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Coordinates: 51°03′10″N 13°44′13″E

Dresden Castle
Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (German: Dresdner
Dresden Castle
Residenzschloss or Dresdner Schloss) is one of the oldest
Dresdner Residenzschloss
buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the
residence of the electors (1547–1806) and kings (1806–1918) of
Saxony from the Alebertine House of Wettin as well as Kings of
Poland (1697–1763). It is known for the different architectural
styles employed, from Baroque to Neo-renaissance.

Today, the residential castle is a museum complex that contains the

Historic and New Green Vault, the Numismatic Cabinet, the
Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs and the Dresden
Armory with the Turkish Chamber. It also houses an art library and
the management of the Dresden State Art Collections.

Contents
History
Museums
Historic and New Green Vault
Numismatic Cabinet (Coin Cabinet) Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs General information

Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber and the
Architectural style Neo-renaissance,
Renaissance Wing
State Apartments Baroque
Theft Location Dresden, Germany
See also Construction started 1533–1535
Notes and references (Georges Gate)
External links 1565–1567
(Chancellery)
1586–1591 (Court's
History stall)
1589–1594
The original castle was a Romanesque keep, built around 1200. The
(Castle's yard)
Hausmannsturm was built at the beginning of the 15th century.
1705–1708
From 1468 until 1480, the keep was extended by the master
(Taschenbergpalais)
builder, Arnold von Westfalen, becoming an enclosed four-wing
1945 (Protection)
construction. In the middle of the 16th century, an addition was
1991 [Start of WW2
added in the Renaissance style.
reconstruction]
After a major fire in 1701, Augustus II the Strong rebuilt much of
(Tower)
the castle in the Baroque style.[1] The collection rooms were created
2004 (Museum)

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at this time in the 2013

western wing. (Reconstructed)
The Silver Room, Completed 1899
Heraldic Room
Owner Free State of
and the
Saxony
Pretiosensaal
were built from Design and construction
1723–1726 and Other designers George, Duke of
the Saxony
The castle in 1550 Kaminzimmer, Maurice, Elector of
Juwelenzimmer Saxony
(Jewel Room), Augustus, Elector of
Ivory Room and Bronze Room were built from 1727–1729.[1] Saxony
Paul Buchner
The 800th anniversary of the House of Wettin, Saxony's ruling Augustus II the
family, resulted in more rebuilding between 1889 and 1901. A Neo- Strong of Poland-
renaissance renovation was undertaken, followed by various Saxony
modernizations, such as in-floor heating and electric lights in
1914.[1] On the outside of the Stallhof (Stall Courtyard), which links
the castle complex with the adjacent Johanneum, the "Procession of
Princes" was painted by the artist Wilhelm Walther. The 102-meter-
long mural represents the history of the Wettins. Since it quickly
faded, it was transferred to about 23,000 Meissen porcelain tiles
between 1904 and 1907.

Most of the castle was reduced to a roofless shell during February 13,
1945 bombing of Dresden in World War II. Three rooms of the
The castle in 1896
Green Vault were destroyed. However, the collections survived,
having been moved to safety at Königstein Fortress in the early years
of the war.[1]

For the first 15 years after the end of the Second World War, no
attempt was made to rebuild the castle, except to install a temporary
roof in 1946. Restoration began in the 1960s with the installation of
new windows and has occurred rapidly since then. The castle's
restoration is ongoing, with part of the State Apartments set to
reopen in September 2019[2].

Museums
Ruins of the castle in 1980
Dresden castle houses five museum sections, the Historic Green
Vault and the New Green Vault, the Numismatic Cabinet, the
Collection of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs and the Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber and the
Renaissance Wing.

Also accessible is an art library (Kunstbibliothek) with approximately 260,000 volumes of special literature on art

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history.[3] The character of the holdings is closely related to the

collecting focal points of the museums.

Historic and New Green Vault

The Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum that contains the
largest collection of treasures in Europe. Founded by Augustus II the
Strong in 1723, it features a unique and rich variety of exhibits from
the period of baroque to classicism. The museum consists of the The castle today
Historic Green Vault (Historisches Grünes Gewölbe) and the New
Green Vault (Neues Grünes Gewölbe).[4]

The Historic Green Vault is known for its treasure chambers and is itself a baroque work of art. The New Green Vault is
more modern. The Historic Green Vault is located on the ground floor of the Dresden Castle and visits require an
advance booking; admittance to the New Green Vault, which is on the second floor, is not limited.

