Fragments of Memory

In 1732, August the Strong acquired the "Temple of Solomon", one of the most important and elaborate architectural models ever built. The model was exhibited in the Ramparts Pavilion of the Zwinger at the Saxon court in Dresden and formed, along with a complete display of Jewish ritual objects, what was known as the "Juden Cabinet", quite possibly the world's first Jewish museum accessible to a broad public. For more than a century this numbered among the special attraction in Dresden until it was disbanded in the 19th century. This richly illustrated catalogue aims to recall a largely forgotten aspect in the history of the Dresden collections.Alongside a description of the model and its history the volume includes essays on the Temple as a metaphor of knowledge in the early modern era as well as on the paradoxical status of Jews at the Saxon court. Further sections document the accompanying exhibition in the Green Vault, the digitization of the Temple model, and an artistic installation commissioned for its historic setting in the Zwinger.