The Lehndorff Diaries

[selenak]

Summarizing and quotes from the diaries of Ernst Ahasverus Count von Lehndorfff, Chamberlain to Elisabeth Christine, Queen of Prussia.

Lehndorfff was appointed to this office by Fritz at age 19 in 1746. He kept it for thirty years. During that time, he got close to various members of the royal family, especially Prince Heinrich. His journals are a source a lot of biographies draw from.

A collection of the diaries was published in 1907 which, however, left out significant parts; the editor subsequently published them in two further volumes of appencies.



Summary of the three volumes:

I have to tell you, the introduction is worth reading because that, too, is a document of its times. The Editor (writing in the year 1907) tries to be gentle and prepare his readers for all that rococo shamelessness, saying he’d have cut it but for historical considerations, for lo, it seems that (Fritz-derived) image historians had of the Prussian court only turning sensual and adulterous once FW2 the playboy got on the throne? Is wrong! The Fritzian court was not a bastion of chaste stoic Prussian masculinity after all. On the other hand, we’re told to keep in mind everyone is emo in those days, so Lehndorff bursting into tears when his beloved Heinrich isn’t around for a few days is UTTERLY NORMAL. Oh, and about 800 letters from Heinrich to Lehndorff have never been transcribed. (As of the publication of these journals.) „Doubtlessly,“ the editor tells us, „the King himself bears some of the blame, due to the nature of his married life. We have suppressed some names and cut the worst passages, though.“

Lehndorff had a background which makes it at once apparant why a younger Hohenzollern and he would hit it off: he, like F1, was mishandled as a small child and had a broken foot at age 4 as a result which didn’t properly heal, which meant he was lame for the rest of his life. (This is also why he couldn’t have an army career.) His mother always prefered his „healthy“ older brother. (Dad had died when Lehndorff was still a baby. He and his siblings were first raised by their grandmother as the newly widowed mother couldn’t cope with six kids, but then the grandmother died, too.) He had to go through various painful and ineffective attempts to correct his leg

Before I get to the „Heinrich and me: A Rokoko Queer as Folk AU“ aspect of the diaries, some more general tidbits. Before being hired as EC’s chamberlain, young Lehndorfff did go and attend Franz Stephan’s coronation in Frankfurt, because Prussian patriot or not, second Silesian War or not, how many imperial coronations can you see in your life time? Also, he’s just into pomp and circumstance and Rokoko parties in general, so it doesn’t surprise me.

Speaking of FS, in later 1753 there’s a rumor he’s taken sick and will die. This immediately causes speculation as to whom MT will try to replace him with as Emperor – money is on his younger brother since Joseph is still a kid, and they don’t see her allowing the Imperial crown slip out of her grasp again. And everyone sees this as an opportunity for another war. They’re having very mixed feelings when it turns out the Austrian spies were wrong and Franzl is alive and well.

Earlier that year, though, Fritz asked the Austrian Ambassador for a MT portrait, I kid you not, and provides one of his own. How that went down in Vienna, I have no idea.

Secretary: …and our ambassador writes the King of Prussia wants to have your portrait. Will send you his own.
MT: To throw darts at?

The selection of the diaries starts in 1750, and there’s a lot of soap opera right from the get go. a) AW’s inammorata Sophie von Pannwitz gets married (since he’s told once and for all by Fritz he won’t be allowed to divorce his wife, and Sophie drew the consequences and got herself an alternate husband), b) Heinrich gets married to Mina, and c) Lehndorff is also supposed to get married, but refuses (this particular candidate, he’ll later cave). Since Lehndorff’s supposed marriage is only his mother’s idea, not that of the King, his refusal stands.

No less soapy is the Voltaire vs Maupertuis saga, aka the warm up for the big Voltaire/Fritz implosion. Lehndorff concludes that a great mind does not prevent one from being a jerk, and is utterly bewildered by Fritz and Voltaire being all buddies again after a previous argumentative bust up.

Lehndorff: I don't get it. Do you?
Heinrich: *studiously says Nothing*

He’s enjoying a lot of the cultural aspects – concerts, theatre, and when he’s with „my beloved/adored/worshipped Prince“, they at times read books to another – but he doesn’t seem to really like any of the big intellectuals as people. Including Algarotti. Yes, this is the first contemporary who finds Algarotti resistable. The relevant entry:
January 4th: Dinner with Prince Heinrich and his table round. In the evening, I visit the opera. There I see the one I was supposed to marry. I don’t regret for a moment having rejected this marriage. I also hear that Count Algarotti will go to Italy. He is an intellectual („Schöngeist“) who has made his fortune at our court. One enjoys hearing him talk but is afraid of seeing him; thus it is with all who are too enamored with their own wit.

Lehndorff hangs out with all three of the Hohenzollern princes so often that one wonders when on earth he’s doing his job with EC. And then you get entries like, when he’s returning from a trip to Rheinsberg: „The Queen is displeased with me. Ah well, no rose without thorns!“

One read thread through the first three years is him becoming unexpected pals with the Countess Bentick, aka the enterprising lady of Mission: Seduce Heinrich fame. She’s married, left her husband and is currently living with her lover (apparantly that’s cool with Fritz as long as you’re not a Hohenzollern), none of which is stopping her from trying to score with L’Autre Moi-Meme. In vain, but it means she and Lehndorff spend a lot of time together, including doing things like climbing on top of the highest Charlottenburg palace tower to enjoy the view, and he actively seeks out her company after a while because she’s clever and fun. And of Course he can empathize with her Heinrich thirst.

In these early stages, he’s careful with his criticism of the actual royals. When „Sulla“, the opera for which Fritz has written the libretto, is premiered apropos SD’s birthday, Lehndorff comments „it is not the best opera I have heard“, which is about the amount of dissing he does re: Fritz and his brothers in the early 50s. He’s a bit more critical about the sisters, though stuff like, say, complaints about Amalie being moody are forgotten when she gives him a letter from Heinrich. (He describes her in general as smart, charming if she wants to be, scathing when not, with intense beautiful eyes and a bit overweight. You can see where all the „she resembles Fritz“ claims hail from.)

Almost forgot: he's most critical of Wilhelmine and her husband when they come to visit. The Margrave may appear as "large and healthy", but he's not really refined in Lehnsdorff's opion. Wilhelmine, otoh, is too refined:

November 12th: The entire Bayreuth court leaves. They say the Margravine would have prefered to stay for the winter. This princess is adored by some and despised by others. She does have qualities for which she deserves to be loved: she is generous, a patroness of scholars and treats her servants well. But she plays at being a wit, thinks herself superior to the rest of humanity and only truly respects her own family; thus, she's always ready to build altars to the King.

Meanwhile, he practically draws sparkly hearts around Heinrich’s name every time he mentions him. The quotes Mildred already gave are fairly representative. For the sake of posterity, here they are again. Context: Heinrich is about to leave Berlin for Potsdam:


May 1st 1753. The saddest day of my life. (...) I hurry to be alone with this dear Prince. But what a sad meeting! I leave him without having told him a word. I see his tears fall, the dearest of the world. What a man to be worshipped! What a loss for me! Yes, I swear eternal devotion to you! I return home without consolation. I can't sleep. I write a letter to the Prince.

May 2nd. I rise early. The Prince writes a letter to me which makes me melt into tears. I jump on a horse and want to rush to him. When I see his carriage from afar, I hide behind a house; for my heart would have burst into pieces if I had seen him. I go to Schönhausen, where I walk full of sadness. I return home and write a very sad letter to another person.* I could never have believed that it is possible to be so devoted to another man. But what a man it is I have to leave! In pagan times, they would have made him a god, in our time, all who know him build altars to him in their hearts.

Bear in mind that Heinrich is just going to Potsdam, not to the other side of the planet. It's young Lehndorff at his emo best. The "other person", according to the editor, is Countess Bentinck, also on a (in her case vain) quest for Heinrich at that point, see other entries.

Of course, at some point it dawns to our good Count that Heinrich might favour him with his company but has those other guys besides. If either have you have watched the original UK Queer as Folk: the relationship between Stuart and Vince is what this reminds me most. Have some excerpts from the diary for a conclusion of this comment, all from 1753:

September 9th: the King shows an extraordinary generosity towards all his officers. What pleases all decent folk especially is that Oberstleutnant Keith receives 5000 Taler. It is the very same Keith who when the King was faring badly while being Crown Prince had to escape, and lived at times in the Netherlands, at others in England, at last in Lissabon. It seemed for quite a while that His Majesty had forgotten him; but now he received, in addition to the money, a most gracious letter and the invitation to join his Majesty at the camp.

September 18th: The Queen goes with all her Braunschweig relations to Schönhausen to dine. I am terribly bored.

September 19th: My prince talks most graciously with me, but it is not the tone I am used to hearing from him. In the end, I regard this as a hint from heaven to liberate me from my passion for him.

September 29th: My poor prince is sick, which worries me more than anything else. Oh, how wise would a man be to be content with his position in life and not chase after having something which at first appears beautiful, charming and delicious but in the end causes only pain!

