Positioned on the banks of the River Elbe in Eastern Germany, Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its baroque and rococo centre. A controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II killed 25,000 civilians and completely destroyed the entire old city, which has been completely rebuilt, often using original stones.