On October 21, 2023, the new special exhibition "Kingmaker. 1423 - A Wettin becomes Saxon" opens at Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle. The reason for the exhibition: 600 years ago, the Margrave of Meissen, Frederick the Quarrelsome, received the Saxon electoral dignity and joined the exclusive circle of royal electors who decided the fate of Germany. Saxony became Saxony in 1423. Today, this name is part of many people's identity.
"With this special exhibition, we are celebrating the 600th anniversary of the granting of the Saxon electoral dignity to the Wettins and at the same time it is a foretaste of our 5th Saxon State Exhibition in 2029, which will be dedicated to "Meissen 929 - 1,100 Years of Saxony". The special exhibition offers us the opportunity to better understand our Saxon past and thus actively shape our present and future. It also shows us how identity and symbols of power have been influenced by this enfeoffment of 1423 and what memories are associated with it. Identity as a Saxon is an important part of our lives for many of us today, and it is fascinating to see how this concept has evolved over the centuries. However, these two exhibitions are not only of historical significance for Saxony, but also for tourism, as they will attract visitors from near and far. I would like to thank everyone involved in making these exhibitions possible - the organizers, the curators, the lenders and, of course, the Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH (SBG). Their commitment and their work are invaluable to the success of these exhibitions," emphasizes Barbara Klepsch, Saxony's Minister of State for Culture and Tourism.
For one year, Saxon history will be brought to life on almost 400 square meters of exhibition space on the first floor of Germany's oldest palace. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter Elector Frederick the Quarrelsome as a larger-than-life limewood statue with an electoral sword in his hand and an electoral hat on his head right in the first room. Why was the electoral dignity reassigned? Why did the Emperor make the Margrave of Meissen Elector? Why were Frederick's lands given a new name? How was a royal election conducted? The special exhibition answers these and other questions in a total of seven rooms. "Our exhibition team has prepared a historically significant and complex topic in just ten months. Visitors to the exhibition can expect a modern presentation with elaborate installations, audio tracks and graphic novels, thanks to which it is possible to visualize when contemporary representations are lacking," enthuses Christian Striefler, Managing Director of SBG.
The altarpiece © André Forner
The most valuable exhibit
An outstanding Gothic work of art, the altar retable in the church of Chemnitz-Ebersdorf, depicts a crescent moon Madonna with the infant Jesus as well as Frederick the Warlike and his wife Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The margrave made a pilgrimage to Ebersdorf in 1420. It was possibly donated as thanks for divine support in the crusade against the Hussites, in which Frederick had taken part. It is one of two known depictions of the later elector. The altar retable has been restored and conserved in recent weeks. The transportation of the valuable exhibit was complex and took place in a special, double-sprung transport crate. It is exhibited in a protective display case.
What is? - What remains? - What if?
The electoral dignity came to Saxony by mere chance. But what if fate had decided otherwise? In the last room, guests are confronted with fictitious scenarios. What if the Wettins had never received the electoral dignity, or only received it later? Would there be enamel tableware instead of porcelain in Meissen today without the electoral dignity? And what is the story behind the Golden Horseman? The answers are provided by four animated films, in which alternative realities are presented with a twinkle in the eye. In the "Saxony Shelf", on the other hand, it becomes clear what is. What do people associate with Saxony today? Following a public appeal, citizens have contributed around 50 items on loan. A candle arch and Herrnhut star, Meissen porcelain, a GDR doll's house and much more give the exhibition a personal touch.
October 21, 2023 to October 20, 2024
www.schloesserland-sachsen.de
www.albrechtsburg-meissen.de
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more
