The 1740 Strassbourg Trip
Mar. 18th, 2021 07:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenak posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
rheinsbergGustav Volz' anthology "Gespräche" which is in our library contains Volz' combination of two French reports on Friedrich's' 1740 attempt at an incognito journey to France which ended prematurely in Straßburg/Strassbourg, that of the Marquis de Valfons, who was a captain in the local regiment, and that of the overall CEO Broglie's report as given on August 26th 1740, i.e. a day after it happened , for his superiors in Paris. A reminder on Broglie: not the one from the 7 Years War, but but this one, his father.
Volz is conscientious about his sources, so he tells us via footnote that the Marquis de Valfons' report is from "Souvenirs du marquis de Valfons", S. 50 ff, Paris 1860, while Boglie's report was printed in the "Archives de la Bastille, BD. XIII, S. 195 ff, Paris 1881.
Having read them now: worst incognito traveller ever! Also, no arrest, unless Broglie is being lying. The date: 23 - 25th August 1740.
Marquis de Valfons: I was lodging in the famous Inn "The Raven" in Straßburg and played a game with Frau von Schönberg, who was on her way back from Paris to Saxony, where she had some estates. (...) Three strangers from Germany were announced; one of them called himself Comte Dufour. He approached us very politely and said: "Madame, I do not have the honor of knowing you, but I know your name too well not to pay my respects to you. I come from Bohemia and met these gentlemen here with whom I have since then shared my travels in Nuremberg."
Frau von Schönberg returned his courtesy and asked him to sit with us. We interrupted the game and started to chat. Comte Dufour talked with wit and vivaciousnesss and an adroitness in French which did not betray a foreigner. He sneezed, and at once his two companions rose eager and very respectfully. He had to smile, and gestured towards them, indicating that they should sit down again. This made me think, and I became more restrained in my questions. Shortly thereafter, Teutsch, the owner of the inn, approached me from behind and told me: "Monsieur le Marquis, the Comte Dufour is the Crown Prince of Prussia, who travels incognito with two courtiers."
Now I understood the mystery of the respectful behavior his companions showed. The Comte asked me to dine together. I had already been invited by Frau von Schönberg, and she very politely suggested to dine all together. I now asked me whether he wanted to see Straßburg, offered myself as a guide, and invited him to dinner for the next day, which he accepted.
Upon his arrival, he had sent out word to ask whether some other officers from the garnison were at the Café. As accident would have it, Coicy and two others whose dinner had taken quite a long time were still drinking their coffee. They believed some newcomer was looking to make connections. Somewhat tipsy, they accepted the invitation and followed the servant who led them to Frau von Schönberg. Here they met me to their great surprise. Comte Dufour rose, said farewell to Frau von Schönberg and said to the gentlemen: "I thank you for your kindness and ask you to make it complete by dining with me."
I followed him until the stairs and said to Coicy: "Be careful! The supposed Comte Dufour may be the Crown Prince of Prussia!"
The dinner went cheerfully. The Comte kept asking Coicy questions , since the later, as a Major, was better equipped to reply than the others. After dinner, it was agreed that the next day one would watch the changing of the guard and visit the two bataillons Piemont in order to examine them from head to toe.
Yes, it's "Crown Prince" all the time, not "King". Also, Fritz, people from Bohemia speak in a really different accent from Brandenburg folk, and as for Nuremberg Franconians, well...
Marshal Broglie takes up the story in the Volz volume: My officers reported to me on August 24th. On this day, Prince August Wilhelm, Wartensleben and Algarotti came to me. (..., interruption by Volz, not me. Volz also says in a footnote Algarotti and AW had lodged in another inn together. I take this to mean that Fritz/Algarotti sex wasn't on the agenda for the Straßburg trip.) The supposed Comte Dufour did not appear, but excused himself as being sick by Herr von Wartensleben. I invited the three others to lunch, as one does with noble strangers. (..., by Volz again). After lunch, they went to the theatre, where they were supposed to meet up with the Comte Dufour.
