Archbishop Ernst of Saxony laid the foundation stone for Moritzburg Palace in 1484, and moved into the new residence with his entourage in May 1503. By this point, the building was largely complete except for the palace chapel. Under Archbishop Ernst's successor, Cardinal Albrecht, Moritzburg Palace was afforded prestigious furnishings with rich wooden panelling, magnificent tiled stoves, lavish carpets, murals and exquisite paintings by the great artists of the day, such as Cranach, Grünewald and Dürer.
The outer parts of this late-Gothic palace were refurbished and converted into modern museum rooms in 2008, restoring access to the north and west wings. The Saxony-Anhalt Museum of Art mounts various temporary exhibitions here in addition to its permanent exhibition focusing on 20th and 21st century art, which includes Hermann Gerlinger's comprehensive collection of works by the Brücke artists and paintings from Lyonel Feininger's Halle Cycle.