Trams in Dresden west of the city centre. Trams in Dresden The Dresden tramway network () is a network of tramways forming the backbone of the public transport system in Dresden, a city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Opened in 1872, it has been operated since 1993 by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB). , the network comprised 12 tram lines, with a total line length of approximately and a total route length of . There was of track, which translated into of actual tram line, serving 154 tram stops. The origins of the Dresden tramway network can be traced back to the year
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