European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 21, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Dresden s Grants Semper opera House in rubble at Whf a has been ingeniously recreated Dresden reborn by Serge Schmemann new York times t is a haunting sight the charred skeletons of Dresden s once splendid Center. In Iho Evl Ning Haio from the far end of to air Juslus Bridge rebuilt in 1949 and renamed Iho Goorji Dpi prov Bridge alter Iho bulgarian communist loader Iho turrets Spires. Baroque Gables and their rippled a collections in the Elbe River him at a grandeur that once Lew european cities could match. Now swallows Flitter through the Black ribs and tha empty windows of Iho Royal Palace. Sprigs of vegetation sprout from niches in the roofless Black arcades and among Iho tumbled blocks of scorched Sandstone and rough fences enclose Yards of overgrown rubble. But most of the awesome devastation of the american British bombing raids Hal demolished and incinerated the City on Fob 13 and 14. 1945 Throe months before the War s end has Long been healed to one Side of the old cily Center Strelches the sprawling ensemble of 1960s soviet style building blocks and Concrete plazas known As Praglor Strasse. On the other Side several glories of old Dresden stand meticulously rebuilt around theater Square the Zwiger gallery the Catholic Cathedral and most recently resurrected the grand Semper opera horse recreated Down to the fake Wood panelling ingeniously fashioned of hand polished plaster. With time officials say Only the rub Teot the american by tilth bombing raid destroyed Dresden in feb. 13 end 14,194s, killing 35,000 people. Frauen Kircho. Once a Dresden landmark will be loll As a memorial to those who died in the firebomb no. But Lor now Hoblack carcass of the old Center still broods Over he scene loss a dramatic memorial than an anguished Wilness. The City seems determined that the Royal Palatt. Loo. Will be Rosuro reeled to is Tamer glory Andrj Hal Dresden will recover Al least a Masuro of the stature it once had As the capital Al the Saxon kingdom As a fabled treasure House of Art and As a renowned Conler of music. The renewal seems to elicit genuine undo. Only the tact remained of Iho opera House said Reiner Kassell an official of the state opera the body had to be completely reconstructed. This is a cily raised from Iola ruin from 18 million cubic Melcs of rubble. Everything you see was raised anew. For us it was most important logic Dresden Back a architectural ensemble. Ii was a Mailer of patriotism of National  and of image Loo culture and sports have always Boon important for the German democratic Republic s prestige and when in say culture Iho lust word we say is Dresden sad Karl Hrmz Seltmann an of Lucuil in the City government responsible for culture prestige is something the German democratic Republic As East Germany officially Calls self has never taken lightly As anyone who has watched ils mass produced Athl cles is aware. Though the Days when West Germany used to stridently reject the communist Germany As a soviet concocted aberration Are largely Over and Ench Honecker the East German Leader has been received in Bonn with most of the i mappings accorded a foreign Leader the old angst about its legitimacy still runs deep in the East. In recent years East Germany has turned its attention increasingly to German history hoping o splice its own rather shallow Loots with the Greal pro. Hilter German past try year in Honorof fhe 75qlh anniversary of the Loun ring of Berlin East Germany has spent untold millions burnishing its part of the old prussian capital tha lavish focus of resources on East Berlin it 13 said there Hal 20.000 workers Weie brought in this year irom other cities has been a Mailer of some grumbling elsewhere in Ihu country including Dresden. But the focus on history has also worked to Dresden s advantage and Seltmann insisted Hal the huge resources necessary Lor the Linal phase of the City s Reirin who reconstruction of the Royal Palace will be there to Complete the task by the year 2000. When the Palace is to be Given Over to Dresden s great Art treasures. The bulk of those treasures miraculously survived the War largely intact some in an abandoned mine. The problem Al War s end according to Johannes Winter a Deputy director of the state Art collection was first to find the  then to restore the works of Art. It was a terrible sigh i when we finally found  he recalled we could never have restored them but the russians look them and restored Ihm and returned every  Winkler said 550 works of Art. Including two remt vants Are still missing. Many were destroyed he said but others were earned off. Sometimes As souvenirs by soldiers unaware of their value sometimes by villagers Dresden has published a catalogue of missing works and spends considerable Effort tracking them Down before the fire bombing Dresden had been known As the German  nowadays it is More often inferred As the Valley of Trie or  the Valley is the geological trough in which the City lies on the Banks of the Elbe the res of the Epi Hel refers to the Lack that because of its geography Dresden is one of the few places in East Germany and the Only major City that cannot receive West German television although Dresden Ocsid cols can easily tune in to West German radio the denial of Western television is considered so painful that it is commonly cited .13 Rne Mam reason Dresden ranks second Only to East Berlin in losing citizens to West Germany.  october 21, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 13