ein gelbes Prunkkleid
© SKD, Foto: Jürgen Lösel

Treasures of a Princely Marriage The 1607 wedding in Torgau and the rich legacy of the electoral couple Johann Georg I and Magdalena Sibylla of Saxony

Resplendent ceremonial attire, including an extraordinarily gorgeous royal dress in golden-yellow and salmon pink silk with embroidery and lace trimmings in gold and silver, and, for the groom, white-and-silver princely bridegroom's costume with gold border, enhanced by the matching mantle with gold and silver embroidery, precious parade weapons, medals, princely portraits and books: all these exhibits testify to the wedding, the married bliss and rich legacy of the elector couple Johann Georg I (1585-1656, elector as of 1611) and Magdalena Sibylla of Saxony (1586-1659), who consummated their nuptials in 1607 at Schloss Hartenfels in Torgau.

  • Exhibition Site Torgau, Schloss Hartenfels
  • DATES 30/04/2016—31/10/2016

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Room after room of exhibits tell the story of the elector couple and recall the highlights both personal and political of a fulfilled marriage and rule lasting almost fifty years. They tell of the origins and previous history of the bridal couple, of the wedding and marriage, in which Magdalena Sibylla was granted remarkable autonomy, of the blessing of children, of Johann George I’s accession to the electorate office in 1611, of attitudes to fashion and fashionable attitudes, passion for the chase and feasting, of the Reformation anniversary and the Parole in the Thirty Years War. The works have been contributed by the Armoury and Coin Collection, also the Painting Gallery of Old Masters, the Grünes Gewölbe – the Green Vault – and the Land and University Library of Saxony-Anhalt in Halle: With their material and artistic wealth, they manifest in a uniquely compact overview the early phase of Baroque splendour at the Court of Electoral Saxony.

ein gelbes Prunkkleid
© SKD, Foto: Jürgen Lösel
Prunkkleid der Kurfürstin Magdalena Sibylla von Sachsen, um 1610–162 Oberstoffe: italienisch, silberne und goldene Klöppelspitze: sächsisch,

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The wedding theme forms the starting point and also – in homage to the genius loci – the finale of the exhibition. Although the wedding of 1607 had to be relocated to Torgau because of the plague in Dresden, the prestigious Schloss Hartenfels was in no way a let-down as location. Grand princely weddings with banquet, tournament and hunt were held here in courtly magnificence for centuries. The exhibition shows most of the princely weddings held here in medals and spotlights traditional princely wedding rituals and matrimonial symbols through the example of Johann Georg (I)’s wedding in 1607. Since the town of Torgau is offering the opportunity parallel to the exhibition of a registry office wedding in the castle, people can experience first hand how closely today’s wedding customs are still based on princely traditions.

© SKD, Foto: Hans-Peter Klut/Elke Estel
Bräutigamsmantel des Herzogs Johann Georg (I.) von Sachsen zur Hochzeit 1604 und 1607 1604, überarbeitet 1607 Detail: Bordüre mit den Initialen des Brautpaares „IGMS“ [Johann Georg und Magdalena Sibylla]

Sponsoren

In Kooperation mit: Torgau Elbe; Landkreis Nordsachsen

weitere Ausstellungen

Further Exhibitions

Electoral Wardrobe

in Residenzschloss

Aufwendig besticktes und verziertes Kleid im Seitenprofil.

Silberwaffensaal

in Residenzschloss

Rüstung in Silber, Bauch und Arme

Kunstkammer

in Residenzschloss

Brettspiel mit 30 farbigen Holzsteinen

Grünes Gewölbe

in Residenzschloss

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