Augustus' great physical strength earned him the nicknames "the Strong", "the SaxonHercules" and "Iron-Hand". He liked to show that he lived up to his name by breakinghorseshoes with his bare hands and engaging infox tossing by holding the end of his sling with just one finger while two of the strongest men in his court held the other end.[1] He is also notable forfathering a very large number of children, with contemporary sources claiming a total of between 360 and 380.
In order to be elected king of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Augustus converted toCatholicism. As a Catholic, he received theOrder of the Golden Fleece from the Holy Roman Emperor and established theOrder of the White Eagle, Poland's highest distinction. As elector ofSaxony, he is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture. He transformed the Saxon capital ofDresden into a major cultural centre, attracting artists from across Europe to his court. Augustus also amassed an impressive art collection and built lavish baroque palaces in Dresden and Warsaw. In 1711 he served as theImperial vicar of theHoly Roman Empire.
His reign brought about many troubles to Poland. He led the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in theGreat Northern War, which allowed theRussian Empire to strengthen its influence in Europe, especially within Poland. His main pursuit was bolstering royal power in the Commonwealth, characterized by broad decentralization in comparison with other European monarchies. In order to reduce the autonomy of the Commonwealth's subjects he used foreign powers, leading to destabilization of the country. Augustus ruled Poland with a 3-year interruption between 1706 and 1709; in 1704 the Swedes installed noblemanStanisław Leszczyński as king, who officially reigned from 1706 to 1709 and then after Augustus' death in 1733, which sparked theWar of the Polish Succession.
Augustus was born in Dresden on 12 May 1670, the younger son ofJohn George III, Elector of Saxony andPrincess Anna Sophie of Denmark. As the second son, Augustus had no expectation of inheriting the electorate, since his older brother,John George IV, assumed the post after the death of their father on 12 September 1691. Augustus was well educated, and spent some years in travel and in fighting against France.[2]
To be eligible for election to the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1697, Augustus had to convert toRoman Catholicism. TheSaxon electors had traditionally been called "champions of theReformation".Christian August of Saxe-Zeitz baptized him and announced his conversion.[5] Saxony had been a stronghold of GermanProtestantism and Augustus' conversion was therefore considered shocking in ProtestantEurope. Although the prince-elector guaranteed Saxony's religious status quo, Augustus' conversion alienated many of his Protestant subjects. As a result of the enormous expenditure of money used to bribe the Polish nobility and clergy, Augustus' contemporaries derisively referred to the Saxon elector's royal ambitions as his "Polish adventure".[4]
His church policy within theHoly Roman Empire followed orthodoxLutheranism and ran counter to his new-found religious and absolutist convictions. The Protestant princes of the empire and the two remaining Protestant electors (ofHanover andPrussia) were anxious to keep Saxony well-integrated in their camp. According to thePeace of Augsburg, Augustus theoretically had the right to re-introduce Roman Catholicism (seeCuius regio, eius religio), or at least grant full religious freedom to his fellow Catholics in Saxony, but this never happened. Saxony remained Lutheran and the few Roman Catholics residing in Saxony lacked any political or civil rights. In 1717, it became clear just how awkward the situation was: to realize his ambitious dynastic plans in Poland and Germany, it was necessary for Augustus' heirs to become Roman Catholic. After five years as a convert, his son—the future Augustus III—publicly avowed his Roman Catholicism. The Saxon Estates were outraged and revolted as it became clear that his conversion to Catholicism was not only a matter of form, but of substance as well.[4]
Since thePeace of Westphalia, the elector of Saxony had been the director of theProtestant body in the Reichstag. To placate the other Protestant states in the Empire, Augustus nominally delegated the directorship of the Protestant body toJohann Adolf II, Duke ofSaxe-Weissenfels. However, whenthe Elector's son also converted to Catholicism, the electorate faced a hereditary Catholic succession instead of a return to a Protestant Elector upon Augustus's death. When the conversion became public in 1717, Brandenburg-Prussia and Hanover attempted to oust Saxony from the directorship and appoint themselves as joint directors, but they gave up the attempt in 1720. Saxony would retain the directorship of the Protestant body in the Reichstag until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, despite the fact that all remaining Electors of Saxony were Catholic.[6]
