The famous "Historisches Grunes Gewoelbe" returns to the residential palace for the first time after 60 years in September 2006. The beautifully illustrated catalogue takes the reader on a fascinating tour through this unique "Gesamtkunstwerk". The "Grunes Gewoelbe" was founded in 1550 by Elector August of Saxony as the state treasury, "Geheime Verwahrung." Augustus the Strong converted it into a publicly accessible Schatzkunst museum in 1729. His idea was unrivalled: the eight display rooms with their exquisite interiors and the highly impressive mise en scene of the collection were designed to inspire amazement. The extravagant profusion of precious objects in gold, silver, enamel and precious stones, the ivories, bronzes and jewellery proclaimed the wealth and artistic taste of the Saxon dynasty. In 1942 the collection was closed and taken into storage at Koenigstein fortress. The museum's exterior and three of the eight rooms were severely damaged during the war. From 1974 a part of the collection could be seen again, but it was not until 2004 when the "Neues Grunes Gewoelbe" was reopened with exhibits from the Renaissance to Neo-Classicism. The book introduces the masterpieces of this fascinating collection and provides an insight into the brilliant concept of the museum's founder, from which the inspiration for this presentation has been drawn.

The Kunstkammer in Dresden's Royal Palace houses a fascinating variety of collected objects from the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. It owes its unique collection of plain and ornate tools, for example, to the founder of the Kunstkammer, Elector August (1526-1586). They range from gardening equipment to goldsmithing, carpentry and ironworking tools and even to so-called Brechzeugen (tools for prising or breaking things open). In addition, the museum guide presents elaborately decorated art-room cabinets, two richly embellished Augsburg cabinets, tables inlaid with iridescent mother-of-pearl, precious board games, and musical instruments alongside filigree woodturned pieces, items of decorative art, and objects from distant cultures. Numerous previously unpublished masterpieces from the Kunstkammer in Dresden's Royal Palace

Der kostbare Juwelenschatz aus dem Grünen Gewölbe hat eine wechselvolle Vergangenheit. Nur in der Dresdner Schatzkammer haben barocke Juwelengarnituren die Zeitläufe überstanden - ein ebenso einzigartiges wie glanzvolles Erbe der europäischen Kulturgeschichte. Von August dem Starken begonnen und von seinem Sohn August III. weitergeführt, entstanden zehn Juwelengarnituren, die seit Anbeginn im Juwelenzimmer des Grünen Gewölbes aufbewahrt wurden. Sie symbolisieren eindrucksvoll die Majestät der Könige und sind einmalige Zeugnisse barocker Selbstdarstellung.