Built between 1726 and 1743, the Frauenkirche on the southeast side of Neumarkt (New Market Square) was the most important Protestant church in Germany and had one of the most famous domes in Europe. The 1945 Allied bombing of Dresden destroyed 80 percent of the city, including the Frauenkirche. After the war, the East German government let the charred ruin remain as a memorial. A painstaking restoration project began in 1993 and was finally completed in 2006 at a cost of about $22 million. The reopening of the church was an event of major symbolic importance. The new golden cross atop the dome, an exact replica of the 18th-century original, was built by the son of a British bomber pilot who took part in the original bombing raid. Once again this baroque church dominates the historic center of Dresden; step inside the brilliant white interior to admire the immaculate restoration work. The dome can be climbed for 8€ (students and seniors 5€).