Augustus II the Strong (Germany)

Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and from 1697 also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania after he converted to a Catholic. He was born in 1670 in Dresden. He is known for his display of splendour and established Dresden's reputation as Baroque metropolis. He led Saxony to an economical, cultural and infrastructural heyday. On the other side he also involved the Electorate of Saxony in the Great Northern War. He died in 1733 in Warsaw.

Golden Horseman in Dresden

Dresden, the capital of the Electorate of Saxony, became a Baroque metropolis at the behest of Augustus II the Strong. The reconstruction started with his accession to the throne in 1694. Dresden was particularly suitable for the reconstruction due to its attractive location at the Elbe and the mild climate in the Elbe Valley. The style of the new city was influenced by French and Italian models. Augustus II the Strong built among others the Frauenkirche and the Zwinger. His son followed his ideas and constructed more buildings. The time of the Dresden Baroque ended with the beginning of the Seven Years' War in 1756.

Instead of one large palace, Augustus II the Strong built many small palaces which all had their own purposes.

One of them is the Moritzburg Castle. It was built between 1723 and 1736 as hunting lodge. Others are for example the Zwinger in Dresden for the court festivals, the Dresden Castle as residence and the Pillnitz Castle for the river festivals on the Elbe.

Augustus II the Strong is also known for opening Europe's first porcelain manufacture. The creation of porcelain, which earlier had to be imported from Asia, was originated by Friedrich Böttger and Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. The production of porcelain was started in the Albrechtsburg in Meißen in 1710. It was for a long time Europe's leading porcelain manufacture.