Once they returned from the theatre, I sent a Major from the regiment Piemont to the "Raven" in order to find out who the Comte Dufour and the Saxonian Nobleman were; for I didn't know whether they were people of rank or simple adventurers, which happens here very often. The innkeeper knew nothing more than that he'd been told to serve his guest very well. Neither the innkeeper nor his servants were allowed to enter his guest's room; in front of the door, two husars stood guard, and he only was served by his own servants. All together they were maybe a dozen travellers of different rank, who ate at different tables; they only said Yes and No and talked Prussian (sic) among themselves.
Comte Dufour watched the changing of the guard with the three other gentlemen (i.e. AW, Algarotti, Wartensleben), then he climbed up to the platform of the minster (i.e. the famous Straßburg cathedral) and returned to his inn.
A citizen of Straßburg, whose nephew had been forced into the Tall Fellows of Potsdam, and who had seen the King of Prussia in Berlin, threw himself at his feet and asked him for mercy for his nephew. The King replied that surely, the other was joking; that he wasn't a King. The citzen replied he knew him well, and as proof he pulled out a medaillon which had been coined and thrown into the crowd on the occasion of his coronation (sic). The King saw himself recognized and promised the asked for mercy but ordered him not to tell anyone who he was. Since he was afraid of punishment, the citizen went straight way to the commander of Straßburg, Baron de Trélans, who in turn told me.
I found the behavior of the gentleman stranger, and started to believe that he must be one of the younger princes from the royal house of Prussia. So I sent two Prussian soldiers to the inn who had sworn they knew the King very well. After they had seen him, they both told me they immediately recognized him.
Nearly at the same time, Herr von Wartensleben came to me, gave me compliments by the Comte Dufour and told me that the Comte had been sick so far but would not omit paying me a visit during the course of the day. (... by Volz again.) I told him that it was pointless for the Comte Dufour to insist on his Incognito any more; I knew that he was the King of Prussia; the citizen who had asked for the release of his nephew and the two Prussian soldiers had all recognized him at once. If hte King of Prussia wanted to stay incognito, I would not betray him; he only had to order. I was ready to pay him all the honors due to him and was awaiting his commands. I noticed that I had embarrassed Herrn von Wartensleben a lot, but he didn't want to admit it was the King of Prussia, and returned to the "Raven" in order to make his report. Shortly thereafter, Algarotti showed up and told me from the Comte Dufour that the later was indeed a Prince of the House of Brandenburg, but not the King. I asked me to receive him as a private gentleman without any thought of rank between 4 and 5 pm. I replied that I would have visited him myself if I hadn't been afraid to cause his displeasure since I could see he wanted to keep his Incognito.
He showed up at the agreed upon hour with the three other gentlemen, and I received him as a private gentleman, as he had wished. Except for us, only his three companions were present. He told me the courtesies usual among private citizens; I was very respectful and asked him: "Does your majesty want to be treated as the King of Prussia or as Comte Dufour?" Whereupon he returned that he wasn't the King of Prussia but only what he had told Algarotti to tell me he was. He said he was very pleased to see me as his late father had told him much about me and wished to visit the citadel. I sent for the local officer, du Portail, who gave him a tour. On the esplanade, he saw all the pontons standing in a row and at the magazine all the canons, a great many. He said to du Portail: "All this war machinery gives a good impression of your King's might." And it is indeed impressive. I invited him to the theatre in my box, and he accepted my invitation. However, I knew that the two officers from the Piemont regiment, whom he had invited on the day of his arrival for supper, had felt themselves obliged to invite him in return, and still believed him to be the Comte Dufour, and he had accepted in order not to reveal himself. So I asked him to pay me the honor of dining with me, and he accepted.
(Footnote by Volz: According to Valfons, the King then cancelled with Valfons and his comrades and sent six bottles of pink Champagne as a sign of his regret, which he called "his usual drink" and asked them to drink these to his health.)
