Dresden 1945
January 26, 2015
A new 360-degree panorama presentation opened this past weekend at the Panometer in Dresden. It shows the inner city of Dresden in the aftermath of the bombing raids in February 1945 on a 1:1 scale.
An accompanying multimedia exhibition introduces visitors to the topic, covering the development of the city from the beginning of the 20th century, to the Nazi era and the following post-war period.
A 16-meter (52-foot) high visitors' platform reproduces the perspective from the City Hall tower. The panoramic picture "Dresden 1945 - Tragedy and Hope of a European City" - is one show through May 31 at the Panometer and aims to transmit an image for democracy, against war.
"My main concern was to convey the shock of war," explained Asisi at the opening of the show in Dresden.
The artist Yadegar Asisi worked on the panorama for about two years. He encouraged the inhabitants of Dresden to share their photos and film archives and used their pictures inhis project.
On the night of February 14, 1945, the city of Dresden was almost completely destroyed by the bombing raids of the Western Allies. Up to 25,000 people died during the Second World War's heaviest air raid on a city.
at/ks/kbm (dpa, asisi.de)