1740 and All That

So, Dirk Fahlenkamp's Fritz and Fredersdorf book: is essentially, though it doesn't say so, a reedition of Richter's letters (which he duly notes are his one and only transcription used) - an edition with really great annotations, presented not as footnotes but as main text. Also he has a bit of a thematic reordering going on, i.e. first we get the majority of letters, which are medically themed, and then we get a collection of the alchemy themed and then one of the musically themed letters (i.e. Fredersdorf (i.e. Fredersdorf as manager and agent of the opera and orchestra musicians, basically). Aside from the undeniable fact that medical problems really take up a great deal of the existing Fritz/Fredersdorf correspondance, you can also tell that our editor/author has already written a book about 18th century medicine. The bibliography also lists several more. If you need to look up any threatment method our heroes might have used, or did use, this is your book to consult.

Speaking of the bibliography, I'm grateful there is one at the end, because Fahlenkamp doesn't use footnotes. This is a problem regarding one particular point, to which I'll get soon; anyway, the bibliography means I can at least make two guesses as to where he might have the intel from. But first time more overall observations: one of the attractions of the book is that he was also able to look up and scan some of the original letters, including our very favourite one about telling Frederdorf to be at the window so Fritz can see him when riding out but not to open it and have a fire burning (April 1754), and my sneaky second fave, Fritz kidding Fredersdorf about only drinking the elixir he sends him and nothing else or he will lose "the male power of love" for life. Other illustrations include photos of Zernikow and the mulberry trees (mine are just as good), of the landscape of Gratz, Fredersdorf's home town in Pomerania, of the registry listing Fredersdorf's baptism (as with Shakespeare and many other non-nobles, we don't actually know Fredersdorf's exact birthday; we do know on which day he was baptized, because that's the kind of information which was registered, and the relevant church archive survived), and of the golden snuff box with the bullet in it that saved Fritz' life in the 7 Years War. Fahlenkamp also provides information for just about everyone ever mentioned in the letters, and going by the bibliography, I can see that he used the same "Fritz and music" books I had read for the musicians, for example.

On the downside: given just how much we've ready by now, there is very little information here I hadn't seen before. For example, Fahlenkamp duly provides both versions of the Fritz/Fredersdorf origin story, i.e. either Fredersdorf was summoned to Küstrin to cheer up the Prince, or Fritz spotted him in Frankfurt an der Oder during the concert the students had prepared for him as a Christmas gift, and while hinting the first one is his personal favourite doesn't pretend one is better sourced than the other. OTOH, he's an unquestioning believer in the authenticity of Catt. (At which point I feel like exclaiming Koser, thou hast lived in vain! Am I the only one who ever reads the goddam preface?!?) There is some new stuff, including the frustratingly not annotated whomper I mentioned. And I was reminded of things I had read in Richter's edition but either not registered or forgotten. when reading the Richter edition. Plus, of course, Fahlenkamp isn't a nationalistic homophobe writing in 1926 insisting on Fritz' fatherly love for Fredersdorf, Wilhelmine being a hysterical woman, and the German national destiny.

Now, here are the new-to-me or brought-back-to-my-memory items:

( Fredersdorf''s family background, discussed )

( Fritz' gift of Zernikow to Fredersdorf and Fritz' titles at the beginning of his reign with what they imply )

( Old Dessauer, Young Carel, Alkmene, Vestris the Dancer and the art of the very selected quote )

( The Charge of Embezzlement, discussed )


In conclusion: footnotes referencing sources are your friends, history writers. We're as addicted to all the tabloid melodrama as any, but we really want to know where it comes from.

It's only taken a few months, but yours truly was finally able to identify the original sources for two particular Fredersdorf-related claims in various biographies.