During my conversation with him - and I always addressed him in the third person - , rumor ran through the town that the King of Prussia had arrived, and a great many officers, citzens and their wives went to the streets and even to my house in order to see him. And thus it happened that when he left me, all the people were running after his carriage and didn't budge. Consequently, he didn't go to the theatre but directly to his inn. Once he had arrived there, he decided to order the horses as he saw his secret was lifted, and to leave immediately. The journey went through Landau, Cologne and Wesel, as I learned from Algarotti, whom he sent to me immediately. He had Algarotti apologize to me and asked not to begrudge him that he couldn't come to the theatre and to supper with me, but that he was discovered and could not show himself in the street without all the people running after him.
Yes, well, you know what would have prevented that? No bodyguards, for starters. Also anyone with a clue of how private travellers acted. Algarotti clearly had been famous for too long for that already. BTW, since Fritz showed such interest in the garnison that this was the only thing he saw other than the cathedral, I wonder whether Heinrich's request some years later to let him do the grand tour, err, research military fortifications abroad hit extra hard and thus caused the instant NO.
felis then unearthed other reports on those Strassbourg/Straßburg days, including one from Manteuffel of all the people, which led to a lively salon debate, not least because we were curious who Le Diable's source among the travellers might have been.
felis: I came across a facsimile of one of the written-on-the-spot passports, provided by Koser, and in a footnote he mentions another write-up of the whole incident, which is based on the two sources that Volz has, plus a report in a journal called "Staatssecretario" and -- a second-hand report from Manteuffel of all people, who apparently talked to some of the people who were on the trip (surely not Fritz!) and had a source in Strasbourg (?) and sent a compiled report to Dresden on September 28th. Says Wiegand. (He also reports that Troeger - yep, again - wrote another account of the trip and doesn't think Manteuffel is all that reliable, because all second-hand, whereas Wiegand himself thinks differently and seems to trust him more.)
Now, the passport is interesting, because it's for both "Graf Ferdinand Albrecht v. Schaffgotsch" AND for Algarotti, who doesn't seem to have had a pseudonym after all, no matter what Rödenbeck says. The thing is dated "28 July 1740" (ha), written by Fredersdorf (says Koser) and signed by Fritz.
The Wiegand write-up is also interesting because while it doesn't have an arrest either, it does mention that Broglie apparently debated detaining them and waiting for orders from Paris how to proceed, but didn't actually do so. Wiegand says both Broglie himself and Manteuffel report that, which means Volz must have left it out? And it still contradicts AW?
In Straßburg, Wartensleben was apparently the one to repeatedly urge caution and less conspicuous behaviour, but Fritz ignored him. (Which makes me wonder if he might have been one of Manteuffel's sources.) Other details: AW ate a lot and didn't say a word during the meal with Broglie, Algarotti, and Wartensleben. Fritz did get to visit the theatre, and attracted curiosity there as well, because he commented loudly on the performance and gave a lot of money to a girl who was selling lottery tickets. (If that anecdote isn't true after all, it was certainly invented by someone who knew him. :P)
selenak: you for Wiegand’s write-up. Leaving aside the German nationalism near the end about Fritz discovering the true nature of the French etc. etc., it is very informative, down to the footnotes, which make me understand why he puts faith in Manteuffel. Looks like Manteuffel really must have had first class sources, because even before the September 28th compilation, he as early as September 2nd (!!!!!) correctly reports to Brühl that Fritz must have gone to Straßburg, on September 5th, he knows that Fritz was there for three days, that he visited the theatre and the local head officers, and on September 9th that Fritz was recognized by deserters. The footnote names directly the Manteuffel letters in question from the State Archive. His located in Straßburg source, according to the footnote, was a young noble studying maths at the Straßburg university, but I think you’re right about his source with Fritz being Wartensleben, what with all the Wartensleben pov sections on everything not hailing from the Valvons, Broglie or Fritz-to-Voltaire versions.
