Dresden, once one of the world's most beautiful cities, has had its share of bad luck. The place was virtually flattened during two consecutive air raids in the final days of World War II,  killing between 60,000 and 200,000, depending on whom you ask.

From 1949 to 1990 the city suffered under the Communist rulers of the German Democratic Republic. It wasn't until money from wealthy West Germany began pouring in that work began to restore cultural ikons such as the famous baroque Frauenkirche.

Now Dresden, often dubbed the Florence on the Elbe, has suffered another setback. On Thursday UNESCO announced that it was removing Dresden's Elbe Valley from its list of World Heritage Sites.

The decision is the result of a bridge the city is currently building across the valley which the UN-affilated cultural organization says cuts off the famed Baroque center from the surrounding floodplains. In other words: the bridge destroys the view.

The 24-mile stretch of the Elbe Valley includes Dresden’s complex of palaces, churches and theaters. The city center only received the world heritage status in 2004.

Amid much gnashing teeth among Germany's cultural elite, a poll found most Dresdeners didn't care very much about losing the UN title. But few of German newspapers on Friday had anything positive to say about the embarrassing episode for a country that likes to pride itself as a Kulturnation.

“UNESCO found the courage and strength to articulate that every country, no matter how rich or powerful they are, must abide by the rules,” wrote the Berliner Zeitung. (Photo: Übigau Palace)

The Sächsische Zeitung called the decision a humiliation for Saxony and Germany. "The circumstances surrounding the revocation of its honor only illustrate the weaknesses of the governing coalitions in Berlin and Dresden, which never united and strengthened the Dresdeners, rather split them politically."

But the paper remained confident Dresden would remain an important cultural centre.

The Nordwest Zeitung in Oldenburg said it wasn't yet clear whether there would be negative consequences for the city but seemed to suggest that there should be.

"The UNESCO committee finally took decisive action," the paper wrote. "If the loss of the world heritage title has no economic, tourism or political consequences, some other city officials might even feel secretly emboldened to build their own architectural blasphemies."

Halle's Mitteldeutsche Zeitung said there appeared to be an aura of arrogance hovering over the Saxon city at the moment. "Nobody can tell us what to do, was the message. And Dresden is pretty no matter what," was the paper's impression of the city's attitude.

germerica/The Local