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took place along with an enormous increase in population, so that by the end of the
19th century Dresden had developed into a large city. During this growth process,
industries and trades were heavily concentrated in their traditional locations west of the
Altstadt (Friedrichstadt) and the north of the Altstadt, in connection with the „military
town“ situated there. East of the Altstadt and Neustadt as well as in the near vicinity of
the bend of the Elbe between Loschwitz Bridge and Albert Bridge, new residential areas
evolved.
The topographical conditions of the Elbe Valley played a central role in this growth
process. While the Elbe Valley basin on the right bank of the Elbe along the Elbe slopes
allowed only a limited expansion of the city, a greater potential for development existed
on the left bank because of its flatter relief. During the course of its growth process the
city constantly expanded into this area. Alongside the mediaeval radial structure of the
Dresden city centre, a strip of residential housing running along the Elbe between the
railroad line and river gradually evolved. These diverse developments shape the urban
structure of Dresden to this day.
The Prussian Quarter
(South of Bautzner Strasse core zone, or buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage
Site)
In the 19th century, Dresden developed into the third largest garrison of the Prussian-
German Empire, resulting in the construction of a barracks compound northeast of
the city. Housing for officers and their families was located in the immediate vicinity of
the barracks in the so-called “Prussian Quarter“ between the densely built-up outer
Altstadt and the Loschwitz Elbe slope on slightly inclined terrain. The urban structure
of the quarter consists of a continuous pattern of wide streets and two- and three-
story villas. The homogeneity of the urban structure and its conformance with the
topography are due to the careful development of the villa quarter. Development plans
provided for open construction, architectural styling, development of land enclosures
and the planting of trees along avenues.
In the course of this development, the northern slopes of the Elbe east of Neustadt
were constantly being reshaped. Numerous villas were built along Bautzner Strasse
between 1840 - 1870, which profited from the southern-exposed slope location
and the view onto the river and the old town. The “Villa Rosa“ residence was a
distinctive part of this ensemble. Designed by Gottfried Semper, the villa was also built
on Bautzner Strasse in 1840, although it was destroyed in WW II. This residence in
Semper‘s neo-Renaissance style set the standard for many other “town villas“ of the
type frequently encountered in the Dresden Elbe Valley.
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