The Procession of Princes

1 - The kings of Saxony once lived in the Dresden Residenzschloss. The castle also includes a stable yard, where the horses of the royal court were kept. A unique work of art can be seen on the outside of the stable yard. It is 102 m long and made up of 23,000 painted tiles of fine Meissen porcelain. It was created by the artist Wilhelm Walther. It depicts a procession of rulers who once reigned in Saxony. It is considered the largest porcelain mural in the world. 2 - Among those depicted at life size are 35 noble rulers from the House of Wettin, who ruled Saxony as margraves, dukes and later kings. The ruler’s name and reign are shown beneath each figure, sometimes along with a motto or coat of arms. Behind the rulers are soldiers from the Saxon army, with equipment that changed considerably over the centuries. 3 - The artwork was created to celebrate 800 years of Wettin rule in Saxony. The family took its name from Wettin Castle, near Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. King George of Saxony is the last ruler depicted. He reigned from 1902 to 1904. His successor, Frederick Augustus III, the last Saxon king, is not shown. The Kingdom of Saxony ceased to exist in 1918. 4 - Thanks to a special porcelain-making process, this work of art has survived for more than 100 years, including the heavy air raids on Dresden in February 1945. So far, only a few tiles have had to be replaced. At the end of the procession are figures representing the people of Saxony. Children and students, artists and scientists, a farmer, a miner and politicians can be seen. At the very end of the procession is the painter Wilhelm Walther himself.