Anyway, if Manteuffel got his intel from Wartensleben - this particular spawn of the great Wartensleben clan, that is, who according to the Wiegand article had been freshly promoted by Fritz to his AD post throne ascension - , I think we have another possible source for the anymous report on Fritz. Either way, given that Manteuffel is in northern Germany, and Fritz is in Straßburg in the last week of August, all that correct intel starting from September 2nd doesn’t just indicate top sources but lightning speed couriers. I mean, okay, knowing on September 2nd Fritz went to Straßburg could hail from his source telling him pre trip (maybe from Bayreuth?) that such was Fritz’ intention, but knowing correct details like the theatre visit on September 5th does point to a really quick courier. In any case, Manteuffel being on the outs with Fritz himself evidently did not deprive him from good and realiable intel from Fritz’ entourage. Between that and the intimate reports as referenced by Seckenforff Jr. in the mid 1730s, I must say that le Diable clearly is the best intelligence asset among the envoys.
Back to the write-ups: Wiegand really comes down on Broglie for not being up to the situation by insisting on treating Fritz like a King, not as the Comte Dufour, but it was an extremely difficult situation, because Fritz is an unknown quantity at this point, and royals can be touchy if actually treated like non-royals, no matter what they say. (See also Wilhelmine’s encounter with MT’s cousin the Wittelsbach Empress and the negotiation about chairs.). Otoh I found it amusing that Wiegand mentions Joseph, decades later, on his incognito trip to Paris, also lodged in the same inn, the Raven, on his stopover in Straßburg. Because of course he did. (Speaking of Joseph, I remember the Duc de Croy in his diary being in some trouble of how to address him and act towards him, too, because as Emperor, he would outrank anyone else in any room, including the King, but as he travelled as Count Falkenstein, this wasn’t the case, yet on the third hand everoyne knew he wasn’t really Count Falkenstein, so which etiquette to use was a Versailles trained French nobleman’s headache.
Oh, and it is of course very telling for pre revolutionary France (and Prussia) that no account mentions Fritz’ servants as people, just in the plural (as in, him getting served by them, not the staff at the inn - btw, I take it this means Fredersdorf?), whereas they do list the gentleman of rank by name. The detail with Fredersdorf having written the passport and Fritz signing it from Koser makes me wonder from which original report that comes from for this reason. (Evidently not Fritz’ to Voltaire, or any of the French sources.)
mildred_of_midgard: The detail with Fredersdorf having written the passport and Fritz signing it from Koser makes me wonder from which original report that comes from for this reason. (Evidently not Fritz’ to Voltaire, or any of the French sources.
We saw that recently in Bielfeld's account. He mentions the separate inns: Fritz at the Holy Ghost, and AW at the Raven, though I don't see where he mentions Algarotti staying at the Raven. I'm also skimming quickly before bed, so I might have missed it.
ETA: Wartensleben is this guy, btw. Just to help us keep our Wartenslebens straight. Yep, Katte's uncle who was younger than he was. The relevant Wartenslebens are sorted out to the best of my ability here. Which means, btw, that the Wartensleben on this trip was the same one Fritz listed as one of the 6 most loved a few months later. So if he was passing info to Manteuffel via rapid-fire couriers... :/
felis: I think Bielfeld is wrong about the inns actually, because as Volz says via the two French sources, Fritz and Wartensleben stayed at the Raven. Wiegand confirms that and also says that AW and Algarotti arrived later (they'd apparently split up to attract less attention - great job on that! :P) and then stayed at the Ghost. (Rödenbeck has is the wrong way around as well, so I suspect he either read Bielfeld or they both had the same wrong source.)
mildred_of_midgard: Rödenbeck cites Bielfeld as one of his sources, so that must be it. I kind of suspect Bielfeld's source might have been Fritz and/or AW, but he was also writing after the fact from a memory of a story that was probably told to him orally, not writing on the spot as it happened, so it makes sense that he would reverse the inns. I have been guilty of worse memory lapses!
selenak: "One of six" Wartensleben as possible IM - wait, that's an acronym which is not familiar in English - IMs "Informelle Mitarbeiter" was how the GDR secret service referred to people they got to spy on their neighbours/loved ones/whomever without listing them as official agents - well, I could be wronging him, but you know what we agreed on re: pov, and what it betrays about who's telling the story. In the Wiegand version, you can tell which bits come from Valvons' account, from Broglie's, from Fritz' own to Voltaire. And basically 99% of the other stuff, which hails form Manteuffel, is constantly referencing what Wartensleben did or thought. So....
mildred_of_midgard: No, I totally agree. I haven't been able to read the sources myself, but I trust both of you to sort out the unaccounted for elements and recognize the POV, so it does very much sound like Wartensleben was reporting to Manteuffel.
