Pastor Schubert: J‘Accuse!
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rheinsbergLetter about Gundling‘s death and funeral by Johann Heinrich Schubert to Gotthilf August Francke, dated April 16th, 1731
(Reprinted in the appendices of the essay Wurde Jakob Paul Freiherr von Gundling (1673-1731) in einem Sarg begraben, der die Gestalt eines Weinfasses hatte? Der Brief eines Potsdamer Pfarrers bestätigt es. by Hannelore Lehmann, Jahrbuch für Brandenburgische Kirchengeschichte, Berlin 1991.)
„R“ stands for „Rex“, i.e. FW. Some sentences of this letter were quoted by Martin Sabrow in his Gundling biography, but the entire letter is far longer, and with more details, and is well worth reading (and translating) in its entirety. The repeated switches from present to past tense and back in the letter are all as in the original. For further context about Gundling‘s life and death and the well documented abuse FW put him through, see this post!
My dearest Brother,
We are currently living in sad circumstances. Secret Councillor Gundling has died here, who has been much abused in his life as is undoubtedly known, as there have been numerous occasions for this. The King has ordered his body to be put in a barrel explicitly made for that purpose; it (the barrel) is clad in iron covering and on it has been written the following: Here lies a marvellous thing, half man, half pig without a skin, witty in youth, mad in his age, smart in the morning and filled up in the evening etc. etc. Bacchus supposedly mourns that he has died and if the reader wants to know who it was, his dear child was Gundling. He has died on the 11th; that same afternoon, he is already exhibited in the barrel, with a giant wig reaching down to his hips, a grey big hat in his hand, his actual waistcoat, velvet trousers, black stockings decorated with red ribbons etc. etc. etc.
In the afternoon, R with a large entourage goes to the house where it stands, and he who will get Gundling’s position* and to the same conditions if there won’t be trouble, has to parody him to the horrible laughter of everyone present. In the evening, Herr Inspector Schultze** gets ordered to indicate to us preachers that we were supposed to all follow to the grave on the 12th, the bells were supposed to be rung (which usually doesn‘t happen here in Potsdam for any burial), the entire magistrate and citizens should equally follow etc. etc. etc. etc.
As soon as these orders reach him, he agrees with his colleage, Dean Kretzschmann***, that he won‘t obey, but will rather suffer all consequences, comes to me, tells me about R‘s order and their mutual decision. Now, listening to my conscience, I can‘t do anything other than join them, as has done Pastor Carstädt.**** And who could have acted differently when faced with such horrors, especially since that the above mentioned (i.e. Fassmann) was supposed to parody again during the removal of the body and indeed has done so?
On the 12th in the early morning, we met at Inspector Schultze‘s, and R‘s Castellan was sent to us once more telling us we were supposed to join the procession, as were many high officers named, and their preachers of the Calvinist faith.***** However, we declared that our office and conscience would not permit this, and we would create a petition to His Royal Majesty and ask to be spared this. The Calvinist Preachers all refused as well, and not a single one has participated. Soon enough, nobis aliis absentibus, First Lieutenant von Weyher sent by R and the Castellan arrives at the Inspector‘s, and the Castellan announces that R has said: if the priests don‘t want to join and have objections, they may as well stay at home; however, speaking for R, the First Lieutenant wants to know the reasons causing our refusal to participate. Consequently, we told him this: 1.) We could do no other than believe this wasn‘t seriously R‘s intention but just a test to find out whether we would act as good Christian teachers ought to; 2) if Gundling was to be buried in a proper coffin, we would gladly participate; 3) since, however, he was lying in a barrel, and 4) with such a horrible inscription which excluded him from the number of men and declared him to be an oddity, half man, half pig, and 5) the entire burial thus came across as nothing but a mockery meant to induce laughter, we therefore most obediently trusted that R would not demand that we should disgrace our entire office in front of the audience meant to join up, and in front of the entire town; not just the town but everyone who ever heard about this, which would create an irreperable disruption. Thus, we remained, and have not partcipated.
Now, sin may spread in (the King‘s) mind, and because the punishing spirit of God should not be right, it gets interpreted as much punisheable disobedience on our part, and I especially am regarded as one who supposedly induced the others to such disobedience. Consequently, on the 15th I was questioned on R‘s orders by Royal Councillor Schumacher: 1) Which causes I had for not participating, and 2) why I incited the others? The last, I completely denied doing; the former I answered with the above named reasons. Now I cannot help but expect either being dismissed in disgrace or one or several insults headed my way. But I trust to the Lord and am sure He will not leave me, but will make use of me elsewhere in his vineyard.
Poor Gundling, who had asked for me on his death bed, has told me with many cries and sighs how he has been abused, and has expecially and pitiably complained about being buried in a barrel with such an inscription, and hasn‘t managed to maintain himself. I visited him on the 8th, and left him much aggrieved on this matter. R has learned about this and has me questioned early on the 9th: why I left Gundling in such a sad mood? I replied that it much pained me that I could not do anything for the man‘s soul given how distressed he was, and was begging R most obediently and humbly to have pity on the poor soul and would give him the assurance that he would be buried like other people. But alas! This plea was received most ungraciously.
