80th Anniversary Commemoration
On 13th February, The Dresden Trust’s Royal Patron, HRH The Duke of Kent, and all 7 Trustees attended the 80th anniversary commemoration of the British bombing of Dresden in 1945. The Duke inaugurated a new Learning Path illustrating Dresden’s glorious and tragic history. The Path was designed for schoolchildren by Trustee Daniel Schieferdecker, together with partners in Dresden. Interactivity enables schoolchildren to access also from elsewhere in Germany and abroad. The Duke made a speech in German at the main event in the City Hall, and Chairman Marcus Ferrar took part in a panel discussion with Dresden schoolchildren and teachers. As snow fell at dusk, the Duke and all 7 Trustees joined in a Human Chain of solidarity with thousands of Dresdners. At a difficult time in the world, this moving commemoration showed that terrible destruction in war can be followed by reconciliation, cooperation and friendship.
A collection of photos from this event is available HERE.
We would also like to share a statement from our Patron, the German Ambassador, H.E. Miguel Berger.
It is an honour to serve as Patron of the Dresden Trust and I am immensely grateful to the Dresden Trust for strengthening the bonds between our countries both by concrete action in contributing to the rebuilding of the historic centre of Dresden, but also by facilitating youth exchange through the Dresden Scholars’ Scheme and now even a digital Lernweg, or Learning Path.
The orb and cross of the Frauenkirche in Dresden are not just the crowning glory of the rebuilt church, but the lasting expression of the Dresden Trust’s dedication to British-German friendship and understanding. Over the past three decades the Dresden Trust has been transforming remembrance of the past into a vision and concrete action for a better future.