Semperoper Dresden. Another must-see or better ‘must-hear’ Semperoper Dresden occasion is the world-famous Moritzburg Festival. Christine Diller [email protected] Our recommendations Moritzburg Festival 4 The magnificent Semperoper Dresden – probably Germany’s best-known opera house – is home to Mandy Sickert the Sächsische Staatskapelle, one of the oldest and most prestigious orchestras in the world. Built buero@moritzburg between 1838 and 1841 by Gottfried Semper, the opera house was closed in August 1944 and destroyed festival.de six months later in a devastating air raid. Exactly 40 years later, on 13th February 1985, the restored Sem- peroper Dresden was reopened with a premiere performance of Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. Since then, around 300,000 visitors per year enjoy the 700 or so symphony concerts, ballets and operas that are staged here. The Semperoper Open Day on 6th September is a great opportunity to sample the programme on offer. Highlights on the calendar for 2015 include the premiere of Der Wildschütz (10th October), the Richard Strauss Days (16th – 25th October), the premiere of the fantasy opera R. Hot bzw. Die Hitze (11th December). The annual New Year’s Eve gala dinner is followed around one month later by the legendary SemperOperaball on 29th January 2016. 4 For well over 20 years now, some of the finest musicians of our time have been getting together during the summer months in the idyllic baroque setting of Moritzburg Palace to rehearse and subsequently perform some of the greatest works from the canon of chamber music. This year’s Moritzburg Festival (15th – 30th August) under the artistic direction of cellist Jan Vogler will be the 23rd such occasion. Top musicians such as Lawrence Power, Johannes Moser, Alessio Bax and Lise de la Salle will be delighting music lovers from all over the world in a series of 19 events that will explore the pioneering influence of Ludwig van Beethoven in the development of 19th century chamber music. Providing a fascinating contrast will be works by German-born New York composer Matthias Pintscher, whose cello piece Now II will be premiered on 26th August in Moritzburg Palace. 37 talented youngsters from around the world Picture: One of the most spectacular constitute the Festival Academy Orchestra for the two-week duration. There are a number of additional interior design elements of venues, including the churches in Moritzburg and Steinbach, Schloss Proschwitz near Meissen, the the world-famous Semper- Gläserne Manufaktur of Volkswagen (Transparent Factory) in Dresden and an aircraft hangar at Elbe Flug- oper Dresden is the red stage curtain measuring zeugwerke Board. 17 × 12 metres and weighing 400 kilos, made from hand- Info stitched Belgian linen and decorated with paints mixed 4 Semperoper Dresden www.semperoper.de according to traditional tech- 4 Moritzburg Festival, various venues, 15th – 30th August 2015 www.moritzburgfestival.de niques. Dresden Infoservice Summer II/2015 [email protected] page 4 Discover Dresden in Hollywood blockbusters Dresden goes Hollywood: In the quadruple Oscar-winning film The Grand Budapest Hotel, the Dresden Press contacts Zwinger plays a prominent role. Construction of this magnificent building with its baroque facade, stat- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen ues and sprawling gardens began in 1709 at the behest of Augustus the Strong. It is a popular backdrop Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) for film production companies and renowned directors, including some big names from Hollywood. The Dr Stephan Adam Zwinger Palace was most recently used as a stand-in for the fantastic fairytale castle in the Disney film [email protected] adaptation of Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh and released in March of this year. But even with- out cinematic exposure, the Zwinger Palace with its museums would still be one of the most famous Pfunds Molkerei buildings in all of Germany – it will adorn the back of the two-euro coin from the beginning of 2016. (Pfund’s Dairy) Frank Zabel [email protected] Our recommendations 4 Mendl’s bakery in The Grand Budapest Hotel really does exist: the venerable Pfunds Molkerei MOVE IT! Filmfestival Silvia Zimmermann (Pfund’s Dairy) allowed the film crew to shoot some of the scenes in its public sales area.