Suhm's nicknames

[mildred_of_midgard]

My favorite envoy, Suhm, had two nicknames that we know of: Diablotin and Diaphane.

1) The first one is used in letters between Fritz and Wilhelmine after Wilhelmine moved to Bayreuth:

selenak: Wilhelmine writes in March 1736: I am delighted you're spending your time so agreeably; I would love to join your sessions and learn philosophy in your school. I suspect little Diablotin - for this is how we used to call Suhm back in the day, didn't we? - needs his own philosophy dearly; for he isn't popular at court, and in a bad financial position.

selenak: If Fritz and Wilhelmine, neither of whom were tall, call him "little", I assume Suhm was Heinrich's size?


Our theory is that the Diablotin nickname was the first one assigned to him, and that it came about because his predecessor as Saxon envoy was Manteuffel, called "the Devil" for obvious reasons, and Suhm was short. The kids probably called the successor "little Devil" before getting to know him.


2) The nickname "Diaphane" is the one used in the Fritz/Suhm correspondence. Fritz writes "Diaphane or Diablotin" on March 25, 1736 to Wilhelmine, suggesting to me that he's gotten used to calling Suhm Diaphane, whereas Wilhelmine, who moved away, only knows him by his old nickname.

The significance of this nickname has been debated by historians: a play on "Durchlaucht", a nod to his open-heartedness, etc.

My own theory is that it's an enlightenment metaphor, and Fritz saw Suhm as someone who "let the light through" into his dark world; both the light of learning and reason into the darkness caused by FW's hatred of same, and the light of love and affection into Fritz's abusive, clinically depressed life.

This interpretation is supported by a passage in Krockow's double portrait of Friz and Heinrich: Frederick perceived [Keyserlingk's] appearance as "the sun breaking through the frosty winter fog." It implies that Fritz did see his friends this way.

ETA: But felis has since turned up the earliest attestation of "Diaphane" so far in 1728, used by Suhm as his moniker in the Anti-sobriety society, suggesting that Suhm maybe picked it himself and it has a meaning we haven't yet deciphered.

Frederick the Great's death; Frederick William II

[mildred_of_midgard]

Material relating to Fritz's death that I've gathered from a number of secondary sources and cannot vouch for the accuracy of every detail:

( Fritz dies )

( The salon speculates about what happened to his dogs after his death )

( Alcmene buried in the same vault with Fritz )

( FW2 digression )

ETA: This detailed account of Fritz's death, written by Johann Gottfried Kletschke in 1786, has since turned up. selenak summarizes:

( Last Hours and Funeral )

( Mourning )

Kaphengst kommt

[mildred_of_midgard]

mildred_of_midgard: According to Krockow, Kaphengst had a reputation for hard riding when he was alive--have breakfast with Heinrich, ride out to try his luck with women, be back in time for supper and sex that evening--and so even into the 19th century, the locals had a sort of "Wild Hunt" tradition about him: in late autumn, when the leaves had fallen, and a wind came to stir them up, the locals would say, "Kaphengst kommt."

I think this is a Fontane story, but I would have to check.

selenak: It is indeed Fontane based, from the Heinrich part of the Wanderungen. Which means it could be true - Fontane did a lot of research, for that book, including interviewing the female Kattes of his day, remember, and the Comtesse de la Roche-Raymon as an eccentric old lady - but it could also be novelistic embellishment on his part, like the scene where Hans Heinrich meets child!Hans Hermann mirrored by Hans Heinrich bringing Hans Hermann's coffin home. I mean, the book is a travelogue, not a scientific academic oeuvre. This said, I have no reason not to believe it, and it's entirely compatible with the impression contemporaries had of Kaphengst.

prinzsorgenfrei: I asked a friend about this and apparently her grandma, who went to school in that region, still says "Kaphengst kommt". I think it's hilarious and will attempt to use it in day to day life now :'D

mildred_of_midgard: So Fontane was not embellishing! That's awwwesome. I agree we should help keep this tradition going!

selenak: I have now lost the struggle to rein in my inner twelve year old pointing out the double meaning in "Kaphengst kommt". :)

Aaaaaanyway, it's great and amazing this tradition went on for so long. Also, I'm reminded of thinking when I learned that among the state guests who were staying at Meseberg in the last two decades was Vladimir Putin: Well, I hope Kaphengst haunts the homophobic bastard with graphic memories!