Augustus II the Strong
A Saxon elector who muscled his way onto the Polish throne, famed for his Herculean physique, lavish patronage, and siring hundreds of children.
1670–1733 (age 63)·King of Poland, Elector of Saxony and Grand Duke of Lithuania·Birthday: May 12
Biography
Augustus II, elector of Saxony, was a Baroque monarch of colossal appetites and ambition. Through political maneuvering and a conversion to Catholicism, he secured the crown of Poland-Lithuania, earning the nickname 'the Strong' for his famed physical power—he was said to bend horseshoes with his bare hands. His reign was a turbulent one, dragged into the Great Northern War against Sweden, which saw him temporarily deposed from the Polish throne. A quintessential absolutist ruler, Augustus is best remembered not for statecraft but for his transformative cultural legacy. He poured the wealth of Saxony into making his capital, Dresden, a 'Florence on the Elbe,' a dazzling center of art and architecture. His most enduring project was the creation of the Green Vault, a breathtaking treasury of jewels and artifacts, and his patronage established the Meissen porcelain factory, the first in Europe to produce true hard-paste porcelain. His personal life was the stuff of legend, with a vast number of illegitimate children, embedding his dynastic mark across European aristocracy.
#1 When Augustus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1670
Augustus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1670Born
1675Started school
1683Became a teenager
1686Could drive
1688Could vote
1691Turned 21
1700Turned 30
1710Turned 40
1720Turned 50
1730Turned 60
1733Died at 63
Key Achievements
- Founded the Meissen porcelain manufactory in 1710, producing Europe's first true hard-paste porcelain.
- Established the famed Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) treasury in Dresden, one of the world's oldest museums.
- Transformed Dresden into a major cultural capital, commissioning the Zwinger palace and enriching its art collections.
- Became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1697 after converting to Catholicism.
- Sired a notoriously large number of illegitimate children, with estimates ranging from 300 to 365.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'the Strong' (der Starke) was partly due to his physical strength and partly a reference to his numerous offspring.
He allegedly fathered hundreds of illegitimate children, one of whom, Maurice de Saxe, became a famed Marshal of France.
He kept a 'Turkish Chamber' in his palace, filled with Ottoman artifacts, reflecting a contemporary fascination with the Orient.
His body was so robust that his coffin reportedly required 24 bearers instead of the usual 12.
“A kingdom is judged by the splendor of its porcelain and the strength of its fortifications.”
