It was the first and for a long time the only connection between the two banks on which a city was slowly growing. Even today, under the name Augustusbrücke (from 1949 to 1990 "Georgij-Dimitroff-Brücke"), it connects the historical cores of the old town and the new town, which slowly developed in the 17th century.

It is named after Augustus the Strong (officially "Friedrich-August-Brücke"), whose golden equestrian statue, probably Dresden's most famous monument, is also located at the foot of the bridge on Neustädter Markt.

After its destruction in the Second World War (partial demolition on 7 May 1945 by German troops, like the other inner-city bridges), it was rebuilt in almost unchanged form from concrete and then clad in sandstone. With a total length of 390 metres, the Augustus Bridge consists of a total of nine arches.

It plays only a minor role for inner-city road traffic, but it is an important tourist link.