The school was ordered through harsh threats to participate and to sing, though the headmaster and his deputy wanted rather to leave town than to participate and indeed did so. How many sins were committed on that occasion, I can‘t tell. In Bornstedt, he has been buried in the church in front of the altar, and at R’s orders, people have been forced to sing the song „Now let us the body etc. etc.“, and when they arrived at the line „he has carried his yoke etc.“, many laughed out loud and yelled: „No, not true, he has carried R‘s yoke etc. etc. etc.“
And this, my dearest brother, is how things stand here. I am very depressed, but through Christ I look to the Father who will paternally care for me who is poor and does not have anything, nor knows where to go? Please keep this letter secret, my brother; but you may send it to His Grace Count Henckel, so he may learn of our circumstances. God has signalled to me for a while in a marvelous fashion, which is why I have had several sermons printed, and I felt like one called to me: Act because it is day now, and soon comes the night in which no one will be able to act! and:bear witness to Potsdam, and let them have the sermon! etc. etc.
If I am to leave here, and God allows my dearest brother or someone else to think of an occasion where I could serve my Father again as a preacher to the souls, you will not forget me. For I would not wish to remain idle. The Lord‘s Will be done!
Pray for us! If anything more should happen, I will report it, but I ask most intently that no careless person may have the chance to read anything of my letter or learn about, so it won‘t get known and cause even greater misfortune. Here, we all stand by each other. But as the Great Ones are eager to get rid of me, they induce R to attack only me, as if I was the inciter etc. etc. etc. If they only knew how much honour they do me this way towards God, the heavenly hosts, and the truly pious in this world, they would caution themselves and would stop it for envy of me. But how blind is this world! And how much it is threatened by Gods‘s Judgment right now! I am my dearest brother‘s most devoted
H. Schubert
P(otsdam), April 16th 1731
*David Fassmann, Gundling‘s rival in his last years who will write the Gundling „biography“ forming his popular image for the next centuries.
** Christian Zacharias Schultze was the main pastor of the Nikolaikirche from 1722 to 1755, and Superintendent since 1730.
*** Heinrich Jeremias Kretschmann, Diacon of the Nikolaikirche from 1728 to 1766.
**** Johann Caspar Carstädt or Karstaedt, Pastor of the Garnisonskirche from 1727 to 1726
***** Bear in mind these are all Lutheran pastors while the Hohenzollern family and the descendants of the French Huguenots are Calvinists.
(Reprinted in the appendices of the essay Wurde Jakob Paul Freiherr von Gundling (1673-1731) in einem Sarg begraben, der die Gestalt eines Weinfasses hatte? Der Brief eines Potsdamer Pfarrers bestätigt es. by Hannelore Lehmann, Jahrbuch für Brandenburgische Kirchengeschichte, Berlin 1991.)
„R“ stands for „Rex“, i.e. FW. Some sentences of this letter were quoted by Martin Sabrow in his Gundling biography, but the entire letter is far longer, and with more details, and is well worth reading (and translating) in its entirety. The repeated switches from present to past tense and back in the letter are all as in the original. For further context about Gundling‘s life and death and the well documented abuse FW put him through, see this post!
My dearest Brother,
We are currently living in sad circumstances. Secret Councillor Gundling has died here, who has been much abused in his life as is undoubtedly known, as there have been numerous occasions for this. The King has ordered his body to be put in a barrel explicitly made for that purpose; it (the barrel) is clad in iron covering and on it has been written the following: Here lies a marvellous thing, half man, half pig without a skin, witty in youth, mad in his age, smart in the morning and filled up in the evening etc. etc. Bacchus supposedly mourns that he has died and if the reader wants to know who it was, his dear child was Gundling. He has died on the 11th; that same afternoon, he is already exhibited in the barrel, with a giant wig reaching down to his hips, a grey big hat in his hand, his actual waistcoat, velvet trousers, black stockings decorated with red ribbons etc. etc. etc.
In the afternoon, R with a large entourage goes to the house where it stands, and he who will get Gundling’s position* and to the same conditions if there won’t be trouble, has to parody him to the horrible laughter of everyone present. In the evening, Herr Inspector Schultze** gets ordered to indicate to us preachers that we were supposed to all follow to the grave on the 12th, the bells were supposed to be rung (which usually doesn‘t happen here in Potsdam for any burial), the entire magistrate and citizens should equally follow etc. etc. etc. etc.
As soon as these orders reach him, he agrees with his colleage, Dean Kretzschmann***, that he won‘t obey, but will rather suffer all consequences, comes to me, tells me about R‘s order and their mutual decision. Now, listening to my conscience, I can‘t do anything other than join them, as has done Pastor Carstädt.**** And who could have acted differently when faced with such horrors, especially since that the above mentioned (i.e. Fassmann) was supposed to parody again during the removal of the body and indeed has done so?
