Dreikönigskirche, Dresden

The present church was built from 1732 to 1739 with designs by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and with George Bähr responsible for the interior features.

However, the church was demolished in 1731–32 as part of the process of building a new Baroque capital [de] for Duke Augustus II the Strong, as it stood on the new main thoroughfare, the Hauptstraße.

[2][3] A new church was built from 1732 to 1739 at a different location to a plan by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann in the Baroque style with interiors by George Bähr, builder of the Frauenkirche.

[5] In 1887, the Dreikönigskirche's role as the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Parish of Neustadt-Dresden was passed to the newly constructed Martin Luther Church [de].

[4] Church services resumed in the ruins of the Dreikönigskirche when the rubble was removed, and plans for demolition were resisted by locals.

[6] On 27 October 1990, the first meeting of the Sächsischer Landtag, the new state parliament formed after the Wende, took place in the Dreikönigskirche.

[4] The Dreikönigskirche was built on the west side of the Hauptstraße on top of what was the main cemetery, which was moved north to become the Innerer Neustädter Friedhof [de].

It was designed and built in the Baroque Revival style to match the existing church and decorated with sculptures of the Four Evangelists and the Three Kings.

[5] A total of 3,867 cubic metres (136,600 cu ft) of sandstone was sourced from the Saxon Switzerland for the completion of the tower.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins, bookended by images of the Apostles John and Matthew, is depicted in relief on the altar.

Thomae's altar survived the destruction of the church during World War II, but it was damaged and has never been repaired.

[9] In 1990, during the final phase of the reconstruction of the Dreikönigskirche, the Dresden Totentanz [de] was installed below the organ loft.