10 largest cities in Germany
Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Cologne
Frankfurt am Main
Hanover
Dusseldorf
Leipzig
Bremen
Dresden
Dresden is the capital of the Free State of Saxony. With around
560,000 inhabitants on September 30, 2020, Dresden is the second
largest Saxon municipality after Leipzig and the twelfth largest
city in Germany in terms of population.
As the seat of the
Saxon state government and the Saxon state parliament as well as
numerous state authorities, the city is the political center of
Saxony. In addition, important educational and cultural institutions
of the Free State are concentrated here, including the renowned
Technical University, the University of Technology and Economics,
the University of Fine Arts Dresden and the University of Music Carl
Maria von Weber Dresden. The independent city on the Elbe is both
one of the six regional centers of Saxony and the economic center of
the Dresden metropolitan area, one of the most economically dynamic
regions in Germany with over 780,000 inhabitants. Innovations and
cutting-edge technologies play an outstanding role in the Dresden
area; Information technology and nanoelectronics are economically
significant, which is why it is also positioned as the center of
“Silicon Saxony”. The pharmaceutical, cosmetics, machine, vehicle
and plant construction, food, optical industry, services, trade and
tourism sectors also generate great added value in the Dresden area.
With three motorways, two long-distance train stations, an inland
port and an international airport, Dresden is also an important
transport hub.
Archaeological traces in the later urban area
indicate settlement as early as the Stone Age. Dresden was first
mentioned in documents that have survived in 1206 and developed into
an electoral, later royal residence, 1918–1933 and from 1990 capital
of the Free State of Saxony, in the GDR from 1952–1990 district
capital.
Dresden is internationally known as a cultural city
with numerous important buildings such as the baroque Zwinger,
outstanding museums such as the Old Masters Picture Gallery, and
famous orchestras such as the Saxon State Orchestra or the
Kreuzchor. The old town of Dresden was largely reconstructed and
shaped by various architectural epochs, in addition to the Zwinger,
for example, the Frauenkirche am Neumarkt, the Semperoper and the
Hofkirche as well as the Residenzschloss. The Striezelmarkt, founded
in 1434, is one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in
Germany. Dresden is also called Florence on the Elbe, originally
primarily because of its art collections; Its baroque and
Mediterranean architecture as well as its picturesque and
climatically favorable location in the Elbe Valley contributed
significantly to this.