The Münzkabinett (English: Numismatic Cabinet) is part of the

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (, ''Dresden State Art Collections'') is a cultural institution in Dresden, Germany, owned by the State of Saxony. It is one of the most renowned and oldest museum institutions in the world, originating from the ...

(Dresden State Art Collections). Founded around 1530, it is one of the oldest museums in Dresden. It is located in

Dresden Castle Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (german: Dresdner Residenzschloss or ) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and kings (1806–1918) of Saxony from the Alberti ...

. The Münzkabinett is one of the three largest numismatic collections in Germany. Its nearly 300,000 objects include coins from most countries of the world from antiquity to present day, historic and modern medallions, medals and insignia, historic bank notes and bonds, minting dies for coins and medals, seals, models, early forms of money, and minting machines and equipment. The Münzkabinett is a ''Landesmünzkabinett'' or official state collection, and has claim to any hoards of coins found on Saxon territory. The Münzkabinett is also a center of scholarly research and has a public library of some 30,000 volumes.

History

The Münzkabinett is one of Dresden’s oldest museums, dating back to the time of Duke George the Bearded (1500–1539).Paul Arnold, ''Führer durch die ständige Ausstellung des Münzkabinetts'', 2nd ed. Dresden: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, 1978 Over the centuries the collection has expanded through the constant acquisition of items by the Electors and Kings of Saxony. At the turn of the 18th century, the Dresden Münzkabinett was already a famous coin collection in Europe. The collection became a universal one during the Baroque period. Beginning in the second half of the 18th century, the Münzkabinett also developed into an important German center of scholarly research. The collection was kept in

until 1743, when it was moved to the

Taschenbergpalais Taschenbergpalais is a palace hotel owned by the Kempinski Group. It is located on Sophie Street next to the Dresden Castle and in front of the Zwinger. In direct proximity are the Semperoper, the Theaterplatz (theatre square) and the Dresden C ...

. In 1786, it was transferred to the

Japanisches Palais The Japanisches Palais (English: "Japanese Palace") is a Baroque building in Dresden, Saxony, Germany. It is located on the Neustadt bank of the river Elbe. History Built in 1715, it was extended from 1729 until 1731 to house the Japanese p ...

Augustus III Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...

, the son of

Augustus II the Strong Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as K ...

, along with the library and the collection of antiquities. In 1877, the Münzkabinett was moved back to the Dresden Castle. From 1911 until 1945, it was housed in the Chancellery Building, near the ''Stallhof'' yard. At the end of the war in 1945, the collection was confiscated by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

and taken to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. It was returned to Dresden in 1958, but without the books and magazines which had also been taken. From 1959 until 2002, a selection of coins and medals was on view in the

Albertinum The Albertinum () is a modern art museum. The sandstone-clad Renaissance Revival building is located on Brühl's Terrace in the historic center of Dresden, Germany. It is named after King Albert of Saxony. The Albertinum hosts the New Masters ...

. In the summer of 2002, the Münzkabinett finally moved to its place of origin, the ''Georgenbau'' of Dresden Castle. Until the permanent exhibition was installed in June 2015, the museum had been holding a series of temporary exhibitions in the ''Hausmannsturm'' (Hausmann Tower).

Exhibition and Library

The Münzkabinett exhibition shows around 3,300 objects, including rare and unique items, which represent a cross-section of the various parts of the collection. They are presented in four chapters (rooms). For research work, the collection has a library of some 30,000 volumes. The library and a study room are open to the public.

Notes and references

External links

Münzkabinett (homepage)
of the Dresden State Art Collections
Münzkabinett
within Google Arts & Culture * {{DEFAULTSORT:Munzkabinett Numismatic museums in Germany Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

History

Exhibition and Library

See also

Notes and references

External links