Venues

The construction of Dresden’s oldest suburban church was initiated by Electress Anna in the 16th century. Since its inauguration the Annenkirche was constantly rebuilt and thus has a contradictory architectural charm. Originally constructed as a baroque church it was replaced by an art nouveau building in 1909 that has very good acoustics.

Der an das Residenzschloss angrenzende Schlossplatz in Dresden bildet als Gebäudeensemble eine der wichtigsten Sehenswürdigkeiten der Altstadt. Von ihm aus geht es über eine eindrucksvolle Treppe zu der als »Balkon Europas« bezeichneten Brühlschen Terrasse. Diese verdankt ihren Namen Graf Heinrich von Brühl, der das Gelände einst vom Kurfürsten Friedrich August II., dem Sohn Augusts des Starken, geschenkt bekam.

The monumental building in the style of Neue Sachlichkeit (»New Objectivity«) was erected by Wilhelm Kreis between 1928 and 1930 and is home of a museum, initiated in 1912 as »People’s Education Facility for Healthcare«, that today considers itself as »museum of humankind«. As part of the refurbishment that was finished in 2010 the great hall was completely redesigned and reconstructed.

The St Mary’s Cathedral (Dom St. Marien) with its great art treasures is considered a landmark of the city of Freiberg and annually attracts many visitors from all over the world. Constructed as St Mary’s Church towards the end of the 12th century , it was named cathedral by Pope Sixtus IV. Between 1710 and 1714 Gottfried Silbermann constructed an organ with 44 stops. It was his first great organ in Germany and still is the biggest instrument he has built without any assistance.

In 1911, the Festspielhaus Hellerau (Hellerau Festival Theatre) was built after a concept of the architect Heinrich Tessenow within the Gartenstadt Hellerau (Garden City) of Dresden. Its architectural clarity gave direction to the Bauhaus style. It was the Swiss music pedagogue Émile Jaques-Dalcroze who initiated the construction of the Festspielhaus and whose »Bildungsanstalt für Musik und Rhythmus« (School for Music and Rhythm) was located in this building. The Festspielhaus is considered a center for contemporary art, especially for dance and music, and therefore is a constant of Dresden's contemporary cultural scene.

The Frauenkirche is uniquely moving in its combination of space and sound and the spirit of reconciliation that resounds throughout the concerts. Destroyed in 1945, the church, reconstructed through monumental civic and international efforts, is a beacon of peace. Its impressive interior makes every concert an incomparable experience.

Die Geschichte der Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber reicht bis ins 19. Jahrhundert zurück. Im Jahre 1856 als privates Konservatorium gegründet, ist sie heute eine
staatliche Einrichtung auf Universitätsniveau. Der Hauptsitz befindet sich im Wettiner Gymnasium, einem ehemaligen Realgymnasium im neoklassizistischen Stil. Der ca. 100 Plätze umfassende Kleine Saal in der zweiten Etage des Gebäudes ist Ort für zahlreiche Veranstaltungen.

»Die Tonne«, one of the most well-known jazz clubs in Germany, is located within the Kurländer Palais, a historical building in Dresden’s city center, whose cellar was already used by August the Strong as the headquarters of the »Society against Sobriety«. In 1981, when the building was still in ruins, regular performances began taking place here. The name (»the barrel«) is inspired by the form of the vaulted ceiling. After the reconstruction of the Palais, the jazz club returned to its original site in 2015.

The new concept for the Kulturpalast, which was built in 1969 and now houses the cultural institutions Dresden Philharmonic, the Municipal Central Library and the cabaret »Herkuleskeule« after undergoing renovations from 2013 to 2017, has returned the building to its original role as a cultural meeting-place in central Dresden. The concert hall located at the building’s centre is a modern and acoustically high-class performance venue on par with Europe’s finest, seating up to 1,700 visitors.

Das Theater Radebeul ging aus der ehemaligen Gaststätte »Goldne Weintraube« hervor. Die 1945 gegründete Volksoper Dresden zog 1950 unter dem Namen Landesoper Sachsen in das Kulturhaus ein. 1951 fusionierte das Ensemble mit Schauspielern des Schweriner Maxim-Gorki-Theaters zur Landesbühne Sachsen, die nach der Wende als eines von drei sächsischen Staatstheatern erhalten blieb. Die 2000/2001 erfolgte Sanierung gab dem Theater seine heutige Form mit dem Glashaus als Foyer und Theatereingang.

Located only 400 metres from the »Blaues Wunder«, the baroque church is part of the exclusive residential area of Loschwitz on the north-eastern shore of the River Elbe. Consecrated in 1708 for the name day of August the Strong, the octagonal building was the first church by architect George Bähr, who later went on to build the Frauenkirche. Today, both the Loschwitz Church and its churchyard, designed in the 18th century and still in its original state, have been designated landmarks.

The Martin-Luther Church, built 1883-1887, is one of the few churches in Dresden that was almost completely spared by the air raids during World War II. Situated amid many houses in Wilhelminian style in the heart of the Neustadt, it plays an important role in the church and cultural life of the city. The neo-romantic interior offers more than 1,000 seats.

