929

King Heinrich I (919-936) establishes a fortified military camp on the hill between the rivers Meisa, Triebisch and Elbe. Out of the military camp a castle develops, which is given the name Misni, after the small river Meisa (Meisabach).

c. 950

Establishment of the Margraviate of Meissen and appointment of a margrave, who governed the state on behalf of the King.

968

Establishment by Emperor Otto I of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg together with the bishoprics of Meissen, Zeitz and Merseburg. The Bishop of Meissen also took an official residence on the castle hill, very near to the margrave.

984

Castle is taken by the Bohemian Duke Boleslaw II. First mention in 1002 of a fortified stone extension (the bower).

1002

Castle falls to the Polish Duke Boleslaw Chrobry.

and 1015

The castle is taken again by his son, Duke Mieszko of Poland.

1068

Appointment of a castle margrave, who answered directly to the king. He had his official residence where the ‘Burgkeller’ restaurant is today. This small area of the castle hill was therefore home to three seats of power.

1089

Investiture of Heinrich I of Eilenburg, one of the Wettin family, with the Mark of Meissen.

12th/13th century

Brisk building activity on the castle hill plateau.

1125

Konrad the Great (1125-1156) becomes the first Wettin to be invested with the Margraviate of Meissen.

After 1150

Construction of the so-called double house (front bower) on what is today the castle courtyard.

c. 1200

Extensive damage to Meissen’s castle.

c. 1210

While in the service of Margrave Dietrich the Hard-Pressed (Dietrich des Bedrängten), the minstrel Walther von der Vogelweide resides for a while at Meissen castle.

1221/22

Mention of a moated castle at the foot of the hill, later also described as the lower castle.

1423

In gratitude for his support of King Siegmund in the battle against the Hussites, Friedrich the Warlike (Friedrich der Streitbare, 1381-1428) is invested with the Duchy of Saxony Wittenberg, with which the electoral privileges were associated. From this point on, the Wettins are therefore able to call themselves Electors.

1428

Friedrich the Warlike funds the burial chapel at Meissen cathedral.

1470/71

Arnold von Westfalen is commissioned by the jointly ruling brothers, Ernst (1464 - 1486) and Albrecht (1464 - 1500) von Wettin, to build a new castle to provide room for two court households and also to serve as an administrative centre and for ceremonial purposes. The funds for this came from discoveries of silver in the Erz Mountains.

1471

Arnold von Westfalen is placed at the head of the newly founded, single state building organisation.

1472/73

Demolition of the so-called ‘rear bower’, the margrave’s castle.

From 1476

Work begins on the vaults in the southern and central structures.

1482

Master builder Arnold von Westfalen dies. His pupil Konrad Pflüger carries on work on the castle’s construction.

1483

Central and southern structures are up as high as the start of the roof. The year can be read on one of the middle building’s dormer windows.

1485

The central and southern buildings are finished. The year can be read on the Great Spiral Stone staircase (the Großer Wendelstein) on one of the relief panels with portrayals of the tales of Neidhart von Reuenthal. Elector Ernst and Duke Albrecht divide their lands. The Ernest and Albrecht lines of the Wettin family are thus created. Later the states of Thuringia and Saxony emanate from these. The newly built residence with double court household loses its significance and is only occasionally used.

1489

The great west gable on the northern building is finished.

c. 1500

Demolition of the so-called ‘double house’.

1521-24

Duke Georg the Bearded (Georg der Bärtige, 1500-1539) has the second-floor heraldic hall and the castle’s third floor completed by master builder Jakob von Schweinfurt.

1547

Leipzig University relocates to Meissen during the Schmalkalden War. Lectures take place in several buildings, including Meissen castle.

1645

Occupation of the castle by the troops of Swedish General von Königsmark during the Thirty Years War. Internal fixtures are destroyed.

1674

Repairs to the castle completed under the direction of Johann Georg II. (1656-1680). The castle is fully refurbished.

1676

In honour of Albrecht the Courageous (Albrecht den Beherzten), one of the castle’s original builders, Johann Georg II gives the building the name Albrechtsburg (Albrecht’s Castle).

1705

Johann Friedrich Böttger is incarcerated for a short time in Albrechtsburg Castle and conducts experiments into the secret of porcelain production.

1707/08

Böttger discovers the secret and creates the first European hard porcelain.

1710

At the behest of August the Strong (August der Starke), the first European porcelain factory is set up at Albrechtsburg Castle. All of the production processes take place in the cellar and above floor in the castle itself. Only the firing of the porcelain is done in a building adjoining the castle.

1732

Construction of a ‘twin track cable lift’ for transporting firewood from the Elbe, through the cellars of Albrechtsburg Castle and into the castle courtyard.

1773

Fire at Albrechtsburg Castle. Amongst other damage, the vaulting in the Great Court Hall (Große Hofstube) on the first floor falls in.

1852

Due to the poorly preserved condition of the castle, Saxony’s Heritage Society recommends relocating the factory.

1853

Installation of a steam-powered machine in place of the large capstan system for preparing the compound.

1855

Restoration of the Great Spiral Stone staircase (the Großer Wendelstein).

1863

Relocation of the porcelain factory to Triebischtal in Meissen.

From 1864

Begin of structural repairs to Albrechtsburg Castle.

1875-1885

Artistic embellishment of Albrechtsburg Castle with murals and ornamental decoration.

1881

Opening of Albrechtsburg Castle as a memorial of Saxon history.

1919

Albrechtsburg Castle is extricated from the ownership of the House of Wettin.

1939-45

Storage during the Second World War of the artistic inventories of the Dresden Art Collections, the Aachen Suermondt Museum and the Meissen Porcelain Factory.

1959-1963

Archaeological excavations in the castle courtyard, including exposure of the foundations of the so-called ‘double house’ (Front Bower).

1963-1970

Extensive restoration of Albrechtsburg Castle to mark its 500th anniversary.

1990

Ceremonial founding of the State of Saxony in the Great Court Hall (Große Hofstube).

1993

Albrechtsburg Castle, owned by the City of Meissen, passes into the ownership of the Free State of Saxony. It is assigned to the Saxon Castle Management Unit.

2003

Albrechtsburg Castle now belongs to Saxony’s state-run Castles, Stately Homes and Gardens Company.