September 30th: At evening with Prince Heinrich again, who is still sick. Oh my God, how much willpower is necessary to tear out a passion of one’s heart which has taken root there so strongly! It is a hard fate, having to make such sacrifices.

December 3rd: We participate in the great hunt. (…) I note with joy how disgusted the Prince of Prussia - aka AW - is by hunting. He says he cannot find joy in attacking creatures which have no chance to defend themselves. Prince Ferdinand shoots carelessly and hits a farmer.

December 10th: I dine alone with my dear Prince Heinrich, whom I love with all my heart.

December 21st: Diner at Prince Heinrich’s. I am surprised to encounter Stillfried here, with whom I used to correspond. He is an amiable young man. I have a long conversation with Prince Heinrich which saddens me. I always find that one moment of pure joy is followed by ten days of grief!

December 22nd. Prince Heinrich arrives in tight riding pants and beautiful like an angel for dinner. We are very high spirited. ("Wir sind sehr vergnügt" can also be translated as "We're enjoying ourselves a lot".)

So, after going through the cycle of "Heinrich has cooled on me, we'll soon sink to the level of mere aquaintances, I just know it, but I totally don't care anymore, I'm a philosopher now!" / Heinrich: *writers letter or issues invite or is just especially nice*/OMG I still love him, be still my heart, why must I suffer so!" a few times, it's a relief when Lehndorfff finally meets Charles Hotham Jr., falls for him, big time, and is all "Heinrich Who?" Well, for a year or so. Which is way longer than the affair with Hotham lasts, for verily, they have their first intimate chat in November, and in February Lehndorfff is writing not one but three petitions in a row to Fritz to be allowed to go to London with Hotham who now gets all the "my dearest Hotham", "my wonderful Hotham" etc. designations Heinrich used to. Lehndorfff is totally ready to leave Prussia forever and start a new life with dearest Hotham, oh yeah, he doesn't need anyone else, not anymore!

...You guys, while Fritz forbidding that trip just because he can and because NO ONE GETS TO GO TO LONDON WITH HIS LOVER (tm), I'm very tentatively eyeing the theory he's possibly being of the opinion that Lehndorfff going from "Heinrich, love of my life!" to "Hotham, love my life!" within a few months and wanting to emigrate does not show the best judgment, and the guy should just cool down a bit and wait to find out whether this attraction holds?

Or not. Maybe he's just being mean.

Anyway, the whole affair really makes a difference to how Lehndorfff feels about Fritz. He's frustrated before that Fritz doesn't just see how he, L, would be much more suited to his household than to EC's (Lehndorfff, buddy, you don't want Fredersdorff's job, do you?), but he's still in awe, "Great King" (tm) and all. And we get such passages as the one re: Fritz' incognito trip to the Netherlands (the one where he aquired Henri de Catt), where Lehndorfff says that HE would have loved to travel with the King on such a trip, or to meet him there while he's incognito, for of course he, L, would have felt drawn to him immediately, what with Fritz being such a fascinating person.

But after Hotham? Lehndorfff officially joins the "Fritz, you bastard!" party. And writes a long rant about how Fritz promotes foreigners all the time and totally neglects his own people. Since he's currently in a "Heinrich who?" mood as well, and thinks Ferdinand is just not that cool, that leaves AW as the sole brother he still likes for a while. He gets back to writing "my dear Prince Heinrich" and "my prince" about a year after Hotham, but also back to the rigmarole of "he treats me with respect rather than passion, and that's what I much prefer" / Heinrich: *dear L, want to come to Rheinsberg?/ "Love of my life, light of my loins, of course! Dammit, who's the new guy at your side?" The friendship with AW, remains drama free and AW "my dear prince of Prussia" till the bitter end. (Speak about waterworks. Lehndorfff even begrudges Amalie the fact she was present and he was not.)

Sad to say, he also goes from ennui to ennui and increasing dislike with EC, resenting every bit of time he has to spend with her. Lots of complaints about her dullness, and she gets compared to her disadvantage to practically every other female of the royal family. And despite his disillusionment with her husband, he still writes things like "she'd be better suited to be a burgher's wife" and how unworthy of the greatest King of Europe (tm) she is. Most dissingly is the comparison to SD on the occasion of SD's death. Lehndorfff is a SD fan (now there's a worthy Queen! EC will never reach these heights!), proving one didn't have to be her son to be so, but the gender difference still holds, for female SD fans don't get mentioned. He also has a wonderfully batshit passage on Amalie's last fallout with her mother shortly before SD's death.

Speaking of Amalie: I'll give you some direct quotes there as well. It's significant that Lehndorfff while complaining about her moodiness is still fascinated - "this princess has no avarage, she is either a fiend or an angel", and writes down practically every encounter; what he really can't stand is being bored, which she never does. Whereas poor EC...

Interesting trivia: Lehndorfff repeatedly mentions meeting a "Frau von Katte“, who turns out to be his cousin, whom he once almost married and still has wistful feelings for, married to Hans Herrmann’s cousin Ludolf. (More about her later.) But he has zero interest in Hans Herrmann von Katte. He just mentions him by name once, when recounting Peter Keith's backstory. To him, the hero of 1730 is Peter Keith. I already gave you one quote; when Peter Keith dies, he writes about it more extensively (and that's the only time Katte is mentioned in a "oh, and there also was this guy who got executed" manner), expressing his gladness Fritz showed himself more graciously to the dear friend of his youth in his final years.

Lastly: Lehndorfff writes his diary in French, because of course he does, but, as faithfully noted by the editor and signfiied to the discerning reader by sudden 17th century spelling and old fashioned words, all of the direct quotes from AW in the time between his return to Berlin and his death are in German. Lehndorfff doesn't say whether AW ever talked German to him before or whether this is a new thing post disgrace, but he suddenly seems to do so consistently.

Also, he first finds out about AW's disgrace from the Danish Ambassador, even before the first letters from AW himself and from Heinrich arrives. So much for Wilhelmine's hope it's not yet talked about in Berlin in the early stages...

Okay, on to the direct quotes:

Amalie versus Mom: It's war!

1757, 16th January: Her Majesty the Queen Mother is very unwell. (...) She alone is the one holding the royal house together and holding up dignity at court. It has to be said that Princess Amalie bears much blame for her distress, she who often curses the coincidence of being born a Princess at night, and makes her environment feel she's a princess regardless by her arrogance and her moods. (...) Truly, the behavior of the Princess Amalie is unqiue. The waves of the ocean are not more unruly than her manners. Good and evil, philosopher, citizen of the world and pious prig, she's all this in turn and more; ten times a week she's content and discontent. This moody creature is of course a pain to her environment. She feels best when everything is upside down.

26th January: After watching a comedy, I go to the antechamber of the queen mother to ask about her health. Her distress causes universal grief. It is said that the main cause of her sickness is the anger which Princess Amalie causes in her. The most wonderful Queen was so upset that she's forbidden the Princess to appear in front of her. All the world is disgusted by the later.

28th January: The quarrel between the Queen Mother and Princess Amalie continues. Her Majesty has now forbidden that her kitchen should continue to supply the princess with meals. Now the Princess must either invite herself to other tables or grill chicken at her fireplace. Thus, she asks me to hire a cook for her. One sees that the great ones are as prone to human weakness as the lowest mortals.

You don't say, Lehndorfff, you don't say. I had wanted to quote another vivid Amalie passage but I can't find it again. Lehndorfff records the rumor that she's had an illegitimate child which she has cut into pieces and burned in the fireplace and immediately adds that this at least is a lie because actually Amalie is fond of children.

Skipping to the war, we're far from the days of "Heinrich who?" again: May 10th: Schwerin arrives, page to Prince Heinrich, the most adorable of heroes, who with the cold bloodedness of an old man and the energy of a youth has contributed so much to the happy conclusion of the battle. Little Schwerin visits me and tells me many fine traits of his master. He himself has had a horse shot underneath him, while Major Ducroit of his regiment has lost both his legs. Fortunately, my Prince was only hit by a bullet in the arm. I daresay never has the son or brother of a King been in such danger and made such a success of it as this prince. And when the battle was finished, he did not rest, but dedicated himself until 10 pm to services of humanity by distributing food and water to the wounded, and organizing their transport. One of the officers of his entourage who had lost a horse he immediately gifted with an English - I take it this is a horse? - and the entire saddle, each of his batmen with 50 Louisdor and golden watches for his pages. Thus he did not think of his own comfort but only of helping others and of rewarding the deeds of the young officers.

Representative of the many EC dissings in Lehndorfff's journal is this one after SD's death: In the evening, I go to the Queen, the only one we now have left, who will never make us forget the departed one, even though she believes to be the best. (...) The Queen is at heart a good woman; but completely unsuited to be the wife of the greatest, the most estimable and the most charming of Kings. (The what of Kings now?) She has no dignity, no gift to entertain at all, despite talking far more than necessary. She is ill tempered, only feels comfortable among her serving women and is often embarassed when interacting with people of distinction; arrogant towards people of lower standing and submissive towards anyone close to the King.

