Grünes Gewölbe: Jean-Louis Sponsel

Auf diesem historischen Foto ist die Raumausstattung des Emailzimmers von 1930 zu sehen. Der Mittelpfeiler ist verspiegelt. Die Wände sind mit Holzpanelen, Spiegeln und zahlreichen Kunstobjekten bestückt.

Research: Jean-Louis Sponsel

Jean-Louis Sponsel was director of the Grünes Gewölbe from 1908 to 1923. Under his leadership, a number of innovative technical and architectural modifications were initiated in the museum of treasury art between 1909 and 1914. The measures introduced were in keeping with the spirit of museum reform during that era and included, for example, the installation of heating, electric lighting, and large display cases in the window embrasures.

Born the son of a Hessian merchant (*1858 in Hanau, +1930 in Dresden), he studied art history and archaeology and received his doctorate from the University of Leipzig in 1887. In April 1888, he joined the Royal Collections in Dresden. He remained associated with this museum alliance until his retirement in 1923. For the first twenty years, Sponsel worked in the Kupferstich-Kabinett, from 1905 to 1908 as its director. In April 1908, he was appointed director of the Grünes Gewölbe, the Münzkabinett, and the Historisches Museum. Sponsel's achievements include conducting detailed research on the holdings of these collections and introducing systematic conservation measures for the objects. His museum guide published in 1915 and the four volumes of plates entitled “Das Grüne Gewölbe zu Dresden” still provide vital material for research today. In addition to his museum work, Jean Louis Sponsel was a travelling speaker, a lecturer at the Technische Hochschule Dresden, and the author of numerous publications, mainly on the history of Saxon art and architecture.