Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

Augustus II the Strong

Also known as Augustus the Strong (epithet)

Dresden, 1670 – Warsaw, 1733

15 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1670, DresdenRecords disagree1 source
  • TitlePrince-Elector of Saxony, 1694–1733or King of Poland, 1697–1706 · King of Poland, 1709–1733not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Poland, 1697–1706or Prince-Elector of Saxony, 1694–1733 · King of Poland, 1709–1733not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Poland, 1709–1733or Prince-Elector of Saxony, 1694–1733 · King of Poland, 1697–1706not verified1 source
  • Died1733, WarsawRecords disagree1 source
  • MotherPrincess Anna Sophie of Denmarknot verified1 source
  • FatherJohn George III of Saxonynot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1670

    Born in Dresden

  2. 1694–1733

    Prince-Elector of Saxony

  3. 1696–1712

    9 children are born

  4. 1697–1706

    King of Poland

  5. 1709–1733

    King of Poland

  6. 1733

    Dies in Warsaw

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 9

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Dresden.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1670s · Augustus II is born in Dresden

In the news1673

Introduction of new poll taxes (1673)

In 1673, the nobility enacted a new general poll tax, a burdensome levy introduced under the pressure of war with the Ottoman Empire.

At the table

Alcoholic beverages replaced water for safety

People rarely drank water due to contamination risks, relying instead on wine or beer, which were considered safer because of the fermentation process. Milk was almost exclusively for small children, as most of it was processed into butter and cheese for storage.

What people wore

Hat with a hidden storage bag

The Scheessel Winkelmann hat was designed with a secret fabric bag inside, which allowed the wearer to carry a hymnal, bread, and a flask while on the go.

Getting around

River travel from Regensburg to Vienna

Starting in 1696, boats called 'Ordinari' transported passengers down the Danube from Regensburg to Vienna, a distance of about 450 kilometers that took at least one week.

What it cost

Wages for Workers in 17th Century Warsaw

An ordinary worker in Warsaw earned 3 to 4 grosze per day, while a bricklayer, considered elite, could earn up to 16 grosze daily.

Music

Musical Cradle Devotions and Festive Processions

During Christmas, Jesuits organized cradle devotions, where a constructed cradle containing a figure of the Christ child was rocked to the sound of music. Music was also used in processions, often involving bells, trumpets, military drums, and even the discharge of muskets and cannons.

Daily life

Difficult water access and pollution

Rural water access was difficult, often relying on collecting rainwater or hauling water from village wells or ditches. In some towns, polluted water was a risk because waste was simply poured onto streets and entered groundwater.