Sculpture of Frederick Augustus I of Saxony

The statue of Friedrich August I stands on the Schlossplatz in Dresden. It was designed by Ernst Rietschel and completed in 1843, showing the king seated in his coronation robes. Four allegorical figures surround him, representing justice, mercy, piety and wisdom. The monument honours a ruler who reigned for fifty-eight years. Its inscriptions praise his long rule and the laws he issued in 1791. After standing in the Zwinger courtyard and later in the Japanese Palace garden, it was restored and moved back to the Schlossplatz in 2008. Visitors find a bronze figure on a pedestal, holding a sceptre and a law book. The inscriptions on all four sides recall his virtues and achievements. The setting on the square lets the monument be seen from several directions.