Dresden Diary, Day 2: Something old, something new

The internet is not my friend today, so I’m writing the journal the old fashion way – via Word. Gasp!

My day of exploration didn’t start until late afternoon at the end of a busy day listening, talking, thinking and seemingly drinking in science.  It’s a good thing my curiosity always wins over brain strain. On the agenda was the Zwinger (pronounced Zvi-nger) museum, which is a convenient 5-8 minute walk from the congress site. The Zwinger is a palace that was turned into a 3-in-1 museum complex, housing the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), the Dresden Porcelain Collection (Porzellansammlung) and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments).  Hard as it was, I had to decide which among the 3 museums I was going to, given the time limitation; all 3 closed at 6 pm and it was already 4:30 pm.  I eventually decided on the math and physics collection. The force was strong on this one.

  
The salon boasted of clocks, lenses, globes, measurement instruments and other related instrumentations. The museum highlights innovative technologies in precise timekeeping and calculation during 1550-1900.Hey, German precision, right? The top 3 items that stood out to me were the:

• 5-minute clock that tells time in 5 minute increments instead of by the minute,



5 minute clock



• the world clock (1690) that tracks 24 hour time zones in 1 face, showing the time in all latitudes on 360 individual dials,

• a celestial globe, perhaps the oldest exhibit on display, dating from the 13th century. I have actually never thought that stars and constellations can be represented spherically, but here’s that representation showing stars as they are located on the apparent sphere above us, showing constellation figures to teach celestial navigation. One word: Wow.



World Clock - at least they don't chime

Celestial Globe - picture doesn't do it justice;
Stellar positions have been calculated for the year 1700.



Bonus: who remember what this is
and what it's for?

Since I didn’t have enough time to check out the porcelain museum (boohoo!), I took a cab to Neustadt to search for its hidden gem: Kunsthofpassage.  Skipping public transportation was a good decision as I wouldn’t have found it on my own otherwise. When Tripadvisor says it's a hidden gem, you better listen. (Un)lucky me, the sun shone and the rain stopped altogether as soon as I reached the secret courtyards. Sure, everyone knows how much I love dreary weather, but "Kunst”, as locals call it, really comes alive when rain starts to fall. Kunst consists of 5 small courtyards completed in 2001, boasting of nouveau art collections. Hence the name: Kunsthofpassage, which means ‘alley artists’ or 'art district path'. Of the 5 courtyards, the “Courtyard of Element”s is the most popular with its bright blue painted wall with metal pipes and funnels. On rainy days, the drain and gutter system turns into musical instruments!  Across this wall is a yellow-painted wall with metal rods that reflected the sunlight.

Something blue

After buying some artsy souvenirs - little adorable serving boards featuring fruchtfliege(fruit flies)-  I headed out to look for a place to eat.  Beside clichéd biergartens (beer gardens), there was not much in terms of regional restaurants in Neustadt.  I was surprised to see mostly Turkish, Greek, American and Asian offerings after 1 hour of walking around.
 

I went back to Altstadt and sat at a restaurant patio by the Frauenkirche plaza. The bell tolled 9’o’clock but it was still light out.  There was a horn quartet in the plaza serenading the passersby with impressive classical music as I enjoyed Alpine cuisine. I could swear they put cheese and beer on all their dishes! Dinner left me almost catatonic, so I finished reading my book as I relished every sip of my Toblerone macchiato.

To help me digest, I went for a walk along Bruehl’s Terrace, nicknamed “The Balcony of Europe”, which was formerly a defensive part of the Dresden Fortress. The Terrace was totally destroyed in February 1945 along with most structures in Altstadt, but has been rebuilt to look very much the same as it did in the past.

I continued walking along Augustusbrucke, the bridge named after Augustus the strong, and the oldest bridge in Dresden. The bridge indulged me in the breathtaking view of the city at dusk. Dresden was once known as known as Florence on the Elbe for its detalied baroque architecture. I tried to imagine how it looked like 70 years ago, but I couldn’t get unstuck in time. I also couldn’t help but look up in the sky to check for any signs of aircrafts, but all I saw were birds, presumably flying to their nests for the night.

 

Dresden Diary, Day 1: Contradictions

Was the bombing justified or not? Was it Churchill or Roosevelt? If only the river Elbe could talk.

When I found that the conference I was going to will be held in Dresden, Germany, I formed no opinion whatsoever. However, when friends heard about my upcoming trip, the reaction was fairly similar for all and goes like this: “Dresden?  Why would anyone want to go to Dresden?” In true Asian naiveté, I asked, “Why not?”

For most of us carrier/transporter of WWII-memories, the information and images passed on to us is either western or eastern hemisphere-focused. I fall in the 2^nd category with my grandfather’s memory of serving as Philippine soldier who fought against Japanese troops in World War II; the death march in Bataan, his bayonet scars - these are the glimpses of WWII I’m passing on to my daughters as well.

Still, I learned about the holocaust, the Nazis, the allied forces before... but I have never heard of the Dresden firebombing. Dresden?  I didn’t even know where that was on the map of Germany! As such, I tried looking for books about Dresden’s history but found a dearth of information. Some says it’s one of the best kept secret of WWII. But why?! And why was it bombed?  Therein lies all the contradictions.

Some say the bombing was meant to interfere with mass civilian movements.

Some say it’s because Dresden is a city where main rail junctions and communication systems are located.

Some say it's to show Russia that the Allies are devoted to their cause.

Some say it's because Dresden listed over a hundred factories and workshops that supply arms - poison gas, field guns, war gears and aircraft - to the German war effort.

Was it or wasn't it any of these things? Was it Churchill or Roosevelt who commanded the area raid? Was it 18,000 or 135,000 casualties? Does it matter? Was it bigger than Hiroshima? Does it matter?

If only the river Elbe could talk.

Finally, I arrived in Dresden still clueless overall, but with an armament of questions, which has always served me well in my explorations. As the plane was descending, I saw Dresden bedecked in spring green. No signs of smokes or ruins or burnt trees here that would give any indication of the 1945 bombing. As my cab rolled in to Altstadt (Old City), I noticed low buildings, all new and clean. Then in little spaces, I began seeing tall churches – old structures, for sure. Then more - Renaissance, baroque and 19th century. As I got closer, I noticed their charred black color.

In the evening after the conference, the congress attendees were treated to a private concert at the Frauenkirche (pronounced Frah-wen-kir-she), the famous church that was obliterated during the war. This church was rebuilt from 1994-2005 using original materials as much as possible. Apparently, each stone was tagged and computer-fitted back to its original place. For ~50 years, the shell of the church laid like an “open wound” reminder of the war... I’m glad to see it healed.  

Dark vs. Light: the dark stones on the facade are from the original structure

 

I sat in my assigned seat listening to the organ and trumpet rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata BWV 147. I observed the church's interior and found it quite unremarkable with its bright pastel paint, very much a contradiction to it's exterior. I’m sure it’s nowhere near as grand as it once was. But the choice of color struck me – it’s a stark contrast to the dark history this church had been through.

It was still light after 9 pm so I took a little walk, passing the Fürstenzug (English: Procession of Princes), the largest porcelain artwork in the world, featuring the rulers of Saxony.  This mural escaped the war unscathed. While it was painted in 1871, it was later replaced with porcelain tiles in early 1900s to make it weather-proof and, apparently, war-proof too. The buildings fell, but the wall of tiles stood the test of time and bomb. 

So it goes.

Gute nacht, Dresden! Let's see what else you reveal tomorrow.