CITY IN BRIEF

Dresden is a city in the Eastern side of Germany, and is the capital of the Free State of Saxony. Picturesquely situated on the River Elbe, the beauty of Dresden has long been noted, earning the name "The Jewelry Box” for the Baroque and Rococo architecture of the city-center.

The city has been a cultural, educational, political, and economical center of Germany and Europe. Among Dresden's many sister cities, notable cultural centers include Salsburg, Florence, Rotterdam, and Strasbourg. The architectural wonders one can find in Dresden were built in different eras of architectural and cultural styles, ranging from Baroque (being the most predominant) to post-modern. Notable buildings include the Dresden Castle and Zwinger Palace, and the more modern UFA-Palast and The New Synagogue.

One of the most famous disasters the city has endured are the Dresden Bombings between the 13^th and 15^th of February 1945, in which a large degree of cultural buildings and art was destroyed. There has been great controversy regarding the incident, as facts and statistics have proved inconsistent. After the reunification of Germany in the early 1990's, the urban renewal process began, which has restored some of the former beauty Dresden.

Current economical and educational development has led to Dresden becoming a powerhouse of commercial activity and research, specifically in technology. The Dresden University of Technology is one of the largest in Germany, and the influx of mechanical- and electrical engineering businesses such as Volkswagen and Siemens, makes the city a prime location for international knowledge sharing and trade.