Das Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr gehört zu den bedeutendsten Geschichtsmuseen Europas. Die Architektur von Daniel Libeskind ist zugleich erstes und größtes Exponat des Museums. Wie ein Keil durchschneidet der Neubau das historische Hauptarsenal. Dessen Spitze ist auf die Abwurfstelle der ersten Markierungsbomben gerichtet, seine Fläche entspricht im Umriss der zerstörten und größtenteils wieder hergestellten Fläche im Dresdner Stadtgebiet.

The romantic palace located in the centre of the Große Garten served as a venue for pompous feasts of the courtly society. Saxony’s first baroque building of Italian design was constructed under Elector John George III between 1676 and 1683. Today it provides an atmospheric ambience and great acoustics for different kinds of chamber music.

In the past the Residenzschloss Dresden has been a government centre for Saxon Electors and Kings as well as a cultural centre point of the city. After complex reconstructions of the building, destroyed in World War II, the palace can draw on its rich cultural history. The small courtyard, covered by a transparent membrane roof, offers an exceptional ambience.

Das Filmtheater Schauburg wurde in den 1920er-Jahren als erstes freistehendes Kino Dresdens erbaut. Zunächst verfugte es über lediglich einen Saal mit 1.000 Plätzen und eine über die damalige Stummfilmzeit typische Kinoorgel. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde das Lichtspielhaus auch als Raum für politische und gesellschaftliche Veranstaltungen genutzt. Mit ihrem vielseitigen Kinoprogramm und als Ort zahlreicher anderer kultureller Events erfreut sich die Spielstätte heute großer Beliebtheit.

The Staatsschauspiel Dresden (Dresden State Theatre) can count itself among the outstanding centres of contemporary dramatic art. The Schauspielhaus was constructed between 1911 and 1913 on a relatively small plot of land across from the Zwinger. To this day, the reconstructed sumptuous original architecture of the Schauspielhaus offers a venue for productions that combine musical and dramatic art forms in an ideal way.

1694 von Kurfürst Johann Georg IV. für seine Favoritin Magdalena Sibylla von Neitschütz erworben, ließ August der Starke den ersten Bau von seinem Lieblingsarchitekten Daniel Pöppelmann um das Wasserpalais und das Bergpalais erweitern. Bereits von 1768 an war Schloss Pillnitz die offizielle Sommerresidenz des Hofes und damit zugleich Ort glanzvoller Park- und Wasserfeste. Diese Tradition von Veranstaltungen und Festivitäten setzt sich bis heute fort.

Entering the building visitors are welcomed by the long and rich tradition that is continued until today by the opera house and his orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle. Whether great symphony concert or solo recital – the stage of the impressive Semperoper has always been the place for top class and glamorous festival encounters.

Consecrated in 1546, the Municipal Church of St. Mary in Pirna is one of the most important late-Gothic hall churches in Saxony. Its filigree vaulting, with the original painting of 1546 intact, is among the highlights of vault construction in Saxony. The baptism font and epitaphs stand witness to the great stone-carving tradition in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. For centuries, St. Mary has also been the city’s musical centre.

The Kraftwerk Mitte (Central Power Station) in Dresden is an imposing industrial landmark of the 19^th century; over the past years, it has been transformed into a unique space for the arts, culture and creative industries. The former railway power station with its red-brick façade was comprehensively rebuilt in 2010; since then, it has become one of the most well-known event locations in Dresden. Apart from the impressive architecture, the more than 1,000 square meters of floorspace are compelling for their central location, offering an atmospheric backdrop for events of all kinds.

Das Theater Meißen zählt seit über 160 Jahren zu den kulturellen Kleinoden der regionalen Kulturlandschaft. Inmitten der malerischen Altstadt von Meißen erhebt sich auf dem Theaterplatz das imposante ehemalige Gewandhaus der Tuchmacher. Als Stadttheater wurde es zu einer kulturellen Zierde und einem Mittelpunkt des städtischen Lebens in der »Wiege Sachsens«.

Im Herzen des romantischen Hechtviertels gelegen, wird die 1945 zerstörte und in den 1960er-Jahren als Ruine wieder nutzbar gemachte Kirche alljährlich von April bis Oktober zum Schauplatz verschiedenster Theater-, Kleinkunst und Konzertveranstaltungen. Mit seinem 400 Quadratmeter umfassenden Glasflachdach bietet der 2011/2012 modern ausgebaute Innenraum dieser ungewöhnlichen Kunst- und Begegnungsstätte eine einzigartige Kulisse für besondere Kulturerlebnisse!

The mission of the Center for Regenarative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) is to research the biology of stem cells and tissues in order to understand the regeneration processes of organs and thus to create new avenues of treatment. With a floor space of more than 7,000 m², the building offers space for scientific work, education, communication and social events. The foyer is an exhibition space and enables inspiring encounters.