Thank you for teaching me the term IM!
Volz is conscientious about his sources, so he tells us via footnote that the Marquis de Valfons' report is from "Souvenirs du marquis de Valfons", S. 50 ff, Paris 1860, while Boglie's report was printed in the "Archives de la Bastille, BD. XIII, S. 195 ff, Paris 1881.
Having read them now: worst incognito traveller ever! Also, no arrest, unless Broglie is being lying. The date: 23 - 25th August 1740.
Marquis de Valfons: I was lodging in the famous Inn "The Raven" in Straßburg and played a game with Frau von Schönberg, who was on her way back from Paris to Saxony, where she had some estates. (...) Three strangers from Germany were announced; one of them called himself Comte Dufour. He approached us very politely and said: "Madame, I do not have the honor of knowing you, but I know your name too well not to pay my respects to you. I come from Bohemia and met these gentlemen here with whom I have since then shared my travels in Nuremberg."
Frau von Schönberg returned his courtesy and asked him to sit with us. We interrupted the game and started to chat. Comte Dufour talked with wit and vivaciousnesss and an adroitness in French which did not betray a foreigner. He sneezed, and at once his two companions rose eager and very respectfully. He had to smile, and gestured towards them, indicating that they should sit down again. This made me think, and I became more restrained in my questions. Shortly thereafter, Teutsch, the owner of the inn, approached me from behind and told me: "Monsieur le Marquis, the Comte Dufour is the Crown Prince of Prussia, who travels incognito with two courtiers."
Now I understood the mystery of the respectful behavior his companions showed. The Comte asked me to dine together. I had already been invited by Frau von Schönberg, and she very politely suggested to dine all together. I now asked me whether he wanted to see Straßburg, offered myself as a guide, and invited him to dinner for the next day, which he accepted.
Upon his arrival, he had sent out word to ask whether some other officers from the garnison were at the Café. As accident would have it, Coicy and two others whose dinner had taken quite a long time were still drinking their coffee. They believed some newcomer was looking to make connections. Somewhat tipsy, they accepted the invitation and followed the servant who led them to Frau von Schönberg. Here they met me to their great surprise. Comte Dufour rose, said farewell to Frau von Schönberg and said to the gentlemen: "I thank you for your kindness and ask you to make it complete by dining with me."
I followed him until the stairs and said to Coicy: "Be careful! The supposed Comte Dufour may be the Crown Prince of Prussia!"
The dinner went cheerfully. The Comte kept asking Coicy questions , since the later, as a Major, was better equipped to reply than the others. After dinner, it was agreed that the next day one would watch the changing of the guard and visit the two bataillons Piemont in order to examine them from head to toe.
Yes, it's "Crown Prince" all the time, not "King". Also, Fritz, people from Bohemia speak in a really different accent from Brandenburg folk, and as for Nuremberg Franconians, well...
Marshal Broglie takes up the story in the Volz volume: My officers reported to me on August 24th. On this day, Prince August Wilhelm, Wartensleben and Algarotti came to me. (..., interruption by Volz, not me. Volz also says in a footnote Algarotti and AW had lodged in another inn together. I take this to mean that Fritz/Algarotti sex wasn't on the agenda for the Straßburg trip.) The supposed Comte Dufour did not appear, but excused himself as being sick by Herr von Wartensleben. I invited the three others to lunch, as one does with noble strangers. (..., by Volz again). After lunch, they went to the theatre, where they were supposed to meet up with the Comte Dufour.
Once they returned from the theatre, I sent a Major from the regiment Piemont to the "Raven" in order to find out who the Comte Dufour and the Saxonian Nobleman were; for I didn't know whether they were people of rank or simple adventurers, which happens here very often. The innkeeper knew nothing more than that he'd been told to serve his guest very well. Neither the innkeeper nor his servants were allowed to enter his guest's room; in front of the door, two husars stood guard, and he only was served by his own servants. All together they were maybe a dozen travellers of different rank, who ate at different tables; they only said Yes and No and talked Prussian (sic) among themselves.