The wife of Augustus, the Electress Christiane Eberhardine, refused to follow her husband's example and remained a staunch Protestant. She did not attend her husband's coronation in Poland and led a rather quiet life outside Dresden, gaining some popularity for her stubbornness.[3]
Although he had led the imperial troops against theOttoman Empire in 1695 and 1696 without very much success,[8] Augustus continued the war of theHoly League against Turkey, and during a campaign against the Ottomans, hisPolish army defeated aTatar expedition in theBattle of Podhajce in 1698. Unfortunately on 22 September a conflict between Polish and Saxon troops was narrowly avoided, causing the campaign to end. Victory at Podhajce had the political impact of forcing the Ottoman Empire to returnPodolia andKamieniec Podolski inTreaty of Karlowitz in 1699.[9] An ambitious ruler, Augustus hoped to make the Polish throne hereditary within his family, and to use his resources as elector ofSaxony to impose some order on the chaotic Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was, however, soon distracted from his internal reform projects by the possibility of external conquest. He formed an alliance withFrederick IV of Denmark andPeter I of Russia to strip the young KingCharles XII of Sweden (Augustus' cousin) of his possessions. Poland's reward for participation in theGreat Northern War was to have beenSwedish Livonia. Charles proved an able military commander, however, quickly forcing the Danes out of the war and then driving back the Russians atNarva in 1700, thereby allowing him to focus on the struggle with Augustus. However, this war ultimately proved as disastrous for Sweden as for Poland.
By this time, Augustus was certainly ready for peace, but Charles felt that he would be more secure if he could establish someone with whom he had more influence on the Polish throne. In 1704 the Swedes installedStanisław Leszczyński andtied the commonwealth to Sweden, which compelled Augustus to initiate military operations in Poland alongside Russia (an alliance was concluded inNarva in summer 1704). The resultingcivil war in Poland (1704–1706) and theGrodno campaign (1705–1706) did not go well for Augustus. Following theBattle of Fraustadt, on 1 September 1706, Charles invadedSaxony, forcing Augustus to yield the Polish throne to Leszczyński by theTreaty of Altranstädt (October 1706).
Meanwhile, Russia's Tsar Peter had reformed his army, and he dealt a crippling defeat to the Swedes at theBattle of Poltava (1709). This spelled the end of theSwedish Empire and the rise of theRussian Empire.
The weakenedPolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth soon came to be regarded as almost aprotectorate of Russia. In 1709 Augustus IIreturned to the Polish throne under Russian auspices. Once again he attempted to establish anabsolute monarchy in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, but was faced with opposition from the nobility (szlachta, seeTarnogród Confederation). He was handicapped by the mutual jealousy of the Saxons and the Poles, and a struggle broke out in Poland which was only ended when the king promised to limit the number of his army in that country to 18,000 men.[2] Peter the Great seized on the opportunity to pose as mediator, threatened the Commonwealth militarily, and in 1717 forced Augustus and the nobility to sign an accommodation favorable to Russian interests, at theSilent Sejm (Sejm Niemy).
For the remainder of his reign, in an uneasy relationship, Augustus was more or less dependent on Russia (and to a lesser extent, on Austria) to maintain his Polish throne. He gave up his dynastic ambitions and concentrated instead on attempts to strengthen the Commonwealth. Faced with both internal and foreign opposition, however, he achieved little.[3] In 1729 he established the Grand Musketeers Company in Dresden, one of the oldest Polish officers' schools, which in 1730 was relocated to Warsaw.[10]
Augustus died at Warsaw in 1733. Although he had failed to make the Polish throne hereditary in his house, his eldest son, Frederick Augustus II of Saxony, succeeded him to the Polish throne asAugustus III of Poland although he had to be installed by theImperial Russian Army during theWar of the Polish Succession.
Augustus is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture. He had beautiful palaces built inDresden, a city that became renowned for extraordinary cultural brilliance. He introduced the first public museums, such as theGreen Vault in 1723, and started systematic collection of paintings that are now on display in theGemäldegalerie Alte Meister.
