DREZNO

Zwinger in Dresden
Dresden
1709-1732, reconstruction 1945-1963
Designer: Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann

Dresden is home to the magnificent late Baroque architectural ensemble Zwinger. It was built between 1709 and 1732 and commissioned by Augustus II the Strong. The author of the architectural design was Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. After reconstruction in the mid-19th century, the exhibition space (including for the extensive painting collections) was enlarged. The complex was almost completely destroyed during the bombing of Dresden on 13-14 February 1945. It was rebuilt in 1963.

The Crown Gate of the Zwinger complex in Dresden
Dresden
1709-1732

The façade of the Crown Gate (German: Kronentor) of Dresden's Zwinger complex, founded by King Augustus II the Strong of Poland, features a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and on the dome are four Polish eagles and the Polish royal crown. The complex was built between 1709 and 1732.

Monogram of August II on the Zwinger Palace in Dresden
Dresden
1709–1732
Designers: Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (architect), Balthasar Permoser (sculptor)

The Zwinger Palace in Dresden is one of the most famous late Baroque buildings in Europe. At the top of the Crown Gate (Kronentor), you will see the monogram of August II Sas, later King August II the Strong of Poland. It was on his initiative that the building in question was built. The architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and the sculptor Balthasar Permoser took part in the project. The main part of the palace was built between 1709 and 1732, and it was here that the wedding of the future Polish King August III Sas and Maria Josepha Habsburg took place.

Holy Trinity Cathedral in Dresden
Dresden
1739-1751
Creator: Gaetano Chiaveri

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Dresden was founded by King Augustus III of Poland. The building was erected between 1739 and 1751 to a design by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri. The church's crypt contains the sarcophagi of August III, his wife Maria Josefa of the Habsburgs, Friedrich August I of Wettin, and an urn containing the heart of Friedrich August I (King August II the Strong of Poland). Another noteworthy Polish item in the church is a plaque commemorating the Polish martyrs murdered in Dresden: Czesław Jóźwiak, Edward Kaźmierski, Franciszek Kęse, Edward Klinik, Jarogniew Wojciechowski and Grzegorz Frąckowiak. The plaque is placed in one of the side altars.

Insignia of August II the Strong kept in the Rüstkammer in Dresden
Dresden
1697
Creator: Johann Friedrich Klemm

The private royal regalia were made by goldsmith Johann Friedrich Klemm in 1697 for the Polish king and Saxon prince-elector August II the Strong. They are stored in the Rüstkammer in Dresden.

Monument to Augustus II the Strong in Dresden
Dresden
1736

The Golden Horseman is the famous gilded statue of Augustus II the Strong standing on the New Town Square in Dresden since 26 November 1736.

Coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on the Zwinger Palace in Dresden
Dresden

On the façade of the Mathematical and Physical Salon building in the Zwinger palace complex in Dresden, there is a cartouche of the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Dresden Commonwealth Coat of Arms Cartouche
Dresden

The cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is located on the facade of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Dresden. The centre of the shield is occupied by the coat of arms of the Wettins (Saxons), placed against a background of fields with the Pogo and White Eagles. The coat of arms is surmounted by a royal crown held by two putti.

Thaler of Augustus II the Strong at the mint in Dresden
. Dresden
1713

Among the coins presented in the museum, we can see a thaler of August II the Strong from 1713.

Polonies in the Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister)
Dresden
1715-1775

In the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister you can see:
- painting "Entry of August III to Warsaw" painted by Johann Samuel Mock in 1734,
- painting "King August III of Poland" by Pietro Rotari from 1775,
- portrait of the young August III painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1715,
- painting "August III on horseback" by Louis de Silvestre, created around 1718.

Polish rulers in the "Prince's Procession" in Dresden
Dresden
1906-1907

On the wall of the Langer Gang building in Dresden is a representation of the "Prince's retinue" made of porcelain elements. The work of art was created between 1872 and 1876, originally made in sgrafitto and later replaced by ceramic elements produced in the Meissen manufactory. The procession depicts the margraves, counts, dukes and kings of Saxony from the 800-year history of the Wettin dynasty, including the kings of Poland: Augustus II the Strong, Augustus III of Saxony and Frederick Augustus I, Duke of Warsaw. The author of the painting, Wilhelm Walther, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, is also immortalised in this illustrious group. The lower part of the work features 35 coats of arms, including those of Poland and Lithuania. During the bombardment of Dresden on 13-14 February 1945, the painting was not seriously damaged like many other historical buildings in the area.

