Dresden's Zwinger, in the center of the Saxon capital, is one of Germany's most famous Baroque buildings. It houses world-famous museums and is the scene of musical and theatrical events.
Sophienstraße History
The Zwinger is one of the most impressive buildings of the Baroque period. The commissioner and initiator of its design and construction was Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann as architect and Balthasar Permoser as sculptor are the two virtuosos who made the Dresden Zwinger unique. The famous copper engraving of Pöppelmann's plans has been preserved to this day.
The Zwinger was built in the early 18th century on a site that once served to trap the enemy between the city's inner and outer fortification walls. The remains of the mighty fortress walls are clearly visible in today's Zwinger moat. The building, as seen today, was built over several years and in various phases.
The parapet and carillon pavilion in the center of the arched galleries, the four corner pavilions, and the long gallery with the crown door in the center symmetrically frame the rectangular courtyard, adorned with lawns and fountain basins. The Semper building forms the north end.
In 1709, seeking a winter home for his large collection of orange trees and other potted plants, Augustus the Strong commissioned his foreman Pöppelmann to build an orangery in the Zwinger Gardens.
Later, the complex was also used for court festivities. The festive culture of the Baroque era served not only to amuse and entertain court society, but above all to flaunt wealth and sovereign power.
The Long Gallery was built in 1712 and the Crown Gate in 1714. The Zwinger was officially opened in 1719, on the occasion of the wedding of Elector Frederick Augustus to the daughter of the Habsburg Emperor Maria Josepha. However, the final completion of the buildings to house the royal collections did not occur until 1728.