vernment for the
kingdom of Saxony, and the headquarters of the XII. (Saxon) Army Corps.
Within two decades (1880-1900) the capital almost at a single bound
advanced into the front rank of German commercial and industrial towns;
but while gaining in prosperity it has lost much of its medieval aspect.
Old buildings in the heart of the Altstadt have been swept away, and
their place occupied by modern business houses and new streets. Among
the public squares in the Altstadt must be mentioned the magnificent
Theaterplatz, with a fine equestrian statue of King John, by Schilling;
the Altmarkt, with a monument commemorative of the war of 1870-71; the
Neumarkt, with a bronze statue of King Frederick Augustus II., by E. J.
Hahnel; the Postplatz, adorned by a Gothic fountain, by Semper; and the
Bismarckplatz in the Anglo-American quarter. In the Neustadt are the
market square, with a bronze equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong;
the Kaiser Wilhelmplatz; and the Albertplatz. The continuous Schloss-,
See- and Prager-Strasse, and the Wilsdruffer- and Kunig Johann-Strasse
are the main streets in the Altstadt, and the Hauptstrasse in the
Neustadt.

The most imposing churches include the Roman Catholic Hofkirche, built
(1739-1751) by C. Chiaveri, in rococo style, with a tower 300 ft. high.
It contains a fine organ by Silbermann and pictures by Raphael Mengs and
other artists, the outside being adorned with 59 statues by Mattielli.
On the Neumarkt is the Frauenkirche, with a stone cupola rising to the
height of 311 ft.; close to the Altmarkt, the Kreuzkirche, rebuilt after
destruction by fire in 1897, also with a lofty tower surmounted by a
cupola; and near the Postplatz the Sophienkirche, with twin spires. In
the Neustadt is the Dreikunigskirche (dating from the 18th century) with
a high pinnacled tower. Among more modern churches may be mentioned: in
the Altstadt, the Johanneskirche, with a richly decorated interior; the
Lukaskirche; and the Trinitatiskirche; and in the Neustadt, the Martin
Luther-Kirche and the new garrison church. Apart from the chapels in the
royal palaces, Dresden contains in all 32 churches, viz. 21 Evangelical,
6 Roman Catholic, a Reformed, a Russian, an English (erected by Gilbert
Scott) with a graceful spire, a Scottish (Presbyterian), and an American
(Episcopal) church, the last a handsome building, with a pretty
parsonage attached.

Of secular buildings, the most noteworthy are grouped in the Altstadt