Zwinger

Zwinger, historical landmark complex in Dresden, Germany, that houses parts of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections). It is considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture.

The Zwinger (begun 1709 and completed 1719) was commissioned by Augustus II, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, as a place for entertainments, tournaments, and royal festivities. Architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann designed the gardens and the Baroque structure, working with the sculptor Balthasar Permoser. The Zwinger—whose name refers to the space between concentric rings of city fortifications—continued to be a work in progress through the 19th century, when the Zwinger Pond was installed in the interior garden.

In 1728 the Zwinger was established as a place for learning and began housing scientific collections, prints, drawings, and a library. In 1746 it became the home of the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments). In the mid-19th century the Zwinger expanded to include a fourth wing along the Elbe River. This addition, originally designed as a separate museum, was known later as the Semperbau (Semper building), after its architect, Gottfried Semper. The Semperbau is decorated with the carvings of Dresden sculptor Ernst Rietschel, and, at its completion, the Semperbau became the home of the Gemäldegalerie Alter Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), among other collections. The Zwinger itself was almost completely destroyed during World War II, by which time its contents had already been removed. It was later rebuilt in its original style and its collections returned. In 1962 the Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) was installed in the Zwinger, and in 2020 the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) joined the Gemäldegalerie Alter Meister in the Semperbau. The latter move followed an extensive eight-year renovation of the building.

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The Zwinger’s collection contains more than 700 Old Master paintings in the Gemäldegalerie Alter Meister; sculpture dating up to 1800 in the Skulpturensammlung; an assembly of some 20,000 pieces of Chinese, Japanese, and Meissen porcelain objects in the Porzellansammlung; and various historical scientific appurtenances in the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, including measuring and cartographic devices and optical equipment. Highlights of the art collection are a group of Italian Renaissance works by Raphael, Giorgione, and Titian and paintings by Dutch masters Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.