Inscription in the entrance portal put up by the GDR authorities in 1964.

13th of February 1945
Groups of Anglo-American bombers destroyed the centre of Dresden. The Zwinger, too, was almost completely destroyed.

8 May 1945
The Soviet Army liberated the city of Dresden from fascist tyranny.

Already in 1945
on the decision of the new democratic city administration, in co-operation with the Soviet Kommandatura, preparations for the reconstruction of the Zwinger were begun.

1945-1964
under the power of the workers and peasants state, the Zwinger was restored to its original beauty. Artistic direction was by Hubert Ermisch and Arthur Frenzel.

The choice of words tells us a lot about the nature of the East German state

About the photos

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