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First mentioned in 1287, from 1485 onwards Dresden Royal Palace was the seat of the Saxon electors from the House of Wettin. Its transformation from a mediaeval Romanesque fort to a Renaissance palace occurred step-by-step, and was shaped by architect C. Voigt von Wierandt from 1547 onwards. Repairs required as a result of major damage caused by a city fire in 1701 led to the introduction of Baroque elements. The last major modifications were carried out around the turn of the 20th century in the Neo-Renaissance style. The bombing of Dresden in early 1945 resulted in the destruction of the entire palace.

The reconstruction of the palace began in 1985, with the treasures of the Historic Green Vault returning to their original home on the ground floor of the palace in September 2006. The vault’s rooms are now a clever blend of the old and the new, acknowledging the destruction of the palace in the mid-20th century on the one hand while demonstrating the modern wonders of contemporary architecture on the other.