Dresden becomes a major city

Dresden grew rapidly in the decades following 1850. The industrial branches which have become typical for the city, such as precision engineering, optics, luxury foods (chocolate) and cigarettes, were established.

Extensive traffic structures changed the appearance of the city: additional bridges over the Elbe, new railway lines and stations and an Elbe port were built. Dresden received a new city hall, a new opera house and numerous other public buildings. After the founding of the German Empire in 1871, the city was one of the most important garrisons and extensive barracks were erected.

At the turn of the century Dresden was the fourth largest city of the German Empire with a population of more than half a million inhabitants. Prudent building regulations enabled the city to maintain its charm despite its stormy growth. Together with the lively cultural climate, this founded Dresden's reputation as an attractive destination for thousands of tourists.

After 1900, the opera in Dresden attained world renown thanks to Richard Strauss, and when the artist group »Brücke« was founded in 1905, it also earned a name as a centre of expressionist art. The garden town Hellerau was at the same time an important focus of the German reform movement.