Numismatic Cabinet (Coin Cabinet)

The Numismatic Cabinet (Münzkabinett), with its nearly 300,000 pieces, is one of Dresden’s oldest museums, dating
back to the early 16th century. It contains one of the largest universal collections in Europe. Its broad-spectrum ranges
from classical antiquity to present-day coins. Some 30,000 Saxon coins and medals represent different periods in
Saxony's history. The collection also includes orders and insignia, banknotes and historic bonds, models, seals, minting
dies for coins and medals, as well as minting machines and equipment.[5]

The exhibition shows around 3,300 outstanding objects in four rooms, which represent a cross-section of the various
parts of the collection. The Numismatic Cabinet is also a center of scholarly research and has a public library of some
30,000 volumes.

Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs

The Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs (Kupferstich-Kabinett)
shows work by renowned artists from numerous countries. There are
approximately 515,000 objects by more than 20,000 artists across eight
centuries. It holds drawings and prints by old masters such as Albrecht
Dürer, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Caspar David Friedrich, as well as
later artists, like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pablo Picasso. Engravings
by Martin Schongauer and woodcuts by Lucas Cranach the Elder are shown
along with photographic works.[6] There is also a collection of drawings and Eastern courtyard of Dresden Castle
graphic art by Käthe Kollwitz. (21st-century reconstruction)

Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber and the

Renaissance Wing
Originating from weapons owned by Saxon Dukes and Electors, the Dresden Armory (Rüstkammer) owns one of the
most valuable collections of weapons and armory in the world. The exhibition includes around 10,000 objects,

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including helmets, shields, swords, rapiers, daggers, sabres and maces,

pistols and rifles, riding equipment and ceremonial clothes.

The Turkish Chamber (Türckische Cammer) is a separate collection within

the Dresden Armory that is focused on art from the Ottoman Empire. It
displays more than 600 objects of art from the Ottoman Empire, making it
one of the oldest and most significant collections outside Turkey. Between
the 16th and the 19th centuries, the electors of Saxony, motivated by their
passion for collecting and their desire for princely prestige, amassed a Enclosed western courtyard of
wealth of "turquerie".[7] Dresden Castle (museum entrance)

The Renaissance Wing (Renaissanceflügel) presents a multitude of ornate

objects, costumes, and weapons, offering a unique glimpse into the world of the Electors of Saxony during the
Renaissance.

State Apartments
A suite of four fully restored staterooms will reopen in September 2019, marking the 300th anniversary since they
were first constructed by Augustus the Strong. Additionally, the Small Ballroom in the Georgenbau has reopened,
showcasing one of the 19th-century additions to the palace[8].

Theft
On 25 November 2019, masked thieves stole royal Polish-Saxon jewels and priceless objects from the museum. The
thieves disabled a junction box and were able enter the premises through a diversion. The getaway car was later found
in an underground car park. The press called the robbery as one of the largest and most significant since World War II,
with the loot's worth estimated at nearly 1 billion euros.[9]

See also
Pillnitz Castle – Summer residence of the electors and kings of Saxony
Moritzburg Castle – Hunting lodge of the electors and kings of Saxony
List of castles in Saxony

Notes and references

1. Fritz Löffler: Das alte Dresden - Geschichte seiner Bauten. 16th ed. Leipzig: Seemann, 2006,
ISBN 978-3-86502-000-0 (German)
2. https://ruestkammer.skd.museum/en/exhibitions/the-state-apartments-in-dresdens-residenzschloss/
3. "Residenzschloss (Royal Palace)" (https://www.skd.museum/en/besuch/residenzschloss/). Dresden State Art
Collections. 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
4. "The Baroque Treasury" (https://gruenes-gewoelbe.skd.museum/en/). Dresden State Art Collections. 2018.
Retrieved 28 February 2018.
5. "Dresden's new treasure chamber" (https://muenzkabinett.skd.museum/en/). Dresden State Art Collections. 2018.
Retrieved 28 February 2018.
6. "Masterworks on paper: Prints - Drawing - Photography" (https://kupferstich-kabinett.skd.museum/en/). Dresden

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State Art Collections. 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.

7. "One of the most valuable collections of parade weaponry and costumes" (https://ruestkammer.skd.museum/en/).
Dresden State Art Collections. 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
8. "SKD: Small Ballroom" (https://www.skd.museum/en/visit/royal-palace/small-ballroom/).
9. "Thieves Steal Priceless Diamonds in Heist at Dresden's 'Green Vault' Museum" (https://www.npr.org/2019/11/25/7
82624563/thieves-steal-priceless-diamonds-in-heist-at-dresdens-green-vault-museum).

External links
Media related to Residenzschloss Dresden at Wikimedia Commons

Dresden Residential Castle (https://www.schloesserland-sachsen.de/en/palaces-castles-and-gardens/dresden-roy

al-palace/) at Schlösserland Sachsen
Residenzschloss (https://www.skd.museum/en/besuch/residenzschloss/) at Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

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