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Semperoper, Dresden

Kerstin Schmidt
September 1, 2017

The Semperoper, or Semper Opera House, is a glowing gem in Dresden's historical town center. It's considered one of the loveliest opera houses in Europe.

https://p.dw.com/p/2iz2B

What few people know is that this is already the third version of the opera house. The first was built from 1838 to 1841, according to designs by architect Gottfried Semper; in 1869 it burned down in a devastating fire. The building that replaced it was largely destroyed on 13 Febuary 1945 by the bombing of Dresden during World War II. Exactly 40 years later to the day, the official opening of the third Semperoper took place.