The Baroque sandstone Frauenkirche dominates the Dresden skyline today as it did in the past. The cranes and scaffolding which covered the Church of Our Lady have been removed and the building dazzles in the sunshine.
I saw the first visitors who started to arrive in the early hours of the morning. They were the determined ones who wanted to secure a place inside the Frauenkirche.
At 1000 local time, the bells rang out and crowds gathered outside the church to watch the re-consecration ceremony which was broadcast live on a giant screen.
The German President, Horst Koehler, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Chancellor-designate Angela Merkel were among dozens of dignitaries who attended the service. Britain's Duke of Kent, representing the Dresden Trust, also attended the ceremony.
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