The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections – SKD) belong to the most renowned and oldest museum institutions in the world. A total of 15 museums offer a thematic diversity that is exceptional for its kind.
History:The museums originated in the collections of the Saxon electors, several of whom were also kings of Poland. Historical sources show that August I, Elector of Saxony, founded the electoral Kunstkammer (literally "art chamber") in the Residenzschloss Dresden (Dresden Royal Palace) in 1560. August the Strong and his son, August III, King of Poland, were important patrons and remarkable connoisseurs. They developed their art collections in a systematic fashion; in the process, they not only provided a foundation of extraordinary masterpieces for the SKD, but also made these works accessible to select circles in their own time. To the present day, the organisers of the collections consider it their duty to preserve tradition while developing their visions and helping to shape the future. Today, the SKD consist of the following museums: the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault), the Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs), the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet), the Rüstkammer (Armoury), the Staatliche Ethnographische Sammlungen Sachsen (State Ethnographical Collections) with locations in Dresden, Leipzig and Herrnhut, the Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection), the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments), the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection), the Galerie Neue Meister (Modern Masters Gallery), the Museum für Sächsische Volkskunst mit Puppentheatersammlung (Museum of Saxon Folk Art with Puppet Theatre Collection) as well as the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts). Moreover, the Kunstbibliothek (Art Library), the Kunstfonds (Art Fund) and the Gerhard Richter Archiv (Gerhard Richter Archive) are parts of the museum institution as well as the Saxon State Office for Museum Affairs and since December 2016 the Archive of the 20th-century Avantgarde. The Organisation: The association of 15 museums (SKD) is directly subordinate to the Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst (Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts – SMWK) and has been operating as a state-owned enterprise since January 1, 2009.