Kurländer Palais

Kurländer Palais is a Rococo castle in Dresden that follows an angular zigzag footprint between the Carolabrücke bridgehead and Neumarkt square, displaying nine window axes and mansard rooflines. The structure now serves as an event venue with three floors of spaces available for private and corporate functions.

Johann Christoph Knöffel built this palace between 1728 and 1729 for Count August Christoph von Wackerbarth, and it represented the first Rococo architecture introduced to Dresden. The building suffered severe bomb damage in 1945, but underwent comprehensive reconstruction in 2008 that integrated modern technologies while honoring its past.

The name reflects a connection to the Courland region and the historical ties between Saxony and the Baltic. Today musical performances and cultural events fill the grand hall and keep the space alive as a venue for contemporary artistic expression.

The palace sits at Tzschirnerplatz 3-5 in the city center and is easily accessible through multiple entrances, with modern facilities serving visitors of different needs. Keep in mind that spaces are primarily used for booked events, so access typically requires advance arrangement or attending a scheduled function.

During the 2008 reconstruction, builders deliberately preserved visible traces of the 1945 bomb damage by leaving them embedded in the stonework rather than erasing them completely. This approach allows the building to quietly tell the story of its destruction and recovery without hiding that difficult chapter of its past.