Firstly, there's what we dubbed "The Matter of the Handsome Hussar". This first came to our attention in Wolfgang Burgdorf's biography "Friedrich der Große". Burgdorf, as if to make up for centuries of biographical no-homo'ing, is of "he was GAY GAY GAY AND THERE WAS NO HETEROSEX WITH ANYONE ANYWHERE" persuasion (this leads, for example, to the bewildering statement that Fritz was life long utterly platonic pen pals with the Countess Orzelska, which would be nice except none of us has seen a single letter in any collection anywhere), and often given to not providing any citation. So his declaration that "the King's love could be deadly" not just for Katte, but for "a handsome hussar named Girgorijj" who committed sucide after Fritz withdrew his favour was taken by us with a pinch of salt.

Then mildred_of_midgard came across the somewhat more reliable Tim Blanning making the following statement in his Frederick biography:

Only once did Fredersdorf appear to have lost his position, when ejected from Frederick’s tent while on campaign in favor of a handsome hussar. The mysterious suicide of his rival soon afterwards saw Fredersdorf back in Frederick’s favor.

Blanning provided a citation, to which, Peter-Michael Hahn, Friedrich II von Preußen., p. 62. I looked up said biography, and it did say what Blanning claims it did in as many words, but Hahn did not provide a citation as to where he had the story from. (Though Hahn is otherwise more given to provide footnotes than not.) So there we were, with a dead hussar, a potential temporary Fritz/Fredersdorf fallout with no date given, the insinuation that Fredersdorf might or might not have had anything to do with the death of said hussar, and no actual source. Until we came upon Gustav Volz, author and editor of many a Fritz-related book.

Gustav Volz, "Friedrich der Große im Spiegel seiner Zeitgenossen", volume 1, FINALLY turns out to have the original source of the "handsome husar", "the King's love could be deadly" "Fredersdorf jealous, soldier dead?" insinuations. It's on page 203. Context: part of a dispatch dated Hannover, March 9th, 1742, by one Baron August Wilhelm von Schicheldt, Secret Councillor to George II, Hannover department. In addition to writing a "hot or not?"profile of Fritz himself, he also profiles the entire court, politicians like Podewils (current Fritz minister, future envoy to Vienna and MT profiler), courtiers like Pöllnitz, relations like AW (who gets described as good natured but undereducated and not nearly the witty conversationalist or leader Big Bro is)...and finally he gets around to Fredersdorf. This report claims he's been enobled, which the books I've read so far said wasn't the case. Anyway, here's what the Baron says (drumroll...):

( Fredersdorf: Prime Suspect? )

The other Fredersdorf-related tale of uncertain origin we've been wondering about shows up in 19th century biographies like Preuss or Carlyle, but not so much in 20th century and later biographies, presumably because through later biographers, who had access to sources Preuss, Caryle et al did not, have dismissed it for the same reasons we did. This anecdote has Fredersdorf getting the permission from Fritz to marry Karoline Marie Elisabeth Daum in 1753 by pretending to be on death's door, and, being given the permission, marrying her within 24 hours to prevent Fritz from changing his mind. This is belied by, among other things, Lehndorff in his diaries mentioning the future Mrs. Fredersdorf as the future Mrs. Fredersdorf almost a year earlier; he also is informed of Fritz' wedding present for the bride. (December 15th 1752. 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.)

Unsurprisingly, the origin of the "24 hours" tale is a poet, to wit, Achim von Arnim. Reminder for non-Germans re: Achim von Arnim: grandson of Fredersdorf's widow on the maternal side, bff of Clemens Brentano, husband of Clemens' sister Bettina, both of whom are more famous in German literature than Achim. Who spent much of his childhood on the Zernikow estate. His mother had died shortly after his birth, his father didn't want to take care of him and his brother Karl Otto, and his grandmother, Karoline Maria Elisabeth Labes, widowed twice at this point (Fredersdorf was husband No.1, Johann Labes, also chamberlain to the King, was husband No.2, who died in 1776), literary bought the right the raise her grandkids from her son-in-law with 1.000 Taler and a contract saying as much. (Possibly to ensure he wouldn't suddenly change his mind again, the law favouring fathers.) This shows what an enterprising lady she was in her older years.

( Zernikow, Karoline Maria and Fredersdorf: quotes and pictures await )