European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 4, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Symbol of Dresden s destruction is being rebuilt Dresden resident Anni Mahnert 79, Points out the Frauen Kirche ruins by Kevin Costelloe the associated press for 47 years the ruins of the Frauen Kirche in Dresden Germany have reminded the world of two Days in 1945 when Allied bombers bathed the Graceful City in fire killing tens of thousands of people. Now Dresden is beginning to rebuild the Frauen Kirche once the most important lutheran Church in Germany. More than 800,000 people visited Dresden last year. Many gazed in near reverential silence at the remains of the Church. Only two Walls Are standing. The rest of the ruins Are in a huge Mound. Ornate 18th-Century carving is visible on some of the Sandstone blocks. Quot the Frauen Kirche will always be a memorial to world War ii and to War in general with its terrible destruction Quot said Barbara Hintzen a spokeswoman for the City. The ambitious rebuilding project symbolizes Dresden s determination to recover fully and finally from world War ii and two generations of communist Rule that followed it. Older Dresden ers still remember the bombings of feb. 13-14,1945. They Tell of buildings swaying in the firestorm the injured begging for food and water of the soldering aftermath that kept everyone out of the City s heart for Days. Quot they hurled firebombs Down and people looked like living burning torches Quot said Elfriede Stephan 57, who was staying just outside the City when the bombers came. Bodies were burned beyond recognition. The heat melted bottles. A storm like wind roared through the City. Estimates of the dead Range from 35,000 to More than 100,000. At the time the City was jammed with an estimated 500,000 refugees fleeing the soviet army advancing from the East. Photographs of the horror hang on the Walls of Many historic buildings in Dresden. Mayor Herbert Wagner was among those leading the Long and often loud protest against the erection of a statue in London of sir Arthur Quot bomber Quot Harris the Royal air Force commander who planned the mass bombing attacks on the civilians of Dresden and other German cities. The statue was unveiled sunday. Quot this statue strikes wounds in the hearts of the people of Dresden Quot Hintzen said. Quot nearly every family one Way or another had someone who was killed  Hitler was near defeat when the raids took place and Many in Dresden insist they served no military purpose. The Frauen Kirche collapsed the morning after the firebombing began and its Majestic 313-foot-High dome crashed to the ground. Communist officials left the Church in ruins As a reminder of the Quot struggle against imperialistic  Hans Joachim Jaeger who Heads the rebuilding drive said he Hopes contributions will come from around the world to finance the 10-year reconstruction project. Preliminary work is under Way. As Many of the original stones As possible will be used in rebuilding the Church which combined classical and baroque architectural styles. Jaeger said the communists hauled away some of the rubble for use in roads and described it As sacrilege. Estimates of the rebuilding Cost Range from $100 million to More than three times that. Some higher estimates Are from opponents of the rebuilding drive who say the Money should be used for other purposes. Dresden population 520,000, is a favorite of germans. They once called it Quot Florence on the Elbe Quot and Quot the Pearl of Eastern  buildings in the historic Center Are ringed with scaffolds where workmen labor to restore the City s past glories. Trendy restaurants have moved into the area and a Castle nearly demolished in the firebombing also is being rebuilt. Two Days of Allied bombing in 1945 killed up to 100,000 people and damaged 85 percent of Dresden s buildings. S stripes Magazine june 4, 1992