Lehndorff, who didn't know Wilhelmine very well - just through her Berlin visits in the early 1750s - but of course had heard about her, reports the news of Hochkirch, EC's brother Franz' death, Keith's death and Wilhelmine's death arriving at EC's court pretty much all at once, and his entry offers a pen portrait/mini obituary for all of them from his pov:

Prince Franz, our Queen's brother, has remained on the Hochkirch field. She has been told the news by Count Finkck and is devastated. He was the youngest in her family and entered our - i.e. Prussia's - service early, since he was trained under the eyes of his cousin the Duke of Bevern in Stettin. He was with his regiment in Königsberg in der Mark. He was an able officer, dutiful in service and brave. Tall of figure, he had an ugly face marked by smallbox scars, and he stuttered so badly that you could hardly understand him.

The greatest lost is that of Marshal Keith. He's entered our service ca. 1748 and received 10 000 Taler salary by the King. He had an arresting face, was interesting company and always got invited to the intimate suppers the King held. He didn't value splendor and magnificence very much and gave nearly all his income to his mistress, a Finnish woman named Eva. She had an excellent figure, a quick mind and graceful behaviour, and she fancied an expensive life style. While she used his horses and his cook, he used a public carriage and had his food brought to him from a small cookshop. In our army, he experienced some slights. He could only express himself badly in German, and he was accused of handling his operations too slowly. The late Prince of Prussia loved and appreciated him. His older brother, the Scottish marshal, who is a very different man, was wood into our service by him.

That same evening, Princess Amalie received news of the death of the Margravine of Bayreuth via an express messenger. This princess had been sick for nearly a year, and not really healthy through the past decade; it was, Princess Amalie said, her willpower which had kept her alive. The war, her worries for the King and the loss of the Prince of Prussia used up her remaining life force. Of all the King's sisters, she was the one most like him in mind and heart. She felt only comfortable among famous people, loved magnificence, adored the theatre and composed operas herself. She always wore jewelry and used make up - Lehndorff writes "white and red", but that's what he means - despite denying that she did. Above all she was gracious and always kept her word. Her people did not love her much and claimed that she disliked the small principality and her husbands' subjects. This princess had been born for a throne, just not for the status of a Margravine of Bayreuth.

Evacuation time I: How sad the thought of the Royal House having to flee that has nearly brought the House of Austria to its knees! (...) As we arrive in Spandau, rumors has it Berlin has been plundered and all have been massacred. Now one feels not safe in the city of Spandau and the entire royal house has to move into the fortress. Today, Spandau is of course a part of Berlin. The fortress infamously was where Rudolf Hess and fellow Nazi war criminals were kept. The building in which so many noble people have to find shelter has since F1 only been used for prisoners and for the storing of gunpowder. One hadn't expected the Queen, and thus there is no fire, no light. A prisoner with iron on his feet and a lamp on his hand leads her majesty and the princesses into the apartment consisting of five rooms, with the windows broken, no door able to shut, and no chairs. The entire furniture consists of old portraits, the newest of which shows Catherine de' Medici.

Evacuation time II. This marks the first and only occasion EC ever visits Sanssouci:

The entire court stops at the palace in Potsdam. The Queen has never been here before, and I cannot help but marvel at the strange stroke of fate that the Queen of Hungary must send an army to Berlin in order for the Queen of Prussia to be allowed to see her husband's residence.

Some more Amalie quotes. Since Lehndorff isn't in love with her, he's stricter about her flaws, but he's still evidently fascinated. Amalie has just visited sister and worst brother-in-law in Schwedt. (Ugh.) Lehndorf, otoh, is visited by HIS brother-in-law, who is still a kid. Schönhausen, remember, is where EC resides most of the time. ( When not evacuating Berlin.)

June:

6. Princess Amalie back from Schwedt. She shows a very polite behavior. We will see whether this friendliness towards her fellow creatures will endure. I take my little brother-in-law with me to Schönhausen and show him all the sights of Berlin.

9. The Queen arrives in Schönhausen. She manages to make the stay there, which could be delicious, incredibly boring by entering all conversations without having anything interesting to say.

10. Dinner with Princess Amalie, who is infinitely benevolent. Since she's returned from Schwedt, she shows a kindness that delights everyone. May it keep! My little brother-in-law seems to like it here. He is dreading the day of his departure.

July: Princess Amalie, surprising in all things, has just managed to commit the most beautiful, the oddest and the most generous deed. Frau v. Maupertuis, has just learned that the state of her husband who is lying sick in Basel has become so much worse that she has decided to go to him to nurse him. HRH the Princess Amalie gives her 2000 Taler for the journey, as well as a diamond ring, and so that the staff of Frau v. Maupertuis is not neglected, she calls the lady's maid and tells her: "My child, be as good as to help me out of my dress." This happens, and she gives the maid the dress as a present, as well as a silver coffee ensemble. I dine with this princess and attend the baptism of her moor which happens in her rooms. He receives the names Wilhelm August Hannibal in memory of the late Prince of Prussia, his first master, who made much of him. The ceremony was decent and the party later could have been nice if it hadn't been so hot, and if the newly baptized had been better taught. For when I asked him how the people were called who do not believe in God, he said: "The Papists."

I do hope this baptism thing also means freedom for the new WAH, but Lehndorff doesn't say. Did Fritz abolish slavery in Prussia? I know the Old Prince Elector was into the slave trade, but nothing later than that. Still, even ancien regime France is without slaves, so let's say the guy is a paid servant.

(Mildred comments: As far as the African slave trade, my impression is that it was mostly overseas, and I'm not aware that it automatically translated to black people in Europe being slaves. Blackstone, in his commentaries on the laws of England, says that the moment a slave set foot in England, s/he was free, so intrinsic was liberty to England. This did not stop the English from engaging in the slave trade hand over fist in their colonies.

Likewise, the only evidence I can find of involvement by the Prussian state in the African slave trade in our period is the Brandenburgisch-Afrikanische Compagnie, founded in 1682 by the Great Elector, and dissolved by Friedrich I in 1711, the year before Fritz was born.

What Fritz tried to abolish was serfdom, which had little or nothing to do with race as I understand it. He issued laws saying that all subjects were equal under the law and serfdom was abolished, but the nobles fought back, and my understanding (this could be wrong) is that he had to settle for extremely limiting the exploitation of serfs, while being extremely upset about it, like a good enlightened monarch. (My sources point out that this is a lot more than was managed in many neighboring states.) I'm not aware that he managed to do anything with serfdom in Poland after the partition, though, which is a problem, as serfdom in Poland was much worse than in Prussia even before Fritz got started on his reforms.

Ugh, Wikipedia tells me my memories of Blackstone (who is a fascinating read and I would love to do all four volumes cover-to-cover one day) are correct, *but* that he later retracted his statement. However, it agrees that slavery was a lot more limited in England than in the colonies, and he was apparently getting at a real difference between the status of black people in England and the colonies.

In conclusion...WAH is probably "free" in Prussia, but not necessarily not oppressed.)

The big official return of Fritz from 7 Years War party in Berlin (where he was supposed to arrive in procession but arrived discreetly before hand, so no waving at the populace, but he doesn't get around a palace party):

He embraces Prince Heinrich his brother tenderly, and then the Prince Ferdinand. Thereafter, Duke Ferdinand of Braunschweig - i.e. EC's and Louise's surviving brother - who arrived the day before form Magdeburg presents himself to the King, and he embraces him with much graciousness Now he asks Prince Heinrich who the other gentlemen are. When the later points out the envoys to him, he approaches the Dutch enovy and thanks him kindly for the fact that when the Russians came to Berlin, the Dutch offered asylum to the inhabitants. To the Danish ambassador standing next to the Dutch, however, he does not say a single word, but just makes a short remark to Mr. Mitchell, the English ambassador, and then retires to his room. I immediately hasten to the Queen, whose rooms the King enters shortly afterwards.

Her Majesty approaches him, and the only greeting he gives her after seven years of separation is: "Madame has grown more corpulent!" Then, he approaches the princesses and embraces them one after the other. When he notices the young Princess Wilhelmine - i.e. AW's daughter - , he asks gently: "Who is the beautiful princess I see before me?" He embraces the Countess Camas.

At this point, dinner is served, and the King sits down between Princess Heinrich - i.e. Mina - and Princess Amalie. Next to the later sits Prince Heinrich who has to carry the entire conversation. The King remains at the table until 11 1/7. When he rises and the ladies in waiting and I begin to pass him, he suddenly stops at the door, holding Princess Amalie with one hand, Prince Heinrich with the other, and stands like this for nearly fifteen minutes, gazing into their faces. So this evening does end fairly well.

