Frauenkirke or Church of our Lady--page 1 (of 2 pages)

A church has existed on this site for more than 1000 years, although originally it would have been a Catholic church. After the Reformation, the church became an Evangelical-Lutheran church. By the 18th century this original church was in a state of disrepair' thus, it was demolished and a new church constructed. However, Allied bombers in 1945 destroyed this church, Eventually donors throughout the world helped to recreate the 18th century church.
		The ground plan is essentially a square with bevelled corners. Rising above this is a seemingly weightless dome, 96 meters high, which has been compared to the domes of Florence's Duomo and St. Peter's.
The bell-shaped stone dome--the Steinerne Glocke or "Stone Bell"; the main entrance on the axis with the altar
Monument to the reformer and theologian Martin Luther This statue, dated at 1885, by the sculptor Adolf von Donndorf, survived the bombings and has been restored and again stands in front of the church. The founder of the Reformation is robed and holds a large book, probably the Bible which he translated into German.
		Although galleries circle around the interior of the church and although the circular dome, supported by eight piers, with lovely arches rising from them, the church still has a focus toward the altar and a longitudinal emphasis.
The choir screen and central pulpit
		A side entrance/exit

Works Consulted or Quoted:
The Dresden Frauenkirke Foundation. Translated by Alan Lloyd Nothnagle. The Dresden Frauenkirke [church guide]. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2006.

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