Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670–1733), was an impressive figure: he made the nobility pay taxes, founded the audit office and introduced compulsory military service. Plus: he loved gold and silver, amber and ivory, mechanical art and miniatures. Seeking the appropriate form to display his collected treasures to the public, as well as those of his predecessor, he commissioned Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann to build a magnificent museum between 1723 and 1730. This was his vision of a synthesis of baroque art and an expression of wealth and absolutist power. The Oberland master builder extended the four rooms – that since 1560 had been used by Saxony’s state treasury as the secret depository of the Green Vault – into a dramaturgic arrangement of eight rooms that were predominantly reserved for specific materials.

As if by miracle, the treasure chamber survived the succession of wars over more than 200 years. The collection was closed in 1938 with war looming and it was transferred in 1942 to Königstein castle in the Taunus. The treasures were seized by the Russians after the war, but a large amount of the collection was returned to Dresden in 1958.

However, it was not until after the restoration and partial reconstruction of the Historic Green Vault, which had suffered severe damage during Second World War, that the famous collection of the Wettin Princes was returned to its original home. Included in the collection are Ivan the Terrible’s golden drinking bowl, Martin Luther’s chalice, and approximately 3000 other unique works of art. The Free State of Saxony invested about 45 million euros in the refurbishment and extension of the entire Green Vault – and commissioned over a hundred of the best restorers, craftsmen and sculptors from the region.
Rainer Meier

For more information in German and English visit: www.skd-dresden.de