Dresden

Got back from Dresden on Friday after presenting a paper at a conference there. What a great city. It's history is fascinating. It was mostly destroyed in WWII and only recently rebuilt. My hotel was next to the Frauenkirche which was built in the early 1700's. On February 14th, 1945, after heavy bombing, the whole city was destroyed but the church was still standing. Then on the 15th, it imploded and as I was told, people lost hope.

The church was left in ruins for 50 years as a call for peace among the different nations of the world. It was rebuilt in 1995. Walking around the town, I could still sense the pain. It was also interesting talking to people. Most, especially the young and educated, are very happy with the unification, but I did run into some 'older' types (mid 40's ?!) who seemed to miss the days when the government took care them. Not to get into politics....

Anyways, I got back on Friday, worked till 8:00pm and got home just in time for warmed up left overs. I'm not complaining, just emphasizing it was late...