Comte Dufour watched the changing of the guard with the three other gentlemen (i.e. AW, Algarotti, Wartensleben), then he climbed up to the platform of the minster (i.e. the famous Straßburg cathedral) and returned to his inn.
A citizen of Straßburg, whose nephew had been forced into the Tall Fellows of Potsdam, and who had seen the King of Prussia in Berlin, threw himself at his feet and asked him for mercy for his nephew. The King replied that surely, the other was joking; that he wasn't a King. The citzen replied he knew him well, and as proof he pulled out a medaillon which had been coined and thrown into the crowd on the occasion of his coronation (sic). The King saw himself recognized and promised the asked for mercy but ordered him not to tell anyone who he was. Since he was afraid of punishment, the citizen went straight way to the commander of Straßburg, Baron de Trélans, who in turn told me.
I found the behavior of the gentleman stranger, and started to believe that he must be one of the younger princes from the royal house of Prussia. So I sent two Prussian soldiers to the inn who had sworn they knew the King very well. After they had seen him, they both told me they immediately recognized him.
Nearly at the same time, Herr von Wartensleben came to me, gave me compliments by the Comte Dufour and told me that the Comte had been sick so far but would not omit paying me a visit during the course of the day. (... by Volz again.) I told him that it was pointless for the Comte Dufour to insist on his Incognito any more; I knew that he was the King of Prussia; the citizen who had asked for the release of his nephew and the two Prussian soldiers had all recognized him at once. If hte King of Prussia wanted to stay incognito, I would not betray him; he only had to order. I was ready to pay him all the honors due to him and was awaiting his commands. I noticed that I had embarrassed Herrn von Wartensleben a lot, but he didn't want to admit it was the King of Prussia, and returned to the "Raven" in order to make his report. Shortly thereafter, Algarotti showed up and told me from the Comte Dufour that the later was indeed a Prince of the House of Brandenburg, but not the King. I asked me to receive him as a private gentleman without any thought of rank between 4 and 5 pm. I replied that I would have visited him myself if I hadn't been afraid to cause his displeasure since I could see he wanted to keep his Incognito.
He showed up at the agreed upon hour with the three other gentlemen, and I received him as a private gentleman, as he had wished. Except for us, only his three companions were present. He told me the courtesies usual among private citizens; I was very respectful and asked him: "Does your majesty want to be treated as the King of Prussia or as Comte Dufour?" Whereupon he returned that he wasn't the King of Prussia but only what he had told Algarotti to tell me he was. He said he was very pleased to see me as his late father had told him much about me and wished to visit the citadel. I sent for the local officer, du Portail, who gave him a tour. On the esplanade, he saw all the pontons standing in a row and at the magazine all the canons, a great many. He said to du Portail: "All this war machinery gives a good impression of your King's might." And it is indeed impressive. I invited him to the theatre in my box, and he accepted my invitation. However, I knew that the two officers from the Piemont regiment, whom he had invited on the day of his arrival for supper, had felt themselves obliged to invite him in return, and still believed him to be the Comte Dufour, and he had accepted in order not to reveal himself. So I asked him to pay me the honor of dining with me, and he accepted.
(Footnote by Volz: According to Valfons, the King then cancelled with Valfons and his comrades and sent six bottles of pink Champagne as a sign of his regret, which he called "his usual drink" and asked them to drink these to his health.)
During my conversation with him - and I always addressed him in the third person - , rumor ran through the town that the King of Prussia had arrived, and a great many officers, citzens and their wives went to the streets and even to my house in order to see him. And thus it happened that when he left me, all the people were running after his carriage and didn't budge. Consequently, he didn't go to the theatre but directly to his inn. Once he had arrived there, he decided to order the horses as he saw his secret was lifted, and to leave immediately. The journey went through Landau, Cologne and Wesel, as I learned from Algarotti, whom he sent to me immediately. He had Algarotti apologize to me and asked not to begrudge him that he couldn't come to the theatre and to supper with me, but that he was discovered and could not show himself in the street without all the people running after him.
