Kurländer Palais

The Kurländer Palais stands at the eastern edge of Dresden’s Inner Old Town, near Carolabrücke and Neumarkt. Johann Christoph Knöffel designed its symmetrical façade for Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth in 1728–1729. Three windows define the central risalit on its façade. Recessed sections, a hipped roof, dormers and mansards complete its restrained French classical Baroque appearance.

The palace is recognised as Dresden’s first Rococo structure, although its design keeps ornamentation spare. A fire in 1728 preceded construction of the present structure. Earlier, a single-storey house occupied the site around 1575 and gained an extension in 1705. World War Two destroyed it except for the outer walls. For many years, it remained a ruin before reconstruction restored the palace between 2006 and 2008. Inside, Rococo decoration follows enfilade room arrangements influenced by France.

The site hosted the Sociéte des antisobres, a society founded by Augustus the Strong. Later uses included a medical academy and a government health office. A large ballroom opens towards a garden courtyard.

City: Dresden
Content updated: 2026-06-22

Image: X-Weinzar CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Jörg Blobelt CC BY-SA 4.0
Image: IngersollPublic domain
Image: Adiel lo CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Paul Schumann (1855–1927)Public domain

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