As opposed to volume 2 - which had all the Seven Years War stuff in addition to Lehndorff's love agonies and his familiy relationships, which help flesh him out beyond the court, volume 3 is where I can understand why the Editor cut a lot of this for the original one volume edition, only excerpting the drama around future FW2's first marriage. Once the dust from the war settles down, we're in for a lot of court intrigue, this courtier versus that courtier, and it's just not very interesting to posterity (or even from a fanfiction pov), with a few exceptions:

1. the death of Lehndorff's fourth born child and just half a year or later his poor first wife. Whom he does care for; he had gotten finally permission by Fritz to travel abroad - remember, Prussian nobles have to ask the King for this - and because she is so sick, he abandons this longed for goal and instead goes with her to a spa in the vain hope she might recover. When she dies, Heinrich proves their relationship isn't one sided as a friendship and is there for comfort, visiting, taking him to Rheinsberg and then on a trip to the Netherlands.

2. the Swedish visits, both of Gustav en route and of Ulrike later. As I guessed, Lehndorff was Ziebura's source for much of her description of these visits from her Heinrich bio, with the notable exceptions of the shared Fritz 'n Heinrich concern about both Gustav and his mother wanting to otherthrow the Swedish constitution; her quotes there were directly from Fritz' letters to Heinrich and vice versa. Heinrich in general tells Lehndorff about political stuff such as the partitioning of Poland only after it has happened - Lehndorff thought Heinrich going first to Sweden to visit his sister (when the later's husband was still alive) and then from there to visit Russia for a long time was a pleasure cruise until news got out, and even then, there are more stories about Russia per se and Catherine (Heinrich definitely was a fan). While being treated to travelogues isn't bad, it's also part of Lehndorff's general frustration, more on a moment. Anyway, while Lehndorff when in Rheinsberg of course notices whenever the fraternal correspondance intensifies to more than one letter per week, he doesn't get told why, he's just worried it means war because it's clear this must be politics.

(Lehndorff marries a second time and has a living child and another dying shortly after birth within the time frame of the journals, but second Mrs. Lehndorff mostly gets general terms of "pleased with my beautiful wife, and thank God my mother in law isn't as awful as the last one), with understandable fretting whenever she's in labor.)

There are also the various Heinrich boyfriends, Kalkreuth, Mara and Kaphengst, and while Lehndorff devotes considerable page time to just how much they suck and how unworthy they are, this also increases his bitterness. He tries to console himself on general "these guys come and go, but I, who met Heinrich in 1746, am still around as a friend in the 1770s, and he's never dumped me!", but only a year later, that line of thinking has rather reversed: why is Heinrich willing to go to such lengths for these guys, spend lots of money on them, gets them what they want, takes them blatantly taking advantage of him and screwing other people while with him - and is "less generous to his friends"? Why does Lehndorff STILL have the same dead end job he had at 19! (Yes, he was 19 when he started as EC's chamberlain.) And he can't even tell himself the King only promotes foreigners anymore, because other Prussians, nobles and non nobles alike, do get promoted.

All of which eventually leads to him resigning his post and withdrawing to his family seat in the countryside with his family as a private citizen. In the previous year, he's found a new bff in the form of the premiere Polish poet and thinker of the age... who also happens to be a Catholic Prince Bishop. This guy, whose bishop seat is in the neighbourhood, and who is now "my wonderful Ermland", "my dearest Ermland", etc. Never let it be said Lehndorff doesn't know how to pick them: the Prince Bishop is both a great mind, evidently charming, and ultimately unavailable (or is he? Wiki doesn't say how serious he took his vows). This is in 1775, and that's how far the printed diaries go, although Ziebura in her book on the trio of unwanted wives quotes a later entry from when Lehndorff and second Mrs. Lehndorff are visiting Berlin and see the widowed EC taking pleasure strolling through the Tiergarten. As far as I remember from the Heinrich bio, they keep in contact via correspondance and the occasional visit as well, but you can't blame Lehndorff for finally doing what, from his own emotional pov, he should have done eons earlier - quit a dead end job he doesn't like and end the cycle of "I love you, why don't you love me the way I love you?"

(Though: even if he had ever been one of Heinrich's favourites, he'd never been involved in the political goings on. Heinrich may have thrown money at his guys like you wouldn't believe, but the most he ever got them, position wise, were commissions in the army, and not on a command level. Certainly nothing involving secret negotiations, about which he kept mum. I think one key to the hateship of his life was that Fritz really could trust him. Heinrich might have wanted to strangle him a lot of the time, but he'd never ever betrayed his brother's confidence.)

General trivia: Lehndorff the Prussian patriot and Francophile, when he's finally making it to Paris, loves it there, but, he'll have you know, he thinks Sanssouci is every bit as beautiful as Versailles, so there.

Young future FW2 gets married: Predictably, Lehndorff is at first taken by Elisabeth (she's pretty! She's charming!) and then when he realises the marriage doesn't work goes off her because future FW2 is Son of Beloved Prince of Prussia (and also to him a nice boy whom he likes), and THEN, when it appears Elisabeth just acts like every prince ever in her sex life, it's all "whore! Messalina! MESSALINA! NEVER IN ALL OF PRUSSIAN HISTORY HAS THERE BEEN A WOMAN OF SUCH EVIL! OMG MY POOR POOR CROWN PRINCE JUNIOR!" He's convinced Elisabeth was totally planning a coup d'etat with her lovers and murder of future FW2, gratified her mother Charlotte isn't willing to take her back, and confused Fritz is relatively chill about all of this. (Look, Lehndorff, a stint in Küstrin isn't what I'd call chill, but I'll grant you Fritz made no bones in either his letters to Charlotte or his memoirs that his sympathies in this case were with Elisabeth.) (Also, given that FW2 once he made it to the throne was completely willing to allow Elisabeth back to court as an HRH if she'd wanted to come and to let her go wherever she pleased, I dare say he didn't think she was planning on murdering him with her lovers, either. He simply pounced on the chance to rid himself of an unwanted wife. Only to find himself with another unwanted wife four months later, but that's Uncle Fritz for you.)

Poor Peter III's public image in Prussia goes really down. In 1762/63, he's of course wonderful, a savior of the fatherland and worthy admirer of our noble king who reforms like Fritz does, and whose cruel murder is just shocking and horrible. Fast forward to the 1770s, and Lehndorff - who met Peter's mistress when she was visiting Prussia and also met Poniatowski's brother - jots down gossip about Peter's drunken fits of temper and playing with tin soldiers, and when he's narrating a story he's heard about the Catherine/Poniatowski affair from when she was crown princess, it's with admiration for Catherine for getting away with it despite Peter nearly catching and divorcing her. Notably, Catherine escapes the fate of being called MESSALINA, possibly because Heinrich is a fan and won't hear of it, as opposed to poor Elisabeth (first wife of FW2) and even poorer Caroline of Hannover, the Queen of Denmark, whose lover the reformer Struensee is brought down in the ghastly manner I linked in an earlier post in the early 1770s. Lehndorff definitely believes a version of events where Caroline, age 20, is MESSALINA and clearly planned on killing her husband and ruling for her son.

Otoh, when he's in Stettin he actually visits the previous MESSALINA Elisabeth and softens a bit. I'll have the quote for you. I can understand his partisonship here a bit better because future FW2 is Son of beloved dead AW and to Lehndorff just a nice guy whom he can't understand the King being so harsh on. (When you read the entry where Fritz "absolutely wants to make a soldier out of the Crown Prince" and is "incensed at all the French fashion he wears" , you do have an odd sense of deja vu...) More than I can understand Charlotte, who apropos the big family reunion when Ulrike comes to town inevitably meets her former son-in-law for the first time since her daughter got sent to Küstrin, then Stettin for adultery - and embraces him, telling him she loves him dearly and curses the moment she gave life to such a despicable daughter.

(Anna Amalia, also Charlotte's daughter: and this, dear future readers, is why I count myself lucky as Dowager Duchess - after a brief marriage - in Weimar, ruling the state, and raising my kid Carl August on a general "not like a Hohenzollern" principle.)

So, Lehndorff is in Stettin (which he is an increasing amount in the last years of his diary because it's en route to his country house), when lo, he spots Elisabeth the former Messalina strolling by:

With some pity, I see the former Princess of Prussia, who now lives as Princess Elisabeth banished in Stettin. She has the permission to stroll around as she pleases, which she uses amply. (...) The whole distraction the Princess Elisabeth can take is visiting two or three ladies of Stettin society who can hardly be called charming. No gentleman dares to talk to her, other than the fat Duke of Bevern. She dresses in a strange manner, but as she is beautiful, everything suits her well, wherereas the ladies of Stettin who try to imitate her look absurd - two short skirts so one could confuse them with bad ballet dangers, and the heads full of curls so that they look like Medusa from afar. Whereas when I look at the Princess form afar while she strolls down the promenade, she appears like Diana to me. Her pretty little foot is visible, and her legs well above her ankle; she wears a pink corset which suits her beautifully. (...) My wife pays her respect to Princess Elisabeth and returns delighted by her, singing her praises. She claims the Princess is well content, but I can't help but think she must be unhappy.

You know, Lehndorff, I rather doubt that. You go, Elisabeth.

Heinrich is back from the mysterious Russia trip, which might not have been a pleasure cruise after all!