Watercolour depicting the coronation of Saxony by Poland in the Dresden Old Masters Gallery
Dresden
1740

The Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden houses a watercolour by Antonio Joli (1700-1744) entitled 'La Sassonia Coronata e Preceduta dalla Polonia'. The work was created in 1740 and depicts an allegorical scene of the coronation of Saxony by Poland on a decorated barge, strongly reminiscent of Baroque design. The symbols of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are visible on the front of the barge: The White Eagle (Crown) and the Lithuanian Pahon (Grand Duchy of Lithuania).

GRIMMA

Coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on the Pöppelmann Bridge in Grimm
. Grimma

The coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is displayed on the Pöppelmann Bridge in the Saxon town of Grimma. Below the cartouche is a plaque with an engraved inscription in Latin.

MONACHIUM

Cartouche with the coats of arms of Maximilian III Joseph Wittelsbach and Maria Anna Wettyn in the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich (Cuvilliéstheater, altes Residenztheater)
Munich
1751-1753

Situated near the Theatine Church and the Residenztheater, the Cuvilliés Theatre was commissioned by Bavarian Elector Maximilian III Joseph Wittelsbach (1727-1777). Built between 1751 and 1753 to a design by the Bavarian architect François de Cuvilliés the Elder (1695-1768), the building burned down during the Second World War. Of the original rococo sculptural elements of the Cuvilliés Theatre, the only surviving Polish-German accent in the interior is the cartouche with the coats of arms of Maximilian III Joseph and his wife Maria Anna Wettyn (1728-1797), testifying to the personal union between Bavaria, Poland and Saxony.

History of the theatre
The Cuvilliés theatre was reserved exclusively for the sovereign and his court. The intimate stage quickly became renowned for its lavish setting of opera performances. In 1944, the building was completely destroyed in a bombing. Fortunately, the original rococo sculptural decoration and small architectural elements were saved by the decision in 1943 to dismantle them and move them to a safe place.

After the war, the theatre interiors were reconstructed in the eastern wing of the mansion. Between 1956 and 1958, restoration of the surviving elements was carried out and they were then placed in the new home of the Cuvilliés Theatre, the Alte Residenztheater.

Cartouche with the coats of arms of Maximilian III Joseph Wittelsbach and his wife Maria Anna Wettyn

Above the stage in the new building, as originally intended, is the coat-of-arms cartouche of the theatre's founder, Elector Maximilian III Joseph Wittelsbach of Bavaria, and his wife, the Polish royal and Lithuanian princess Maria Anna Wettyn. To the left of the cartouche is the coat of arms of the Bavarian Palatinate, and to the right is the Polish-Lithuanian coat of arms with the central Wettin coat of arms shield. The combined coats of arms symbolise the personal union between Bavaria, Poland and Saxony. Created under the supervision of Johann Baptist Straub (1704-1784), the rococo sculptural composition is complemented by angels holding a cartouche and a princely crown above it. The large size of the composition makes it visible even from the last rows of the hall.

Coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the chapel of the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich
Munich
2nd half of the 18th century

The coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is displayed in the altarpiece of the chapel at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. It is a reference to Maria Anna Wettyn, a Polish royal and Saxon princess who was married to the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph Wittelsbach.

KÖNIGSTEIN

Bas-relief of Augustus II the Strong in Königstein Fortress
Königstein
1697-1706

Above the entrance gate to Königstein fortress in Saxony, there is a bas-relief depicting King August II the Strong of Poland and Elector of Saxony. The entrance gate is also decorated with a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

BAD SCHANDAU

Obelisk on Lilienstein (Der Obelisk auf dem Lilienstein)
Bad Schandau
ca. 1708 (reconstruction)
Technical data: sandstone; height approx. 350 cm

The history of the obelisk goes back to the hunt at the foot of the Lilienstein hill. On 26 July 1708 August II the Strong, as the first Saxon ruler, decided to conquer this landmark mountain in the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland). According to accounts, the present-day south ascent was established especially for him. To celebrate this climb, the King of Poland (at the same time Elector of Saxony) ordered an obelisk to be erected on the eastern slope of the mountain. The obelisk bears the monogram of the ruler: AR (Augustus Rex). The object stood until the 1960s. The upper part was probably destroyed by a lightning strike, the rest was vandalised. Thanks to the Ilse Bähnert (Tom Pauls) Foundation in Pirna, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Lilienstein by Augustus II the Strong, the obelisk was rebuilt. The initiative was supported by the Saxon Switzerland National Park and the work was carried out by the stonemasonry firm Andreas Hempel in Dresden. On 22 August 2008, the obelisk was ceremonially unveiled.

BRUNSWIK

Polonik in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Brunswick
Brunswick
1733

"The Election of Augustus III" - a gouache on parchment created in 1733 by an anonymous German painter. The work is housed in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Brunswick.