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Fürstenzug
The Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes) in Dresden is a picture 101.9 metres long on the outer wall of the Stallhof in Augustusstraße, between Schlossplatz and the Frauenkirche. It shows the rulers of Saxony from the House of Wettin in a mounted procession – from Margrave Konrad the Great (from 1127) to King Georg (1902–1904) – and is considered the largest porcelain picture in the world: around 23,000 tiles of Meissen porcelain, freely accessible and free of charge.
From sgraffito to porcelain
For the 800th anniversary of the House of Wettin, the painter Wilhelm Walther designed the procession; from 1868 he sketched it out full-length in charcoal, and from 1872 to 1876 he executed it on the wall as sgraffito – scratched plaster. After only about 30 years the picture had weathered badly. So between 1904 and 1907 the Meissen porcelain manufactory transferred it onto tiles measuring 20.5 × 20.5 centimetres, fired at 1,380 degrees. The installation was finished in August 1907.
Who rides in the procession
In all, 94 people are depicted, along with 45 horses and two greyhounds: 35 margraves, dukes, electors and kings and 59 other figures – scholars, artists, craftsmen, soldiers, children and farmers. Among them all there is just one single female figure, a girl. At the end of the procession Wilhelm Walther painted himself, together with artists of his day – among them Ludwig Richter, the painter of Saxon Switzerland.
Little discoveries
Beneath the horses’ hooves lie symbols that suit each ruler: thistles, oak leaves, laurel, Luther roses, tulips and crown imperials. The horse of Augustus the Strong treads on a rose – popular lore says it stands for the broken hearts of his mistresses; that is an interpretation, not a documented intention of the painter. The whole picture is designed like a tapestry, with painted fastening buttons at the top and tassels at the bottom.
The night of the bombing in 1945
When Dresden was destroyed in the night of 13 to 14 February 1945, the Fürstenzug largely survived the inferno. The damage came from bomb splinters and soot. During the restoration in 1978/79, 212 tiles were replaced and 442 repaired.
Our princes in the procession
Some of the riders in the procession have direct links to our area: Elector August had the 152.5-metre-deep well of the Festung Königstein dug from 1563, Elector Christian I ordered its expansion into the strongest fortress in Saxony in 1589, and Augustus the Strong had the giant Königstein wine cask built there between 1722 and 1725. If you have been to the fortress, you will recognise them in the Fürstenzug.
Visiting
The Fürstenzug is at Augustusstraße 1 and runs from the Georgentor at the palace to the Johanneum on the Neumarkt – you walk right past it on the way from Schlossplatz to the Frauenkirche. It is freely accessible at any time. Take the S-Bahn S1 from Pirna or Königstein to Dresden Hauptbahnhof or Dresden Mitte, then the tram to Postplatz or Theaterplatz. If you would like to know more: Dresden offers dedicated guided tours of the Fürstenzug.
As of: 10/2026
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