Culture in Dresden and are connected by the "Blue Wonder" Elbe bridge. This bridge is one of the oldest cantilever truss bridges in Germany. It is often said to be called a Wonder because it spans the river without a pillar or due to its colour, which is sometimes said to have changed from green to blue. Nearby, two cable railways connect Körnerplatz with two villa quarters. The Standseilbahn Dresden is a funicular railway which travels up 95 metres and connects the districts of Loschwitz and Weißer Hirsch. The Schwebebahn Dresden is the oldest suspension railway in the world and connects the lower
Dresden hub and manufacturing centre with 127 factories and major workshops and was designated by the German Military as a defensive strongpoint, with which to hinder the Soviet advance. Being the capital of the German state of Saxony, Dresden not only had garrisons but a whole "military borough", the "Albertstadt". This military complex, named after Saxon King Albert, was not specifically targeted in the bombing of Dresden, though it was within the expected area of destruction and was extensively damaged. During the final months of the Second World War, Dresden harboured some 600,000 refugees, with a total population of . Dresden