Picture this imposing building the Royal Marstall of Dresden. It stands proudly near the Zwinger Palace and the Herzogin Garten. This wasn’t always a theatre workshop. No. This four-winged structure once housed the royal horses.
Imagine the clatter of hooves the squeak of carriages. The Marstall was built between 1745 and 1748. Why then? Because the old stables in the Johanneum were being converted into a picture gallery. August the Strong’s vast art collection needed more space. His passion for collecting art was legendary. He even added a floor to the Johanneum to display the masterpieces.
The Marstall was more than just stables. From 1794 to 1795 Christian Traugott Weinlig added a magnificent riding hall. This one-story structure is 80 meters long and 20 meters wide. Elegant pilasters line its walls. Franz Pettrich created stunning reliefs on the courtyard side. One depicts an antique two-horse chariot a testament to the elegance of the era.
Joseph Thürmer redesigned the side wings and the front facing the Zwinger pond in 1832. He added to the impressive structure’s overall appeal. The Marstall’s story wasn’t solely about horses and architecture. It even played a role in veterinary history. Around 1768 the Marstall employed two trained equine physicians. They were trained in France where the first veterinary schools opened. This shows the Marstall’s advanced approach to horse care.
Sadly the Marstall suffered during the bombing of Dresden in 1945. Parts of it were destroyed. Gerhard Guder painstakingly rebuilt the riding hall and the north wing after 1950. Today a portion of the building houses the Semperoper and Schauspielhaus theatre workshops. The southern wing was rebuilt in the 1980s reflecting the architectural style of that time. The east wing near the Zwinger pond remains partially unreconstructed.
Today you stand before a blend of history and modern adaptation. This building bears witness to centuries of royal life horse breeding and theatrical innovation. The Royal Marstall of Dresden a place where history lives and breathes. A true symbol of Dresden’s resilience.