Yes, well, you know what would have prevented that? No bodyguards, for starters. Also anyone with a clue of how private travellers acted. Algarotti clearly had been famous for too long for that already. BTW, since Fritz showed such interest in the garnison that this was the only thing he saw other than the cathedral, I wonder whether Heinrich's request some years later to let him do the grand tour, err, research military fortifications abroad hit extra hard and thus caused the instant NO.
felis then unearthed other reports on those Strassbourg/Straßburg days, including one from Manteuffel of all the people, which led to a lively salon debate, not least because we were curious who Le Diable's source among the travellers might have been. felis: I came across a facsimile of one of the written-on-the-spot passports, provided by Koser, and in a footnote he mentions another write-up of the whole incident, which is based on the two sources that Volz has, plus a report in a journal called "Staatssecretario" and -- a second-hand report from Manteuffel of all people, who apparently talked to some of the people who were on the trip (surely not Fritz!) and had a source in Strasbourg (?) and sent a compiled report to Dresden on September 28th. Says Wiegand. (He also reports that Troeger - yep, again - wrote another account of the trip and doesn't think Manteuffel is all that reliable, because all second-hand, whereas Wiegand himself thinks differently and seems to trust him more.)Now, the passport is interesting, because it's for both "Graf Ferdinand Albrecht v. Schaffgotsch" AND for Algarotti, who doesn't seem to have had a pseudonym after all, no matter what Rödenbeck says. The thing is dated "28 July 1740" (ha), written by Fredersdorf (says Koser) and signed by Fritz.
The Wiegand write-up is also interesting because while it doesn't have an arrest either, it does mention that Broglie apparently debated detaining them and waiting for orders from Paris how to proceed, but didn't actually do so. Wiegand says both Broglie himself and Manteuffel report that, which means Volz must have left it out? And it still contradicts AW?
In Straßburg, Wartensleben was apparently the one to repeatedly urge caution and less conspicuous behaviour, but Fritz ignored him. (Which makes me wonder if he might have been one of Manteuffel's sources.) Other details: AW ate a lot and didn't say a word during the meal with Broglie, Algarotti, and Wartensleben. Fritz did get to visit the theatre, and attracted curiosity there as well, because he commented loudly on the performance and gave a lot of money to a girl who was selling lottery tickets. (If that anecdote isn't true after all, it was certainly invented by someone who knew him. :P)
selenak: you for Wiegand’s write-up. Leaving aside the German nationalism near the end about Fritz discovering the true nature of the French etc. etc., it is very informative, down to the footnotes, which make me understand why he puts faith in Manteuffel. Looks like Manteuffel really must have had first class sources, because even before the September 28th compilation, he as early as September 2nd (!!!!!) correctly reports to Brühl that Fritz must have gone to Straßburg, on September 5th, he knows that Fritz was there for three days, that he visited the theatre and the local head officers, and on September 9th that Fritz was recognized by deserters. The footnote names directly the Manteuffel letters in question from the State Archive. His located in Straßburg source, according to the footnote, was a young noble studying maths at the Straßburg university, but I think you’re right about his source with Fritz being Wartensleben, what with all the Wartensleben pov sections on everything not hailing from the Valvons, Broglie or Fritz-to-Voltaire versions. Anyway, if Manteuffel got his intel from Wartensleben - this particular spawn of the great Wartensleben clan, that is, who according to the Wiegand article had been freshly promoted by Fritz to his AD post throne ascension - , I think we have another possible source for the anymous report on Fritz. Either way, given that Manteuffel is in northern Germany, and Fritz is in Straßburg in the last week of August, all that correct intel starting from September 2nd doesn’t just indicate top sources but lightning speed couriers. I mean, okay, knowing on September 2nd Fritz went to Straßburg could hail from his source telling him pre trip (maybe from Bayreuth?) that such was Fritz’ intention, but knowing correct details like the theatre visit on September 5th does point to a really quick courier. In any case, Manteuffel being on the outs with Fritz himself evidently did not deprive him from good and realiable intel from Fritz’ entourage. Between that and the intimate reports as referenced by Seckenforff Jr. in the mid 1730s, I must say that le Diable clearly is the best intelligence asset among the envoys.
