Interior Review | The Frauenkirche Dresden…

Firstly, if anyone has the opportunity to visit Dresden in general, this city is a marvel to be in–and I have gone twice now (in the summer and winter). Do bring a camera, your phone, and back-up batteries.

A bit of history of the cathedral: it was originally built in the 18th century but unfortunately collapsed in 1945 due to the bombing of World War II. Its rubble symbolized Dresden’s stance against war and destruction. The cathedral was rebuilt between 1993 and 2005, with the usage of salvageable material from the original structure. These dark sandstones are dispersed throughout the facade.

What I love about the Frauenkirche is the reuse of bricks on the exterior facade. The speckled burnt bricks stand as a reminder of the old integrating with the new. When heading inside the cylindrical cathedral, you are guided down the nave towards an overly decorated apse, where you are then confronted by a grandiose organ. The interior is in the baroque style with gilding, frescos, and elaborate decorative forms throughout the entire cathedral. The walls are painted to mimic a precious marble. The mimicry in my opinion is quite obvious and does not follow the organic pattern of natural stone. The pews are made of light wood, consistent with the historical style of Hellerau furniture– Hellerau is a district of Dresden. Their simplistic design juxtaposes with the ornate baroque elements that decorate the apse and walls of the cathedral. I find that the pews could have had more decoration to feel less out of place. There was not the same seamless integration of the old and new as seen on the exterior. However, I am sure the pew design was influenced by the high traffic that visits the cathedral on a daily basis. Regardless of my criticism, the dome was a marvel to gaze at, with multiple biblical figures peering down at you. The environment created is beautiful, and almost angelic as the sun shines through the windows to illuminate the whole cathedral.

There was a copious amount of dedication put into the rebuilding of the cathedral after its collapse. The Frauenkirche is certainly worth a visit, especially sitting through the “Wort und Orgelklang,” offered at 6 am and 12 pm. Plan accordingly and arrive earlier to beat sitting in the back.

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Some personal moments:

The family I sat next to had a young boy with them and his mother and grandmother kept asking hime what colors he saw within the paintings of the biblical figures in the dome. One color I recall distinctively was when he said “lila” [purple] and everyone in his family repeated it. Very sweet moment for them.

There was a man in front of me that got upset that people were on their phones before the service. I guess this is the problem with “sehenswürdigkeiten” [tourist attractions], the cathedral is more of a landmark rather than a biblical location.

Our pastor was Angelika Behnke, a woman pastor, which I thought was refreshing to see in 2025, especially in Germany!

Jo's Journal

Interior Review | Frauenkirche Dresden