From 1687 to 1689, Augustus toured France and Italy. The extravagant court inVersailles—perfectly tailored to fit the needs of anabsolute monarch—impressed him deeply. In accordance with the spirit of thebaroque age, Augustus invested heavily in the representative splendor ofDresden Castle, his major residence, to advertise his wealth and power.
With strict building regulations, major urban development plans, and a certain feeling for art, the king began to transform Dresden into a renowned cultural center with one of Germany's finest art collections, though most of the city's famous sights and landmarks were completed during the reign of his son Augustus III. The most famous building started under Augustus the Strong was theZwinger. Also known arePillnitz Castle, his summer residence,Moritzburg Castle andHubertusburg Castle, his hunting lodges. He greatly expanded theSaxon Palace inWarsaw with the adjacentSaxon Garden, which became the city's oldest public park and one of the first publicly accessible parks in the world. Following the devastation of the Great Northern War he also had theRoyal Castle, Warsaw restored and enlarged. He also expanded theWilanów Palace.
A man of pleasure, the king sponsored lavish court balls, Venetian-styleballi in maschera, and luxurious court gatherings, games, and garden festivities. His court acquired a reputation for extravagance throughout Europe. He held a famousanimal-tossing contest in Dresden at which 647 foxes, 533hares, 34badgers and 21wildcats were tossed and killed.[12] Augustus himself participated, reportedly demonstrating his strength by holding the end of his sling by just one finger, with two of the strongest men in his court on the other end.[1]
From 1 to 26 June 1730 he held theZeithain Encampment after reorganizing and reequipping his army. The Prussian kingFrederick William I was present, as well as 48 invited European princes with their military officers and envoys of the European powers. It was not only the largest troop show in Europe but also one of the most gigantic baroque festivals of its time, showcasing the high level of Saxon art and culture.[13]
Augustus II successfully sponsored efforts to discover the secret of manufacturingporcelain. In 1701 he rescued the youngalchemistJohann Friedrich Böttger, who had fled from the court of KingFrederick I of Prussia, who had expected that he produce gold for him as he had boasted he could.
Augustus imprisoned Böttger and tried to force him to reveal the secret of manufacturing gold. Böttger's transition from alchemist to potter was orchestrated as an attempt to avoid the impossible demands of the king. Being an alchemist by profession rather than a potter, gave Böttger an advantage. He realised that the current approaches, which involved mixing fine white substances like crushed egg shells into clay, would not work. Rather, his approach was to attempt to bake clay at higher temperatures than had ever before been attained in European kilns. That approach yielded the breakthrough that had eluded European potters for a century. By the king's decree, the Royal-Polish and Electoral-Saxon Porcelain Manufactory was established inMeissen in 1709. The manufacture of fine porcelain continues at theMeissen porcelain factory.[14]
In November 1705 inTykocin, Augustus founded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's first and preeminentorder of chivalry. In 1723 he bought theGroßsedlitz estate near Dresden, and after expanding the palace and garden complex, in 1727 he organized there the first ever festivities of the Order of the White Eagle.[15]
Capsule with the heart of Augustus II the Strong in theDresden Cathedral
Augustus II was called "the Strong" for his bear-like physical strength and for his numerous offspring (only one of them his legitimate child and heir). The most famous of the king's children born out of wedlock wasMaurice de Saxe, a brilliant strategist who attained the highest military ranks in theKingdom of France. In theWar of the Polish Succession he remained loyal to his employerLouis XV, who was married to the daughter of Augustus's rivalStanisław I Leszczyński. Augustus' granddaughter,Maria Josepha of Saxony, later becameDauphine of France through her marriage to the DauphinLouis, and the mother of three Kings of France (Louis XVI,Louis XVIII andCharles X).
Augustus was 1.76 meters (5 ft 9 in) tall, above average height for that time, but despite his extraordinary physical strength, he did not look big. In his final years he suffered fromdiabetes mellitus and becameobese, at his death weighing some 110 kilograms (240 lb).[citation needed] Augustus II's body was interred in theWawel Cathedral inKraków—all but his heart, which rests at theDresden Cathedral.
