Not Just Painted On: Dresden Installs Crosswalks in Front of Music School

The farce surrounding a self-painted crosswalk in Dresden has come to a happy ending. Construction work on a proper crosswalk in front of the Heinrich Schütz Conservatory has now begun, according to a statement from the city administration. This is intended to make crossing the street at this location safer.

The crosswalk is scheduled to be completed by early November. Pedestrians will then be safely guided through the construction zone. According to reports, the cost amounts to approximately 44,000 euros.

Longer walking routes for safe crossing

In the summer of 2025, unknown individuals painted a crosswalk on the roadway along the busy street in Neustadt to provide safe access to the Heinrich Schütz Conservatory. The city promptly closed off the crossing with warning cones because the paint could not be removed and a temporary attempt to secure the crossing with yellow marking tape had failed. Schoolchildren and residents had to walk a long way to safely cross the street.

The city had justified the measure at the time by stating that unauthorized crosswalks constitute not only property damage but also a dangerous interference with traffic. Furthermore, traffic signs installed without authorization constitute an administrative offense under the Road Traffic Regulations.