Hofkirche (cathedral)

In 1697 Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony, converted to catholicism so he could become King of Poland.

At first, the king used a royal chapel for catholic services, but when the protestant city of Dresden built the Frauenkirche in 1743, Augustus the Strong's son Augustus III decided a catholic church was needed to counterbalance the protestant church.
In secrecy plans for the largest church in Saxony were made by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri.

Known as Hofkirche (Church of the Court), the new catholic church was built between 1738 and 1751 in high baroque style. The monumental, oval shaped Hofkirche features a 83m /272ft high belfry.
The church is framed with balustrades from which 78 statues of historical and biblical figures look out over the city. Each of these statues is 3m or almost 10ft tall.

The church was left in ruins after the allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, and reconstruction only started in 1979. One year later, when the Hofkirche was just being reconstructed, the bishop's seat of Meissen was moved to Dresden, designating the city's catholic church as a cathedral.

The cathedral's interior features a carefully restored organ, the last work of the renowned organ builder Gottfried Silbermann and a magnificent Rococo pulpit by Balthasar Permoser. The heart of Augustus the Strong was buried here after completion of the church while his body was buried in Krakow, Poland.