My long awaited dear Prince has returned in the evening. I run at once to him and am full of joy at seeing him again; as he's as normal and kind as if he had never been near the famous Czarina. At first, there are so many people around him that one gets constantly interrupted and loses the thread of one's conversation, but after a while, I remain alone with ihm and Prince Ferdinand. My greatest joy is to find him healthy and well, having put up with the incredibly long journey without a scratch. (...) At nine, I leave my dear prince, delighted to have seen him and talked to him again. He leaves early the next morning for Potsdam.

(...) Was a list of presents Heinrich received from Catherine and other souvenirs he brought from Russia for his friends. He's mum about why he actually was there, though. (Negotiating with Catherine about Poland.)

When the Margrave of Schwedt - yes, that one, horrid husband of poor Sophie, father of Ferdinand's wife - finally dies not too long after Heinrich is back from partitioning Poland, Lehndorff, who understably couldn't stand the man ("a terrible husband, a terrible father and a terrible ruler") notes the only nice thing you could say about him is that he timed his death right, because the court is already wearing mourning for the King of Sweden (Ulrike's husband), which means they don't have to go to extra morning cloth expenses for the bloody Margrave.

A word on mourning etiquette: not only does the Prussian court wear mourning for people directly related to the royal family - which both the King of Sweden and the Margrave are as brothers-in-law to Fritz - but they also wear mourning when Isabella (of Parma, Joseph's first wife) dies, which did surprise me. (Ditto when FS dies, of course.) But she's the wife if the future Emperor, and it seems even after having just fought the Seven Years War, at least technically Prussia still considers itself part of the Holy Roman Empire?

Gustav, future Verdi tenor, makes his Berlin debut visiting his uncles - again, Lehndorff is not in the know that Fritz has asked Heinrich to team up to talk some sense into nephew, he just think it's splendid the brothers seem to get along currently - , and the rain, it pours. Err, the literal rain, not the metaphorical one.

I see both Kings return, wet to their skin. It is for us a very unusual event to see someone seated at the right of the great Friedrich. Both Kings separate, and the one from Sweden returns to his rooms. A moment later, he bids me enter. I find him leaning at a table and pay my compliments to him, which he returns om am amiable manner and with a charming tone of voice. He is of middle height, has very beautiful eyes, bad skin color, and a natural eloquence. After he has paid me some personalized compliments, he bids me farewell, and I go to his younger brother, the Prince Friedrich Adolf. The later is a delightful apperance, youth itself. I find him with my dear Prince Heinrich, who introduces me with the words: "But I must present you to Lehnsdorff, whom you'll meet again in Rheinsberg", and thus I don't have to say my compliments.

Some months later, Ulrike shows up for her state visit, and we get this exchange upon her first reunion with littlest sister, which totally cracks me up:

"When the Queen embraced her fiercely, she told her: "My dear sister, who fortunate you are to live with our family always!" Whereupon the Princess Amalie did not reply. Thus one can see that what is regarded by one as happiness is of no worth to the other."

So what does Lehndorff think about Ulrike in general, after having been exposed to her for some weeks? Well, first of all, unlike certain Queens who shall remain his boss, she's never boring. But:

I have rarely met a woman with more knowledge and more wit. But alas, these brilliant qualities only bring her misfortune. For she has not learned to make her life agreeable to herself, as she could in her high position. On the contrary, this position contributes to making her unhappy. She knows no higher happiness than despotic rule while living in a country where the very phrase is a crime. In religious matters, she's a free thinker while the higher clergy of Sweden clutches to the letter of the bible. She openly admits to not being able to disguise herself, and since she does not love Sweden, she uses the most terrible phrases for this country. She is a deist, scorns priests and praises despotism, all of which in mockery of her Swedish entourage, who of course hasten to report all of this back home. She is arrogant, though she is kind on a personal level, as long as she doesn't believe one is lacking in the proper respect towards her. And the later is true for the entire diplomatic corps in Berlin in her eyes. (...) A for me, I lunch with her daily and I have to say, she's incredibly amiable on these occasions. But it does annoy people she rarely talks to women. She does treat her ladies rather haughtily. When the poor Countess Sinclair wanted to sit down opposite of her a few days ago, her majesty told her: "My dear, you are my daily bread, sit elsehwere."

In Ulrike's favour (for us, not for Lehndorff): Lehndorff notes she tries to reconcile Heinrich to Mina. Fat chance, alas. I should say something about Lehndorff & the wife of his dearest prince: for obvious reasons, he's never jealous and speaks only positively about her until Heinrich starts to ostracize her for real, and then our courtier basically shrugs and thinks, well, tough, but c'est la vie.

Lehndorff is the source for the big Hohenzollern sibling "which parent was worse?" argument, which it turns out Ziebura rendered almost verbatim, only slightly paraphrased, in her Heinrich biography, so I shan't repeat it here again (will be rendered in a separate post). However, what she doesn't include are two direct sentences, one from Amalie, one from Heinrich, both in German. (Again, Lehndorff's diary itself is written in French, so when he suddenly goes into German, it means people are actually using German.) Given Heinrich pretended not to speak it at all, it is, of course, telling that when things heat up in dear old Wusterhausen, he and Amalie switch to German to really have a go at each other. It's also noteworthy that they use "du", whereas otherwise Fritz & siblings are vous-ing each other in their French correspondance. The sentences are:

Amalie: "Min mutter hät mi einmal so geärgert, det ich fast the schwere Rothe von gekriegt!"
Heinrich: "Ich wollte dass du sie noch hättest weil du so übel von deiner Mutter sprichst!"

(Amalie - in nothern German dialect, btw - "My mother once so upset me that I nearly got smallpox!"
Heinrich : I wish you did if you talk so badly about your mother!")

But that exchange is the only thing Ziebura did not quote. Oh, and Mildred, you wondered whether Fritz heard about the big argument, and whether he had anything to say to Amalie about her stand: Lehndorff doesn't tell, but he does mention being bewildered Fritz gives Amalie another 5000 Taler as a present about a week later. (In general, one gets the impression that after Wilhelmine's death, Amalie got promoted to favourite sister, much to Charlotte's and Ulrike's Frustration.)

Re: Ulrike's visit in Rheinsberg, things are relaxed enough that she shows up in her morning gown instead of in full regal robes all of the time. Lehndorff reports on the festivities (including that Mara and Schmeling to a lot of musical numbers together), but doesn't clue into the budding Mara/Schmeling affair until afterwards. Last but one quote, representative of Lehndorff's takes on Heinrich's boyfriends in general:

Another matter which amazed me was that Prince Heinrich finally decided to fire the infamous Mara, who had such influence on him. He was the son of a local poor musician and was educated as a boy through the benevolence of the late Prince of Prussia who financed his study of music, at which he soon made great progress. After the death of this prince, Prince Heinrich took him into his service. Despite Mara playing pranks all the time, but Prince Heinrich in consideration of his great talents was lenient. Mara possesses a vivacious, passionate temper, and not fourteen days passed without him arguing with the Prince who nonetheless treated him leniently, which spoiled him completely. Four years ago, he already left the Prince once already and went to Paris, and the Prince not only paid for his journey but allowed him to come back upon his return. Last winter, Mara left him once already, and in order to win him back, the Prince had to concede him the greatest privileges. Thus Mara was allowed to get as many meals as he wanted and for as many people as he wanted from the kitchen, he had a courtly equipage, he had a large apartment in the Prince's town residence, in which he was allowed to install Fräulein Schmeling, our first singer, of whom he is enamored. This still wasn't enough for him, and he behaved so badly that the prince finally sent him away.

One can see why Fritz was able to predict Mara was not great husband material....On the bright side, Lehndorff considers the Mara news as a signal he should visit Rheinsberg again, for:

I travel to Rheinsberg. The joy of coming to such a beautiful place and to the amiable lord of it make the long tedious journey bearable. (...) Here, I lead a delicious life. No one on earth can make himself so agreable in day to day living with him as the Prince. Despite us usually being only four at the table - the Prince, myself, Lodwig Wreech and Baron Knyphausen - time flies and we rarely separate before one in the morning. At always spirited conversation, music, painting and reading time flies so pleasantly that one is full of regret to find it did, finally, end.

I hear you, Lehndorff. And thus I conclude, too, my write ups from your diaries. You probably did the right thing at finally calling it quits with the Hohenzollern court, but I must say, I shall miss you!

Individual aspects of Lehndorff’s diaries:



More quotes about Heinrich:
Here he is near the end of 1752, starting when his dear prince is slandered by being accused of having a het affair! With the Countess Bentinck of Mission: Seduce Heinrich! fame. This is before Lehndorff starts to hang out with her himself. Btw, as opposed to brother Fritz, whose very few het encounters in his youth are at least considered possible by biographers - the GAY GAY GAY Burgdorf excepted - I haven't seen anyone believing yet that Heinrich ever slept with a woman, including poor Mina, not even in his 20s. Also making a cameo appearance in these entries: the future Mrs. Fredersdorf!

P.H. travels to Potsdam. On the day of his return, I have lunch with him; very pleasant company. In the afternoon, I am present at a gathering where there is much gossip of an affair between P.H. and the Countess Bentinck who is despised by everyone here. The whole matter gets even more unpleasant as it is claimed she renders disgusting services to the prince. I admit that this whole conversation upsets me terribly, as I know only too well how wrong all these claims are, and I know the excellent heart of Prince H. who is incapable of being influenced to evil by others, especially not by a scandalous woman like her!

