City (pop., 2002: 478,600), situated on the Elbe River, eastern Germany. Originally a Slavonic settlement, it was the residence of the margraves of Meissen in the early 13th century. The Dresden china industry originated there but was moved to Meissen in 1710 (see Meissen porcelain). Napoleon I made Dresden a centre of military operations and won his last great battle there in 1813. Dresden was occupied by Prussia in 1866. In World War II, it was severely damaged by Allied bombing raids in 1945. Several of its historic buildings have been restored or reconstructed. It is known for its art galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions. Industries produce precision and optical instruments
a city in southeastern Germany on the Elbe River; it was almost totally destroyed by British air raids in 1945
Latin Codex Dresdensis One of the few pre-Columbian Maya codices to survive book burnings by Spanish clergy. It contains exceptionally accurate astronomical calculations, including eclipse-prediction tables and the synodic period of Venus. The reputation of the Maya as astronomers is based largely on these figures