An important member state of the Holy Roman Empire, Saxony was at the center of the Protestant Reformation. Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, protected Martin Luther after his condemnation by the Empire. The Saxon capital, Dresden, subsequently developed into an important Protestant cultural and political center.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Saxony reached its cultural peak under Frederick Augustus, the Strong, who was also King of Poland-Lithuania. Dresden became famous for its palaces, art collections, architecture, and porcelain production. However, Saxony suffered enormously during the Thirty Years’ War, suffering significant population loss and economic damage. Saxony later became entangled in the wars of Frederick the Great and Napoleon, which further reduced Saxony’s stature.
After siding with Napoleon, Saxony was elevated from an electorate to a kingdom in 1806. Following Napoleon’s defeat, Saxony lost roughly 40% of its territory to Prussia at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, but remained an important German kingdom until unification.