DRESDEN, GERMANY

Saxony's capital Dresden is located in what once was called Valley of the Clueless; as the city is encircled by mountains and hills, the signals of the West German TV stations never seemed to reach Saxony's antennas, forcing them to watch the propaganda programs the Socialist party had hatched up for them. Once an important cultural and commercial metropolis featuring Germany's then most impressive architecture, Dresden was practically wiped out over two nights of air raids in February, 1945. The city has recently undergone much renovation and is now reaching the splendor it once had. Nowadays, it is marked by hard contrasts: most of the famous buildings have been restored or rebuilt from scratch; the Neustadt, formerly a beggars' quarter, is flourishing to a surprising extent; various parks and recreational areas contribute to its beauty. However, the city is not without its bad districts. While these contrasts have clearly been typical of German cities since World War II, one is inclined to claim that majesty and deformity are scarcely as close to each other as in Dresden. It almost seems as if each... more