Nobility

He was the Elector of Saxony from 1697, Imperial Vicar and later elected the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in the years 1697-1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. Augustus' great physical strength earned him the nicknames 'the Strong', 'the Saxon Hercules' and 'Iron-Hand'. In order to be elected as the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Augustus converted to Roman Catholicism.

Saxony had been a stronghold of German Protestantism and Augustus' conversion was therefore considered shocking in Protestant Europe. As the Elector of Saxony, he is perhaps best remembered as a patron of arts and architecture. He established the Saxon capital of Dresden as a major cultural centre, attracting artists from across Europe to his court. Augustus is perhaps best remembered as a patron of arts and architecture. He had beautiful palaces built in Dresden, a city that became renowned for extraordinary cultural brilliance. He introduced first public museums, such as the Green Vault in 1723, and started systematic collection of paintings that are now on display in the Old Masters Gallery. The most famous building constructed under Augustus the Strong was Zwinger. Other known buildings include Pillnitz Castle, his summer residence, Moritzburg Castle and Hubertusburg Castle, his hunting lodges.

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