Dresdner Totentanz, Relief sculpture in Dreikönigskirche, Dresden, Germany
Description
Dresdner Totentanz is a sandstone relief in the Dreikönigskirche showing a procession of figures led by Death playing a wind instrument. The work occupies a dedicated space beneath the organ loft and displays carefully carved details in each figure.
History
The relief was created in 1534 by Christoph Walther I and originally stood at Georgentor, the northern gateway to Dresden. After World War II, it underwent conservation and was relocated inside the church in 1991.
Culture
The relief depicts people from different social ranks - clergy, nobility, and ordinary citizens - standing together, showing that death treats all people equally regardless of their position or background.
Practical
The relief sits beneath the organ loft in the Dreikönigskirche and is accessible during church opening hours. It is worth taking time to examine the details closely, as they are best appreciated from nearby.
Did you know?
The work survived the 1945 bombing of Dresden, making it one of the few surviving examples of this art form from that period in the city. Its preservation is linked to its location at Georgentor, where it was moved to safety before the church itself was rebuilt.
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