Back to the write-ups: Wiegand really comes down on Broglie for not being up to the situation by insisting on treating Fritz like a King, not as the Comte Dufour, but it was an extremely difficult situation, because Fritz is an unknown quantity at this point, and royals can be touchy if actually treated like non-royals, no matter what they say. (See also Wilhelmine’s encounter with MT’s cousin the Wittelsbach Empress and the negotiation about chairs.). Otoh I found it amusing that Wiegand mentions Joseph, decades later, on his incognito trip to Paris, also lodged in the same inn, the Raven, on his stopover in Straßburg. Because of course he did. (Speaking of Joseph, I remember the Duc de Croy in his diary being in some trouble of how to address him and act towards him, too, because as Emperor, he would outrank anyone else in any room, including the King, but as he travelled as Count Falkenstein, this wasn’t the case, yet on the third hand everoyne knew he wasn’t really Count Falkenstein, so which etiquette to use was a Versailles trained French nobleman’s headache.
Oh, and it is of course very telling for pre revolutionary France (and Prussia) that no account mentions Fritz’ servants as people, just in the plural (as in, him getting served by them, not the staff at the inn - btw, I take it this means Fredersdorf?), whereas they do list the gentleman of rank by name. The detail with Fredersdorf having written the passport and Fritz signing it from Koser makes me wonder from which original report that comes from for this reason. (Evidently not Fritz’ to Voltaire, or any of the French sources.)
mildred_of_midgard: The detail with Fredersdorf having written the passport and Fritz signing it from Koser makes me wonder from which original report that comes from for this reason. (Evidently not Fritz’ to Voltaire, or any of the French sources.We saw that recently in Bielfeld's account. He mentions the separate inns: Fritz at the Holy Ghost, and AW at the Raven, though I don't see where he mentions Algarotti staying at the Raven. I'm also skimming quickly before bed, so I might have missed it.
ETA: Wartensleben is this guy, btw. Just to help us keep our Wartenslebens straight. Yep, Katte's uncle who was younger than he was. The relevant Wartenslebens are sorted out to the best of my ability here. Which means, btw, that the Wartensleben on this trip was the same one Fritz listed as one of the 6 most loved a few months later. So if he was passing info to Manteuffel via rapid-fire couriers... :/
felis: I think Bielfeld is wrong about the inns actually, because as Volz says via the two French sources, Fritz and Wartensleben stayed at the Raven. Wiegand confirms that and also says that AW and Algarotti arrived later (they'd apparently split up to attract less attention - great job on that! :P) and then stayed at the Ghost. (Rödenbeck has is the wrong way around as well, so I suspect he either read Bielfeld or they both had the same wrong source.) mildred_of_midgard: Rödenbeck cites Bielfeld as one of his sources, so that must be it. I kind of suspect Bielfeld's source might have been Fritz and/or AW, but he was also writing after the fact from a memory of a story that was probably told to him orally, not writing on the spot as it happened, so it makes sense that he would reverse the inns. I have been guilty of worse memory lapses!selenak: "One of six" Wartensleben as possible IM - wait, that's an acronym which is not familiar in English - IMs "Informelle Mitarbeiter" was how the GDR secret service referred to people they got to spy on their neighbours/loved ones/whomever without listing them as official agents - well, I could be wronging him, but you know what we agreed on re: pov, and what it betrays about who's telling the story. In the Wiegand version, you can tell which bits come from Valvons' account, from Broglie's, from Fritz' own to Voltaire. And basically 99% of the other stuff, which hails form Manteuffel, is constantly referencing what Wartensleben did or thought. So....mildred_of_midgard: No, I totally agree. I haven't been able to read the sources myself, but I trust both of you to sort out the unaccounted for elements and recognize the POV, so it does very much sound like Wartensleben was reporting to Manteuffel.Thank you for teaching me the term IM!