November 8th. The Queen's birthday. On this occasion, I am wearing a new suit. The Queen wants to celebrate the Princess Amalie's birthday tomorrow, but since the Princess is sick, that won't happen. In the evening home, I return with an unspeakable joy about being able to leave this party. My only consolation there was to find my dear H. present, who is so well-minded towards me.

November 9th. A very agreeable morning with Vignes visiting me to read the "Maid" - (i.e. Voltaire's epic "La Pucelle d'Orleans" - to me. I hold my servant's baby when it is baptized and spend the evening with P.H.

November 10th. I dine alone with Prince Heinrich. Before dinner, we walk for more than three hours through the Tiergarten. (Legendary Berlin Zoo + Park, still existent, then a pretty new institution. Goethe and Carl August will visit it, too.)

November 13th. The three Princes and I have a picknick in the Tiergarten, at the same place where the Prince of Prussia has had a charming party this summer. We cook for ourselves. This is not an easy business, but it amuses us a lot. The Prince of Prussia who wants to prepare a hamburger" - err, Lehndroff writes "Frikassee", but that's what it is - ends up making beef soup, etc.

November 17th. Dinner with Prince Heinrich who had to take medicine. I'm wonderfully well entertained. How many means has this prince to make those glad who enjoy the happiness of being close to him, and with what satisfaction does one receieve the invitation to visit him! Why does heaven not provide such qualities to a private gentleman! Such a man would make his fortune; for if this prince had been born a shephard, he would be the joy of his village. Oh, how unhappy would I be to ever lose this delicious heart!

November 25th. Completely alone with Prince Heinrich. We read alot. In the evening, the Prince gives a party for the Prince of Prussia. There is a masque with magic charms which the Prince has to fight; afterwards, one leads him to the gallery where there is a charming decoration of Bella Vita.

November 25th. Preaching by Achad. Dinner with P.H. Very pleased society; one plays Commerce which lasts seven hours.

November 28th: The King leaves for Potsdam, Prince Heinrich is with him.

December 1st. Depressing supper with the Queen. In the afternoon, I stay at home and have the pleasure of spending a moment with H. What a fortune it is to have someone for whom one lives and with whom one always want to live! Time passes so very quickly with him, and only the idea of not being with him spoils this pure joy.

December 10th: While with the Queen, I manage to talk to H. who embraces me tenderly.

December 11th: At the opera, I have the pleasure of embracing my dearest H. It is he who makes the carnival beautiful for me.

(Note: The Carnival season in Berlin started already at the beginning of December.)

December 13th: Lamberg returns. I am glad, for I like him, and I know this causes happiness to the one I love. Which makes me sad, but I don't show it. For jealousy follows passion so swiftly.


December 12th. Countess Podewils is with the Queen. She is a decent woman who brought a great fortune to her husband in marriage; after all, she was born a Marwitz. In the evening I visit Maupertuis. At 8 1/2 to Redoute. She is very sad. Here, I meet the Chevalier of Saxony and am seated next to Frau von Hertefeld, a sophisticated woman. The King appears very benevolent to the Princess. If it's just "the princess", Lehndorff means Heinrich's wife Mina, just as "the" prince without further designation means Heinrich.

December 13. I spend the afternoon very amused with Platen. The serene princes are present, too; the Prince of Prussia is charming and in a great mood. Prince Heinrich buys a spendid fabric for his wife.

December 15. Dinner with Frau von Grappendorf, a very charming lady who has a revolting husband; in his appearance, he is a monster, full of prejudices and rather ridiculous. I make the aquaintance of the Abbé de Prades, who had to leave France due to his preachings. I also see the fiancee of Fredersdorf; she has received 5000 Taler as a wedding present from the King.

December 16th. I feel very unwell. In the evening, I go to Count Rothenburg, who is married to a Knyphausen, a very witty woman; there is a concert. From there, I go to Maupertuis. At dinner, I am with Prince Heinrich, but I feel so sick that I have to leave. I fear to be confined to my bedroom for a few days, but on the morning of December 17th, I learn that the Prince has toothache. Despite my sickness, I hasten to him. I suffer dreadfully, but when I see how much the Prince is suffering, I forget my own trouble for this dear Prince's sake.

December 18th. My headache continues, and the prince's illness gets worse; he suffers like a martyr.

Decembver 19th. I am a bit better, while the Prince has to get one of his teeth pulled, for his pain is dreadful. I spend the day with him. A Herr von Riedesel arrives from Kassel; he has a pleasant appearance.

December 20th. My dear Prince is still very sick, he suffers, and I suffer terribly, too. I cancel at Count Kameke and at Vernezobre.

December 21st. I stay always with the Prince. There is much noise about a terrible pamphlet Voltaire has written against Maupertuis. These two scholars make themselves ridiculous in front of all tlhe world.

December 22nd. I remain with my dear Prince. All his brothers visit him, and dine with the princess. Bielfeld dines with the Prince; he is a wit who has much talent, the son of a Hamburg merchant. He made the aquaintance of the King while the later was still crown prince, was enobled, and consequently shows something of the funny behavior of the newly elevated.

December 23d. Dinner at the Queen's with her brother, Prince Ferdinand of Braunschweig. (...) Very boring.

December 29th: I visit the opera, and from there my dearest H. I dine alone with him. My heart feels the whole height of this pleasure as I haven't been able to enjoy it for such a long time. He comes with me to my old flat, where we celebrate stag night. (Polterabend, i.e what you usually do before a wedding.) From there, he comes with me to my new flat, where I sleep for the first time.

January 3rd 1753. In the theatre, I see my dear H. A moment with the Queen, and then I dine with the dearest of all being whom I love so tenderly.

January 6th. The same evening, I see my dear H. Oh, one is never completely happy! I am convinced he loves me, and still I am tormented by the thought I could lose this precious heart. I was invited at Herr von Bredow's, so I briefly went there. I find a big crowd, among others a Herr von Katt, who is not the most agreeable company to me.

January 7th: Grand cour at the Queen's. I stay but a moment and then withdraw with my dear H. How much I enjoy being alone with him! What little reason I have leaves me entirely as soon as this dear creature captivates me. Why is man so weak! Without this passion, I could live as a philosopher. I spend a charming evening with him. We read. This pleasure gets interrupted by the arrival of young Lb (Lamberg?). But as I come with my dear H, I manage to be alone with him again.

January 9th. I dine with my delightful H. After dinner, he reads the tragedy Andronicus. Anything about him is interesting, and anything he does, he succeeds in. He has the gift of shattering me by his reading.

January 11th. I thought I would have to dine alone, but as I sit down at my table, my dear beloved little H. comes to visit me. He is in a charming mood. He organizes the cooking, and seems to enjoy himself. Then he reads the tragedy "Cyrus" to my delight; in short, he is charming in everything he does. I see him again at the Queen Mother's. There, I have reason for jealousy, for it seems to me he talks too tenderly with Maltzahn. This makes me sad, and I go home in a depression. I cannot sleep for the entire night, because I can't stop thinking about them. Through all this night, I had bad luck at gambling, too.

January 14th. After church, I go home and wait till it is time to attend the Queen. There, I see my charming H. Without pausing, I return with him to my flat. He dines with me in an amiable mood and is more charming than ever. My sole grief is that he could feel attracted to M. I can't help but thinking he is when I see them together, and it makes me sad.

January 18th: As this is the Prince's birthday, the court of the Queen Mother's is assembled in full. I am convinced that as many have good wishes for the prince as those where clothing on their skin. For to know him is to love him. I seek out my dear H., embrace him tenderly and await with impatience the next opportunity to be alone with him. (...) I feel something for him I haven't felt for anyone else. Sometimes I wish he was poor, so I could give him anything I have; at other times, I would be ready to do the most humble service if only that meant I could be always with him.

January 24th. To the theatre, where they have some pretty dances. At last to H. whom I love so tenderly. But I tremble at the thought he could change his mind about me. If this should happen, all the joy of the world would be as nothing. I always thought to possess this heart would be the highest happiness. But my eternal unrest proves to me that there is nothing perfect in life. The smallest kindness he shows to another robs me of all my calm. Yesterday I saw him drive away with another. I thought he'd go home to be alone with M, and was in despair. Fortunately, I saw M return only fifteen minutes later and found it he only went with him on a visit.



Skipping forward a few years. The following entries, all from the spring of 1760, are as good a demonstration as any as how Lehndorff's additional decade after the first flush of infatuation have made him totally chill. Absolutely. You'll see.

Count Henckel passes through. He tells me a lot of things about Prince Heinrich which bewilder me, and I thank heaven I am not entirely dependent on princes. They are all cruel to those who live from their grace. He who I am talking about is the best of them, and people in his surroundings have still reason to complain about him. But I am a philosopher now.

