Saxony's Augustus the Strong
Legacy and Legend
He was sophisticated, educated, charming, confident, exuberant and possibly a bit crazy. Please enjoy the many adventures of Augustus in this special edition - a live stream of SIGHTGEIST – the Saxony magazine and discover a lasting legacy in the State of Saxony, Germany.
Augustus the Strong will come alive in the special live stream presentation on Wednesday, February 23 at 1:00 Eastern.
Without Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) the King of Poland and the Elector of Saxony, the cultural state of Saxony would not be what it is today. Due to his vainglorious ambition and lust for beautiful works of art and inventions, Augustus the Strong built up collections and buildings that people still flock to Dresden to see almost 300 years later.
Restored now to its original baroque splendor, Dresden’s gleaming buildings, including the Royal Palace, the cathedral, the opera, the Brühlsche Terrasse, the Zwinger, among others, are a testament to Augustus the Strong, his ambitions, exuberant personality and adventures. Even today these buildings hold some of the world’s finest treasures just as they did when Augustus was marching around Dresden.
Dresden may be most famous for the Dresden State Art Collections, the cornerstone of which is the famous Green Vault, Augustus the Strong's original treasure chamber. Gold, rock crystal and diamonds shine in every cabinet in the treasury of August the Strong, which he built between 1723 and 1730. Today, old and new coalesce in the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) at the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace). The Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) allows visitors to immerse themselves in the authentically restored rooms of the treasury, the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault) shows selected exhibits, impressively illuminated behind glass. Several exhibitions this year in Dresden are also celebrating the accomplishments and society at the time of Augustus the Strong.
From May 21 to August 28, the Dresden State Art Collections will be showing the exhibition “Enchantingly Real: Bernardo Bellotto at the Court of Saxony” where there will be paintings from the Dresden State Art Collections as well as from other institutions. Bernardo Bellotto, the nephew of the Canaletto, is often referred to as Canaletto the Younger or also just Canaletto. He became famous as the court painter for the elector of Saxony, Frederick Augustus II. His famous works are breath- taking depictions of the city and its environs, most measuring over eight feet in width. Canaletto's 300th birthday this year is a cause célèbre in the Elbe city as he painted extraordinary landscapes that depicted Dresden as it was in its golden age in the mid1700s.
“Plant Fever” is a multifaceted exhibition that will be displayed in Pillnitz Castle, the erstwhile summer palace of Augustus the Strong. Pillnitz is only 20 minutes from Dresden via a very pleasant river boat ride that will take you past beautiful villas and palaces from the 1700s. Designers, scientists, technology experts and plant enthusiasts will be interested in this project that will showcase 50 international projects from April 29 to November 6.
Close by will be the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory and showroom with some of the most beautiful porcelain pieces in the world. A special exhibition, called “Johann,” after Johann Boettger, the alchemist who was hired by Augustus the Strong to create gold but came up with porcelain, so-called white gold, will be located in the Albrechtsburg (fortress close to the manufactory) for people interested in international and contemporary porcelain. It will run from April 16 to July 2022.
Said to have a legendary “maladie de porcelaine,” Augustus the Strong, had by 1719 amassed more than twenty thousand pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain for the decoration of the Japanese Palace, the small pleasure palace on the banks of the Elbe River that he acquired to showcase his vast holdings in Dutch-style porcelain rooms. Ten years later, the palace was rebuilt and extended to create a new set of state apartments where specially commissioned porcelain from the royal Meissen manufactory would reign supreme. The Frick Museum gives a wonderful description of Augustus the Strong's collection and its contents and history for an exhibition of Meissen porcelain it mounted some years ago.
Dresden is also a musical city and one of the most important musicians in setting this foundation is Heinrich Schütz, the royal organist and music director of the Royal Palace in the mid1600s. His work will be celebrated and played at the ‘Barock.Musik.Fest’ from May 2 to May 8 in the Royal Palace as well as from October 7 to 17 during the eponymous festival dedicated to the musician. Schütz is known for writing vocal solos, duets and choir works with and without instruments. He was strongly influenced by Italian composers of the time and yet created a strong German choral tradition that is still lively in the city today.
If you are planning a trip to Dresden for spring and summer especially, Dresden has many outdoor cultural events, including film nights on the banks of the Elbe, daily classes at the Japanese Palace, walking and bicycle tours throughout the city and the region. One special way to enjoy and experience the Elbe region is to ride along the Elbe Wine Road from Pirna to Dirnbar-Seusslitz. August 27 and 28 and September 23 and 25 are the local wine festivals in Radebeul and Meissen respectively. Although it is technically Germany’s smallest and most northern wine region, the wines are popular while the landscape and wineries are beautiful places to visit and enjoy a meal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
