July 5, 2023 - Germany
Dresden - Royal Palace - Green Vault

Dresden's highlight is the Green Vault in the Royal Palace.  I didn't know anything about it going in, other than it required advance reservations.  Must be good, so I made them.  We were not disappointed.

The Royal Palace was the residence of the Saxon prince electors and kings.  The palace is highlighted by the Saxon treasuries: the Historic Green Vault where amazing things are displayed in Baroque halls, and the New Green Vault where more amazing things are displayed in contemporary display cases.  There is also the Royal Armory and Turkish Chamber.

Here Lynnette stands outside the Royal Palace in the morning, ready to go in.

There is a museum area before the timed entry into the Historic Green Vault.

This 1904 painting by Rudolf Eichstaed shows one of Prussia's greatest triumphs in the Wars of Liberation.  Field Marshall Blucher reaches Waterloo just in time on 18 June 1815.  His army reinforces the exhausted troops of Wellington and help decide the battle.

Then we entered the Historic Green Vault followed by the New Green Vault.  Unfortunately, no photography was allowed.

The Historic Green Vault consists of nine rooms and one entrance chamber.  Located on the first floor, it contains approximately 3,000 pieces of jewelry on display, including works in gold, amber, and ivory. Gemstone vessels and bronze statuettes are on display without showcases, in front of mirrored display walls.

The Entrance Chamber, Foyer: a collection of artworks using precious materials of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance; enamel works from Limoges; artifacts used by Martin Luther; and photographs depicting the pre-war condition of the Green Vault.
The Amber Cabinet: artworks made of amber.
The Ivory Room: great variety of carved art pieces and small statues, all made from real ivory.
The Silver Room or White Silver Room: silver artworks, including silver table service of Augustus the Strong.
The Silver Gilt Room: gilded silver as well as gold drinking vessels and works of art.
The Pretiosa Room or Hall of Treasures: largest room, completely mirrored; most of the mirrors are silvered with mercury. Contains vessels made of colored gems and amber, mussels and ostrich eggs. Also on display is a collection of artworks made from rock crystal.
The Coats of Arms Room, Heraldry Room: copper and gilded coats of arms of the Saxon provinces, the Polish state coat of arms and the initial plates of the House of Wettin electorates.
The Jewel Chamber: crown jewels of the Saxon-Polish royalty and rings, chains, medallions and gems. Includes the statues "Moor with Emerald Cluster", "Jewel Garniture" and "Obeliscus Augustalis".
The Bronze Room: so named for the numerous Renaissance bronze statues as well as for contemporary bronze figures and figure groups.
The Room of Renaissance Bronzes.

Located on the second floor, the New Green Vault contains works of the royal goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger and other jewelry from the Baroque era. In total, there are roughly 1,100 pieces on display in the New Green Vault.

The New Green Vault consists of 12 rooms:

Hall of Works of Art: Treasures from the second half of the 16th century, such as "Drinking Vessel in the Shape of Daphne".
Micro Cabinet: Masterpieces of micro-carving, such as the "Cherry Stone With 185 Carved Faces".
Crystal Cabinet: Pieces made of rock crystal, such as a rock crystal galley with scenes from classical mythology that accompanied Augustus the Strong on the journey to his coronation in Poland.
First Elector's Room: Treasures from the first half of the 17th century, such as the "Large Ivory Frigate Supported by Neptune".
Second Elector's Room: Treasures from the second half of the 17th century, such as table clocks and rock crystal pitchers.
Room of Royal Precious Objects: Ivory and pearl pieces, clocks and watches, such as "Nautilus Goblet With Venus" ("Venus Bowl").
Dinglinger Hall: Pieces made by court goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger, such as the "Golden Coffee Service", "The Royal Household at Delhi on the Occasion of the Birthday of the Grand Mogul Aureng-Zeb", and the "Bath of Diana".
Enamel Cabinet: Painted enamels and a large enamel painting depicting Cleopatra's Feast.
Travelling Treasures Room: Historical cases for the transport of masterpieces; they were shaped in such a way that the objects they were intended to hold fitted exactly.
Neuber Room: Contains masterpieces of Johann Christian Neuber, such as the fragments of a decorative fireplace.
Sponsel Room: Special exhibition room.
Watzdorf Cabinet: Hat clasp decorated with the Dresden Green Diamond, the only large naturally green diamond that has ever been found.

On 25 November 2019, the Green Vault was broken into, and three sets of early 18th century royal jewellery were stolen.  Each set consists of 37 items, made up of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.  It was estimated that the stolen items were worth up to 1 billion euros (US$1.1 billion).  In December 2022, investigators found 31 objects stolen in the 2019 burglary.In May 2023, five men were found guilty of the heist. The robbers were a part of the Remmo clan, a criminal clan that is involved in organised crime and conducted raids on a department store and a bank robbery.