March 1st: We arrive at 2 am in Wittenberg. (...) At nine, we go to the prince, or rather, to his batman Herr v. Kalkreuth, who is his current factotum. After an hour, we're let through. The reunion with the Prince provides me with great joy. I don't find him changed, despite the fact that he's ill. He receives me well, on the first day I like him less than subsequently, when we shows me again that he trusts me as he used to. I spend the entire day with him, and he tells me many highly interesting things. Which Lehndorff frustratingly refuses to detail any further. Or does the Editor strike even in the Unplugged version? Everyone who is an expert on war and even ouor enemies seem to agree he is one of the best generals currently existing in Europe. (...) I spend fourteen agreeable days in Wittenberg and would have remained longer if my wife hadn't been sick.

April 6th: I arrive in Wittenberg at noon and am received by Prince Heinrich. Oh, how heavenly he is! We talk about thousands and thousands of things, and he shows such a good judgment in all that I can only admire him. All his recent successes have not blinded him, he is even friendlier than he used to be before achieving such fame. I lead the same life in Wittenberg I used to lead in Rheinsberg. The Prince spends the afternoon painting, and in the evening he plays music.

Lehndorff is off to Berlin, though, where he finds Ferdinand (remember, Ferdinand reacted to the AW tragedy with "Okay, permanently sick now, no more army for me, brothers, Ferdinand out!") much changed, to wit: clinging to his young wife (the niece) and not interested in old friends. And then:

Prince Heinrich has written to me that it is impossible for him to come to Berlin, as much as he would have liked to, which made me profoundly unhappy, as it would have been a true feast for me to see him again. (Lehndorff, we're still in April! You just saw him earlier this month!)

April 21st: When I least was expecting the joyful surprise, I was told my prince had arrived. At once, I hasten to him and am infinitely glad to see him again. His royal highness is surprised himself to have made it to Berlin after all. He is sad that no one of his family is here other than Prince Ferdinand, whose changed nature worries him. We talk a lot of the dear departed, the Prince of Prussia, for whom I still shed tears, and of the Queen Mother's death. All of this makes us very sad, and I remain with him till he falls asleep.





My Englishman: Lehndorff’s interlude with Charles Hotham, Jr.

31st December 1755: At the King's court in the morning. I had a very long conversation with the Chevalier Hotham. Even among the English, he is an exceptional mind. But then, this nation is superior to all the others! Rich and free - the true medium through which one can make a mediocre head into someone with ésprit - they enjoy the additional advantage of being taught well in their youth and being allowed to see the world as soon as they leave school. Hotham, for example, is 21 and has alreaedy seen nearly all of Europe. He just comes from having travelled through the entire north. I am amazed how rightly he judges the charactes of the various princes he has encountered.

January 3rd 1756: A very interesting book about astronomy keeps me captivated until the evening. Then in order to practice English I join a society of ten equally minded men.

January 4th: Again at home until the evening. Then I visit the Chevalier Hotham, whom I like very much. Our conversation is very vivacious, and I skip the dinner at Puebla's in order to remain with him alone. I do love him, and he confirms the positive opinion I have formed of his nation.

January 9th. Our princes have a new friend every winter; now it is Herr Bastiani, a former footman, the son of a tailor from Venice. They believe him to be a genius. (...) They favour certain qualities whom they ascribe to whoever has caught their fancy and don't see in those out of favor, and it is not rare that those virtues end up being ascribed to those who show physical advantages at best. I take my dinner much more comfortably with my dear friend Hotham.

January 12th. My reconciliation with Prince Heinrich happens; good reasons cause it. I have been noticing for a while that he's suffering as much from the silence between us as I do.

January 16h. After having escorted the Queen to the opera, I visit Count Reuß. I am here because I find all the ministers from the King's cabinet here, especially Mr. Eichel, our country's Mazarin. Mr. Eichel is a man who connects an immense mind with an agreeable exterior. He works as much as ten m en do, and despite his great power he has kept his modesty. You can see his kindness and benevolence from his face. His way of life is very strange. He works from 4 am in the morning till 2 in the afternoon, then he sits with his friends until 8 pm at a table, and drinks one small glass without ever getting drunk. Afterwards, he works again until mightnight, and then sleeps. I'm spending the evening with my friend Hotham.

January 30th: At Prince Heinrich's, afterwards with my dear Chevalier Hotham. We talk about all manner of things; suddenly we get the idea to ask the King for permission so I can join the Chevalier upon his return to England. This plan keeps me up at night.

February 3rd: My letters go to the King. God may bless them! I am in a state which makes me unfit to go into society. My God, but freedom is a beautiful thing!

February 4th: I live half in a dream. Chevalier Hotham visits me in the morning, and we inspect four seat carriages. My God, how happy I would be if I could go with him! I'm at Prince Ferdinand's for dinner. Prince Heinrich is very tender towards me. But this does not stop me from feeling a vivid desire to get out of here!

February 5th: I find my dear Hotham delighted by the treaty which the King has made with England. Thus, the peace in Europe is made secure, the King's fame grows even more, and the French get their mouths stuffed.

(This actually was not an minority opinion at the time, since no one not involved in the negotiations saw the Diplomatic Revolution - i.e. the France/Austria alliance MT and the Marquise de Pompadour were working on - coming.)

February 7th. I'm busy writing a second letter to the King. God may bless this enterprise! My state of heart is indiscribable.

February 9th: After I have walked for quite a while with my Englishman and laughed about his qualities that come from a brave heart, I go to dine with Prince Heinrich.

February 11th: I spend a restless night without comfort. But suffering and joy always change places in life, and likewise here I spend a very agreeable evening with my Englishman.

February 12th: I find the most distressful news of the world: Eichel writes to me thath he doesn't believe the King will permit my journey to England and advises me to give up my intention. In the deepest pain, I go to Prince Heinrich for dinner but then quickly return home and ask for my worthy Hotham's company to tell him the terrible news. I must admit that if my heart were receptive for the least joy, it would have felt it faced with the evident sincere pain which this news has caused him.

February 15th: I write a third letter to the King. I have no hope, but I want to do everything possible to me in order not to accuse myself later of not having done so. (...) I am convinced I will never have such an opportunity again to visit strange countries. Oh freedom, freedom, you will always remain the sole true happiness!

February 18th: My dear Chevalier decides to write to the King as well. He does it with the most touching expressions. This gives me some hope back, and puts me ina good mood for the evening.

February 19th. Still between fear and hope. I feel in my heart very special emotions for the King. If he gives me the permission, I will worship him, if not, I will only be able to call him harsh, because all impediments to such a journey could be easily removed.

February 20th: The closer the hour in which the mail arrives, the greater my uneasiness grows. I no longer have the courage to remain with the Chevalier with whom I have been staying, and withdraw to my house. Then the decision about my fate arrives, which will be an eternal source of grief for me. The King lists only bad reasons for his refusal; I feel it, it only happens to hurt me. My God, how easily could the King make himself loved! When I arrived in this world, my heart was full of love for my sovereign, and since then, he has done nothing but cause me pain. He ruined a very good marriage for me, he made me part of the Queen's court against my will, in short, all my plans were spoiled by him. I always kept up a son's devotion to him, I have always hoped he would, in the end, become a father to me, since he's been solely the King for such a long time. But now all hopes leave me, and I fall into the abyss. I cannot describe my position, it is terrible. To give up the journey from which I could draw so many good uses, and, what is worse: to lose such a faithful, sincere, estimable friend as Hotham! No, one dies not out of heartbreak. I spend a terrible night.

February 21st: I hurry to the Chevalier. He is as distressed as I am and decides to leave Berlin immediately. My pain is so visceral when I hear this that I stand as stone next to him, unable to move. With despair in my heart, I watch him leave, lock myself in my room and cry and cry and cry. I feel so lonely in a town in which I have lived for ten years. All whom I once have called my friends appear to me now that I have experienced this English friendship so heartless that I will never trust them again. The sole comfort which remains to me are my books.

Lehndorff makes a short trip to Dresden (with EC's permission) to distract himself. When he returns, he visits AW to catch up with the news.

March 6th: I restart my disagreeable and useless duties. In the evening, I go to the Prince of Prussia where I learn what happened in my absence. Princess Heinrich - i.e. Mina - has gotten permission to visit her uncle in Kassel. It seems this lady is blessed with happiness, and she's won all the world through her behavior. Colonel v. Keith - i.e. Peter - escorts Princess Amalie to Quedlinburg at the orderes of the King. Prince Heinrich is at his country seat. I fear this prince will withdraw from the world altogether; his temper is a melancholic one.

July 8th. Prince Heinrich comes from Potsdam.

July 9th: I had firmly decided not to visit Prince Heinrich unless he explicitly asks me to. Only if one makes oneself into a rarity it's possible to live with princes, it seems. Then, he sends for me three times in a row, and I am mostly content with the way he receives me when I do arrive. My God, why is he so charming! And he would be much more so if only his temper were as constant as his actions are, which do testify to his kindness. These are strange times, we are currently arming up for war without truly knowing our enemies. According to public opinion, with the exception of England all of Europe has become our enemy.