The Electress Christiane, who remained Protestant and refused to move to Poland with her husband, preferred to spend her time in the mansion inPretzsch on theElbe, where she died.[3]
Augustus, a voracious womanizer, never missed his wife, spending his time with a series of mistresses:[16][17]
1713–1719 with Maria Magdalena of Bielinski, by her first marriage Countess ofDönhoff and by the second Princess Lubomirska
1720–1721 with Erdmuthe Sophie of Dieskau, by marriage of Loß
1721–1722 with Baroness Kristiane ofOsterhausen, by marriage of Stanisławski
Some contemporary sources, includingWilhelmine of Bayreuth, claimed that Augustus had as many as 365 or 382 children. The number is extremely difficult to verify. Perhaps the number refers not to the king's children but to the nights that he spent with his mistresses. Augustus officially recognised only a tiny fraction of that number as hisbastards (the mothers of these "chosen ones", with the possible exception of Fatima and Henriette Rénard, were all aristocratic ladies):
Frederick Augustus (Warsaw/Dresden [?], 19 June 1702 – Pillnitz, 16 March 1764), Count Rutowsky
Maria Anna Katharina (1706–1746), Countess Rutowska; married firstly in January 1728 to Michał, Count Bieliński, divorced in early 1732; secondly, in February 1732, to Claude Marie Noyel, Comte du Bellegarde et d'Entremont.
Augusta Anna Constantia (24 February 1708 – 3 February 1728), Countess of Cosel; married on 3 June 1725 to Heinrich Friedrich, Count ofFriesen
Fredericka Alexandrine (27 October 1709 – 16 December 1784), Countess of Cosel; married on 18 February 1730 toJan Kanty, Count Moszyński
Frederick Augustus (27 August 1712 – 15 October 1770), Count ofCosel; married on 1 June 1749 to Countess Friederike Christiane of Holtzendorff. They had four children. The two sons, Gustav Ernst and Segismund, died unmarried. One of the two daughters, Constantia Alexandrina, married Johann Heinrich, Lehnsgraf Knuth. The other, named Charlotte, first married Count Rudolf of Bünau and then married Charles de Riviere.
Anna Karolina (26 November 1707 – Avignon, 27 September 1769), Countess Orzelska; married on 10 August 1730 to Karl Ludwig Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. They divorced in 1733.
InLatin:Augustus Secundus, Dei Gratia rex Poloniae, magnus dux Lithuaniae, Russie, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Livoniae, Kijoviae, Volhyniae, Podoliae, Podlachiae, Smolensciae, Severiae, Czerniechoviaeque, necnon haereditarius dux Saxoniae et princeps elector etc.
^abcdFlathe, Heinrich Theodor (1878), "Friedrich August I., Kurfürst von Sachsen",Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German),7, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot:781–784.
^abcCzok, Karl (2006),August der Starke und seine Zeit. Kurfürst von Sachsen und König von Polen (in German), Munich: Piper,ISBN3-492-24636-2.
^Kalipke, Andreas (2010). "The Corpus Evangelicorum". In Coy, J.P.; Marschke, B. Benjamin; Sabean D.W. (eds.).The Holy Roman Empire, Reconsidered. Berghahn. pp. 228–247.
^Howard L. Blackmore.Hunting Weapons: From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, p. xxiii. Courier Dover Publications, 2000.ISBN0-486-40961-9
^Hans Beschorner: "The Zeithain camp from 1730". In:New archive for Saxon history and antiquity. 28 (1907), pp. 50–113, 200–252
^Walcha, Otto (1986),Meissner Porzellan. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (in German) (8th ed.), Dresden: Verlag der Kunst,ISBN3-364-00012-3
^"History".Barockgarten Grosssedlitz. Retrieved27 November 2019.
^Delau, Reinhard (2005),August der Starke und seine Mätressen (in German), Dresden: Sächsische Zeitung,ISBN3-938325-06-2.
^Kühnel, Klaus (2005),August der Starke und das schwache Geschlecht. Die Liebschaften des Kurfürsten Friedrich August I. von Sachsen (in German), Wittenberg: Dreikastanienverlag,ISBN3-933028-92-2.
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