As of: February 13, 2024, 3:00 p.m
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A memorial plaque in the Nordfriedhof in Dresden commemorates the victims of the war.
© Matthias Rietschel/dpa
White roses and candles commemorate the victims of the bombing of Dresden.
But they are a sign of reconciliation.
79 years after the attack, the longing for peace in the world remains great.
Dresden - Dresden and Saxony have combined the memory of the destruction of the Elbe city in 1945 with a call for peaceful coexistence and resistance to right-wing populism and nationalism.
The anniversary, entitled “Together vigilant,” began with wreath-layings and commemorations for those killed in the air raids.
In downtown Dresden, people gathered until midday in several places that are associated with what happened 79 years ago.
A human chain is traditionally planned around the old town in the afternoon to promote peace and reconciliation.
British and American bombers reduced Dresden to rubble on February 13, 1945 and the following days.
The exact number of victims could never be determined.
According to historians, up to 25,000 people died and the rubble area covered twelve square kilometers.
Until the air raid, “Florence on the Elbe” had been largely spared from destruction.
Right-wing extremists artificially inflate the number of victims and try to construct a war crime by the Allies.
On the eve of the anniversary, Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) called for people to oppose this and to send “a strong signal of sincere remembrance and cautionary pause” from Dresden.
The Germans have a special responsibility for peace in Europe and worldwide, said Köpping.
The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine were a stark reminder of how valuable and at the same time fragile peace can be.
In memory of what happened 79 years ago, representatives of the city and the Free State laid flowers and wreaths at the final resting places of the victims.
At the Heidefriedhof, the final resting place of most of the dead in the air raids, numerous white roses lined the monuments and memorials.
President of the State Parliament Matthias Rößler and Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU) took part in the silent remembrance of the German War Graves Commission at the northern cemetery.
Firefighters, soldiers and police officers are primarily buried there.
In the morning, white roses were already lying next to flickering grave lights at the rebuilt Frauenkirche.
The church is considered a memorial to the attacks and was rebuilt true to the original with donations from the former Allies after 1990.
There, the usual “Night of Silence” will this time become the “Night of Voices” for democracy.
This time the human chain is intended to send a particularly strong signal for peace and reconciliation, against contempt for humanity and nationalism.
Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and Mayor Dirk Hilbert also want to join in, as do British Ambassador Jill Gallard and representatives of the English twin city of Coventry, which was bombed in November 1940 during attacks by the German Luftwaffe.
The official program also includes vigils, church services and the memorial trail of the Society for the Promotion of the Frauenkirche, which points to the background to what happened at authentic locations.
In the evening, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra will play the “Stabat Mater” by Antonin Dvorak and the Saxon State Orchestra will play the “German Requiem” by Johannes Brahms - each with a minute of silence instead of applause at the end.
Right-wing extremists have long been misusing the Dresden commemoration for their own purposes and want to use marches to put Germany's guilt in the Second World War into perspective.
Thousands of people had already opposed a neo-Nazi march on Sunday.
The police secured the demonstrations with a large contingent - and also increased their presence on the evening of the anniversary.
Shortly before 10 p.m., the time of the first attack almost three months before the end of the war, the bells of the city center churches will ring as always - also in memory of the millions of victims of the Nazi tyranny and global crises.
dpa