History of Dresden - The Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes)

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One of the most important sights in Dresden is the Fürstenzug (procession of the princes). It is a larger than life picture of a cavalcade, applied to around 23,000 porcelain tiles from Meissen. Princes of house Wettin that ruled over Saxony between 1127 and 1873 are represented. With 102 meters in length, this piece of art is the largest porcelain mural in the world. The Fürstenzug is located on the outside of the stable yard of the Dresden Residenzschloss between Georgentor and Johanneum.
In 1865, to coincide with the imminent 800th anniversary of the Princely House of Wettin in 1889, the history painter Wilhelm Walther presented a first draft of the Füstenzug. This was created as charcoal drawing on a 100 m long and 4 m high canvas, which is still stored in four zinc rollers, kept in the Dresden State Art Collections. The first mural based on this drawing was done from 1872 to 1876 and executed in a Putzkratzt technique (sgraffito technique), however, proved to be not very weather resistant. Therefore, the artwork was replaced in the years 1904 to 1907 by seamlessly adapted ceramic tiles of the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. During the work, King George, who is depicted last in the Fürstenzug, died and his successor Friedrich August III originally to be included in the procession of princes, denied to get included in order not to change the already historical and famous picture.

This is the prelude to a series on the Saxon rulers of the House of Wettin depicted on the Fürstenzug, whose role in Saxon and Dresden history will be explained in more detail here.