Dresden Cathedral

Dresden Cathedral
Dresden Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
The Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony
Katholische Hofkirche
	Dresden-Meissen
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Heiner Koch

Outside of Dresden Cathedral in December, 2014

Dresden Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Dresden, previously the Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony, called in German Katholische Hofkirche and since 1980 also known as Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, is the Catholic Cathedral of Dresden.

Always the most important Catholic church of the city, it was elevated to the status of cathedral of the Diocese of Dresden–Meissen in 1964. It is located near the Elbe river in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.

It is one of the burial sites of the House of Wettin, including Polish monarchs.

History

The Hofkirche stands as one of Dresden's foremost landmarks. It was designed by

Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) between 1726 and 1743. While the general population of the city was Protestant, its rulers were Catholic. The Catholic Elector built the cathedral for his own use and for the use of other high-ranking officials, connecting it to his home, Dresden Castle, with an ornate high level walkway.^[1]

Since 1743 the Deans (Hofprediger) of the Court Church were ex officio also Apostolic Vicars of the Saxon hereditary lands.

The church was badly damaged in February 1945 during the

Diocese of Dresden-Meissen

. Free entry is permitted during the daytime.

The cathedral features a carefully restored organ, the last work of the renowned organ builder Gottfried Silbermann. It also contains a Rococo pulpit by Balthasar Permoser.

Burials

In the crypts the heart of

Anthony of Saxony

.

The oldest of four crypts, the Founders' Crypt, holds the tombs of King

King Augustus the Strong, whose body was interred in the Wawel Cathedral, and of Polish ruler and first Saxon King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. Polish princes and princesses

are buried in the Founders' Crypt and the Great Crypt.