Conference
Knowledge, Representation and Governance at the Court of Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586). 500 years and many unanswered questions
Dresden, 4-6 October 2026
From 4 to 6 October 2026, the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden) and the Chairs of Early Modern History at the universities of Dresden, Leipzig and Münster are organizing an international conference focusing on cultures of knowledge at the court of Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586). On the occasion of his 500th birthday, established images of Elector Augustus in historiography ('Father Augustus', 'Prince of Peace', 'Founder of the Kunstkammer') will be questioned and differentiated on the basis of new research. Complex topics such as imperial politics and collecting practices will be reassessed, while at the same time focusing on stakeholders, spaces and institutions that have received too little attention to date, but were central to understanding the court and Elector Augustus' way of governing. A particular focus is on the material culture of knowledge, its production, use and staging - and thus the functions of knowledge for court and ruler.
Venue: Zwinger and Residenzschloss in Dresden
Organizers: Ulrike Ludwig (Münster), Marius Mutz (Dresden), Michael Korey (Dresden), Julia Schmidt-Funke (Leipzig), Hannes Ziegler (Dresden)