Travel dates
"Dramatic Events in the East"
Travel dates:27. 06. - 02. 07. 2006
17. 08. - 22. 08. 2006
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360° Dresden
The"Zwinger" in Dresden as a panorama-picture.
... view
Feeding Hollywood
In 1945 the pendulum of the war on the eastern front swung back with brutal force. Refugees from East Prussia, the Warthegau region and Silesia poured into the big cities and further on into the west. The German army became involved in seemingly endless defensive action.
On this trip, you will witness this and much more: astounding stories of escapees who later became cinematic heroes; unbelievable endurance and suffering; the reconstruction of cities like Wroclaw and Dresden. And this includes the restored beauty of Görlitz, which may well become Europe's Capital of Culture in 2010.
Top-class hotels, excellent cuisine and a wonderful natural landscape round off this trip perfectly.
Historical background
Escapees from POW camps, whether Germans or Allied soldiers, have always enjoyed an adventurer's reputation. The last escapee, who surrendered to the FBI in 1985, was an Afrika Korps soldier, Georg Gärtner. POW camps in Germany have acquired legendary status: Stalag Luft III in Sagan (now Zagan in Poland) was the inspiration for the Hollywood film "The Great Escape" and made a world star of Steve McQueen.
Colditz Castle in Saxony has gained mythical status in England; this camp (Oflag IV C ) is synonymous with an unbending will to escape, in some cases more than once.
Dresden, known as Florence on the Elbe, was Germany's safest air-raid shelter until the devastating raids of early February 1945. Dresden is now a symbol of the senselessness of war and stands as a memorial to the bombing of innocent civilians. Today, the wounds of the past are healing and the city is enjoying a renaissance. Dresden is also home to the Bundeswehr military history museum and is therefore well worth a visit.
Following the Red Army's summer offensive, in autumn 1944 Hitler declared Breslau (now known as Wroclaw) a siege town. The Russians surrounded it on February 15, 1945. The battle, which brought unimaginable suffering, lasted until May, but the Russians did not capture the town; it surrendered on May 6, by which time further resistance was futile.