On the 12th in the early morning, we met at Inspector Schultze‘s, and R‘s Castellan was sent to us once more telling us we were supposed to join the procession, as were many high officers named, and their preachers of the Calvinist faith.***** However, we declared that our office and conscience would not permit this, and we would create a petition to His Royal Majesty and ask to be spared this. The Calvinist Preachers all refused as well, and not a single one has participated. Soon enough, nobis aliis absentibus, First Lieutenant von Weyher sent by R and the Castellan arrives at the Inspector‘s, and the Castellan announces that R has said: if the priests don‘t want to join and have objections, they may as well stay at home; however, speaking for R, the First Lieutenant wants to know the reasons causing our refusal to participate. Consequently, we told him this: 1.) We could do no other than believe this wasn‘t seriously R‘s intention but just a test to find out whether we would act as good Christian teachers ought to; 2) if Gundling was to be buried in a proper coffin, we would gladly participate; 3) since, however, he was lying in a barrel, and 4) with such a horrible inscription which excluded him from the number of men and declared him to be an oddity, half man, half pig, and 5) the entire burial thus came across as nothing but a mockery meant to induce laughter, we therefore most obediently trusted that R would not demand that we should disgrace our entire office in front of the audience meant to join up, and in front of the entire town; not just the town but everyone who ever heard about this, which would create an irreperable disruption. Thus, we remained, and have not partcipated.
Now, sin may spread in (the King‘s) mind, and because the punishing spirit of God should not be right, it gets interpreted as much punisheable disobedience on our part, and I especially am regarded as one who supposedly induced the others to such disobedience. Consequently, on the 15th I was questioned on R‘s orders by Royal Councillor Schumacher: 1) Which causes I had for not participating, and 2) why I incited the others? The last, I completely denied doing; the former I answered with the above named reasons. Now I cannot help but expect either being dismissed in disgrace or one or several insults headed my way. But I trust to the Lord and am sure He will not leave me, but will make use of me elsewhere in his vineyard.
Poor Gundling, who had asked for me on his death bed, has told me with many cries and sighs how he has been abused, and has expecially and pitiably complained about being buried in a barrel with such an inscription, and hasn‘t managed to maintain himself. I visited him on the 8th, and left him much aggrieved on this matter. R has learned about this and has me questioned early on the 9th: why I left Gundling in such a sad mood? I replied that it much pained me that I could not do anything for the man‘s soul given how distressed he was, and was begging R most obediently and humbly to have pity on the poor soul and would give him the assurance that he would be buried like other people. But alas! This plea was received most ungraciously.
The school was ordered through harsh threats to participate and to sing, though the headmaster and his deputy wanted rather to leave town than to participate and indeed did so. How many sins were committed on that occasion, I can‘t tell. In Bornstedt, he has been buried in the church in front of the altar, and at R’s orders, people have been forced to sing the song „Now let us the body etc. etc.“, and when they arrived at the line „he has carried his yoke etc.“, many laughed out loud and yelled: „No, not true, he has carried R‘s yoke etc. etc. etc.“
And this, my dearest brother, is how things stand here. I am very depressed, but through Christ I look to the Father who will paternally care for me who is poor and does not have anything, nor knows where to go? Please keep this letter secret, my brother; but you may send it to His Grace Count Henckel, so he may learn of our circumstances. God has signalled to me for a while in a marvelous fashion, which is why I have had several sermons printed, and I felt like one called to me: Act because it is day now, and soon comes the night in which no one will be able to act! and:bear witness to Potsdam, and let them have the sermon! etc. etc.
If I am to leave here, and God allows my dearest brother or someone else to think of an occasion where I could serve my Father again as a preacher to the souls, you will not forget me. For I would not wish to remain idle. The Lord‘s Will be done!
Pray for us! If anything more should happen, I will report it, but I ask most intently that no careless person may have the chance to read anything of my letter or learn about, so it won‘t get known and cause even greater misfortune. Here, we all stand by each other. But as the Great Ones are eager to get rid of me, they induce R to attack only me, as if I was the inciter etc. etc. etc. If they only knew how much honour they do me this way towards God, the heavenly hosts, and the truly pious in this world, they would caution themselves and would stop it for envy of me. But how blind is this world! And how much it is threatened by Gods‘s Judgment right now! I am my dearest brother‘s most devoted
H. Schubert
P(otsdam), April 16th 1731
*David Fassmann, Gundling‘s rival in his last years who will write the Gundling „biography“ forming his popular image for the next centuries.
** Christian Zacharias Schultze was the main pastor of the Nikolaikirche from 1722 to 1755, and Superintendent since 1730.
*** Heinrich Jeremias Kretschmann, Diacon of the Nikolaikirche from 1728 to 1766.
**** Johann Caspar Carstädt or Karstaedt, Pastor of the Garnisonskirche from 1727 to 1726
***** Bear in mind these are all Lutheran pastors while the Hohenzollern family and the descendants of the French Huguenots are Calvinists.
