Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony (as Frederick Augustus I) and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (as Augustus II). Augustus's great physical strength earned him the nicknames "the Strong," "the Saxon Hercules" and "Iron-Hand." He liked to show that he lived up to his name by breaking horseshoes with his bare hands and engaging in fox tossing with a single finger. His ancestor Cymburgis of Masovia was also noted for her strength. Augustus the Strong owed allegiance to the Imperial Habsburgs as a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. As Elector of Saxony, he is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture. He established the Saxon capital of Dresden as a major cultural centre, attracting artists and musicians from across Europe to his court. Augustus also amassed an impressive art collection and built fantastic baroque palaces at Dresden and Warsaw. As a politician, he is nowadays held in low esteem in Poland, in particular for his role in embroiling the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Great Northern War. His attempts at internal reforms and at bolstering the royal power are considered failures, while his policies are thought to have allowed the Russian Empire to strengthen its influence over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.... More • http://en.wikipedia. ... the_Strong View • Books • Images • Videos • Search Related • Royalty • Statesmen • Enlightenment • Estonia • Germany • Latvia • Lithuania • May 12 • Poland • Reformation • Rulers • Russia (Europe) • Taurus • Ukraine • 17th Century • 18th Century • People