Lehndorff and the Kattes

Volume 2: Lehndorff Unplugged has revealed to me why he didn't use his inside connection to the Katte clan to gossip about Hans Herrmann. At least I think I've found the reason. Because yes, he mentions both his cousin and other Kattes far more often, only he spells the name "Katt" most of the time. (But yes, it's the tribe from Wust.) He simply can't stand the lot, other than his cousin. Re: his cousin:

I renew my aquaintance with Frau von Katte, my Cousin, whom I was supposed to marry in 1751; family intrigues caused her to give her hand to Herr von Katte instead, a man who does not suit this young and charming woman at all. Consequently, she soon bitterly repented this, as did I, who never had more than 200 000 Taler" - he doesn't say per annum or at all - "which would have been the amount she'd have brought into the marriage. She possesses a cheerful temper and many other estimable qualities, which would have made us suit each other completely. As it is impossible for us now to marry, we swear eternal friendship to each other.

29th birthday of the Princess of Prussia." (I.e. Louise, wife of AW.) "All the nobility shows up in gala dress at court. Frau von Katte getes officially presented to the Queen. She is a very charming woman, and I am even more sorry because of her person than I am because of the money. Have dined at the Danish Ambassador's..."

Her husband, Herr von Katte, on the other hand, is horrid, old General von Katte is, well, quote will follow, other General Katte, ugh, and my poor poor poor cousin to have landed with this sorry lot! All a bunch of arrogant jerks. Must attend some parties for the sake of meeting my beloved cousin, but am cutting the social interaction with anyone of that awful clan otherwise as short as I can.

All kidding aside, Lehndorff does stay loyal to his cousin in times of distress.


I receive sad news from Berlin; my cousin Katt has lost her youngest son, a charming boy. (...) The loss of her child causes her great pain; she has a good heart and is a tender mother, but her husband is so repulsive to her that she does not want to have any more children with him.

That poor lady's marriage never gets any better, at least as far as Lehndorff reports, but he does stay her friend as promised. (With the occasional "cruel fate, we'd have been ideal for each other!" reflection. Incidentally, the fact that he doesn't see this conflicting with the other pining relationship in his life is interesting in what it says about how bi noble man navigate their bi ness when they do care about their wives. (Mrs Lehndorff gets a few praising entries now and then, too, and some terribly sad ones because she loses their first baby - Lehndorff arrives just in time in his home province to hold the kid alive for the first and last time, and is crushed by the experience - and later their two safely born children catch the smallpox. But his fondness for her clearly does not stop him from thinking he and Cousin K were meant to be.

Mind you: Lehndorff at this point manages the triple feat of: a) being now married and a father, b) pining for his cousin ("every time I see her I think of how we were meant to be!"), c) pining for Heinrich ("Will he, too, leave me, I wondered" - when not getting letters for eight weeks in the middle of the war, only to discover that the homefront vacationing guy whom Heinrich had entrusted his mail with kept Lehndorff's letter for a while, so no, "the dearest of princes has not forgotten me!").

So: (not Hans Herrmann) Katte gossip from our man Lehndorff:

"I travel with my wife to Wolmirstedt where we've been invited by Obermarschall Wallenrodt. There is a great celebration apropos the wedding of one old General Katt with a Fräulein v. Möllendorf. I mention the age of the newly wedded because his wife the day after the wedding told him: "You haven't heard me come up last night, you were too soundly asleep." All in all, we were thirty. The provincial splendour in their precious old cloths, and the bowings wouldn't end. My sole consolation were one Mrs. General Katt, born v. Truchseß, and my amiable cousin Frau v. Katt, born v. Rosey, who gave us a concert after dinner. We remained dining until 7 pm, then came the concert and the ball. Young Podewils, whom I've brought along, enjoyed himself so thoroughly with Frau v. Angern that he stayed the night. At 2 am, we were happily back home."

And then there's "Staatsminister Katt":

Some time ago, Staatsminister Katt died in Berlin. He headed the Generalproviantamt - ministry responsible for supplying the army with food - in Berlin, a man whose character fit with his physiognomy. Iskariot must have looked like him; at least they had the same hair colour. (Judas Iskariot was traditionally imagined red-haired.) After he had been in charge of supplying the army in the previous war, the King made him a Staatsminister during the peace. He also was a Deutschordendsritter (= Teutonic Knight; think Templars, just German) , and he kept boasting about the fact he'd been at the Prince Elector of Cologne's court. He was the most insufferable man I've ever met in my life, an unbearable chatterbox and as arrogant as the rest of his family. He even chose a mistress as ridiculous as himself, one Frau von Kessel. It's enough to name her name.

And that, mes amies, is why Lehndorff foregoes his duty to posterity and never ever gossips about dead Hans Herrmann!

Comments

[felis]

Only a sidenote to this delightful write-up, but regarding the "did Fritz abolish slavery?" topic - I got interested in this after reading a recent newspaper article on the "Hofmohren"/"court moors" (which was illustrated by the Pesne painting of young Fritz, Wilhelmine, and an unknown black boy who usually gets ignored (the article says he was named after FW, which, poor kid)).
Referenced in said article was a research paper from 2016, titled There are no slaves in Prussia? (starts p. 13), which is around 20 pages long and contains quite a few interesting things. [Caveat: I'm not a historian and so don't have enough context to know for sure if the author's interpretation of the primary sources is correct, for example that Frederick was actually personally involved. The original records of the legal case detailed below don't exist anymore, just the linked write-up from the same year, which seems to have von Camers name on it as well; the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz records aren't digitized yet. (By the by, apparently they still used King IN Prussia at that point? Huh.)]

That said, the answer to the abolishment question seems to be mostly no, he did not do that, in part because it was entangled with the serfdom issue - which, as Mildred mentioned above, was a long fight that Frederick didn't quite win, although he'd have liked to - and also because there wasn't a law at all on this issue. The new law code, started in 1780 and finished in 1794, did abolish slavery, though, mostly. As quoted in the paper:

§ 196 Slavery shall not be tolerated in royal lands.
§ 197 No royal subject can and may obligate himself to slavery.
[But:]
§ 198 Foreigners who are in royal lands for a limited time retain their rights over accompanying slaves.
§ 200 When such foreigners settle permanently in royal lands; or when royal subjects bring slaves purchased elsewhere into these lands, slavery ceases to exist.

Before this, the lack of laws turned out to be a problem. The paper quotes from "Rechtsgeschichte eines erkauften Mohren" (see p.296) (Legal History of a Purchased Moor), which was a legal case set in motion by a petition to the king from a slave wanting to be freed, and which seems to have actually reached Frederick in 1780. It was decided such that just because he was brought into Prussia as a slave, he wasn't automatically free (free soil principle) and therefore he had to stay with his owner if he couldn't produce evidence that he was actually an indentured servant as he claimed. (The new law code clearly changed that part.)

(The kicker about this whole story by the way? The guy that owned him and described him in very obviously racist terms during the legal proceedings to keep the right to sell him? Was Joachim Erdmann von Arnim, a.k.a. son-in-law of Fredersdorff's widow and father of Achim von Arnim. Who, as I've learned from another post in this comm, later also sold the right to raise his children to her for money.)

Apart from that, there's the whole "Hofmohren" issue, who weren't called slaves and probably treated like other servants, new year's bonus and all, but of course that doesn't change the fact that they were brought into the country often involuntarily, often via the Netherlands or London or Copenhagen, often as kids, often purchased by or gifted to the courts. Even FW repeatedly spent money on that, ordering from London and the Netherlands. (Among other things, the Long Fellows apparently had African pipers in their regiment, who were then transfered to the regular army by Fritz.)
As did Fritz, once, in 1740, at least that's what the article says based on state archive records. (And then stopped doing so because he found it too expensive? Seriously.)

The whole "freed by baptism" part seems to have applied to Catholic countries more than Protestant ones, and so even if they were treated and paid like other servants or soldiers (see above, often black musicians within the army), or even better in some cases, they possibly had no legal security regardless.

Anton Wilhelm Amo - himself born in Ghana, gifted to a Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel duke (the other line apparently, not the Beverns, although I'm kind of lost with the Brunswick genealogy tbh), then freed/educated/"treated like family", and subsequently the first African to attend, graduate, and teach at a German university - actually made the question of said legal status topic of his thesis in Halle in 1729, De Jure Maurorum in Europa, which unfortunately didn't survive the times.

[selenak]

I read the article(s) about Anton Wilhelm Amo, too, and about the Hofmohren, but the "There are no slaves in Prussia?" essay was new to me; thank you so much for linking, this is absolutely fascinating. Also, clearly v. Arnim Sr. was a prize, alright.

[mildred_of_midgard]

Thank you! That was a very interesting, if depressing, article. I particularly appreciated the ending, where the author points out both that there was a lot of compulsory labor and involuntary relocation of various kinds in Europe at the time, and that this shouldn't be used to elide the existence of slavery.

I think it's also worth linking to this, which among other topics, has a discussion about the status of black people.

Actually, one of us should probably port the whole write-up over to Rheinsberg as a post in its own right.