Indeed. <3 It is surprising on both Fritz's and Fredersdorf's side that the latter never picked up enough French for them to communicate in (or that he hid it really well :P).
As to what motivated Fredersdorf to either not learn French or pretend he didn't: my current guess it had to do with a) maintaining his identity, his sense of self, and b) was a smart move not to look inferior vis a vis the Algarottis of Fritz' circle.
re: b) no matter how well he was or would have been able to learn French as an adult (who had a lot of other things to do which he couldn't delegate!), he would never have been able to speak and write French on a level approaching that of Fritz' intellectual friends. He'd have sounded clumsy and foolish next to them, and he knew this meant volunteering for humiliation and ridicule at worst and silent disappointment at best. I mean, look at Fritz going on about AW's educational deficits in the late 30s, and Voltaire making that "didn't learn to read or write" crack. And AW might have been lagging behind in his education, but he did get one as a prince from early childhood onwards. Frederdorf would just not have been able to catch up on any Fritz satisfying level. Meanwhile, he could be extremely competent at the things he did do, and Fritz respected that.
and a) So much of his life was about Fritz that I think insisting on German as their language was something like insisting on alchemy, and his own medication, despite Fritz constantly telling him otherwise. It was a way of of saying "This is me, not you; I love you, but I exist apart from you". Maintaining that core of self probably allowed him to remain sane and have no nervous breakdowns. (As opposed to ruining his physical health.)
And again, that Fritz accepted the language instead of doing a "my way or no way" here remains as powerful a testimony as the open tenderness of those letters.
Re: He said, she said, they said: on partitioning Poland and other matters
As to what motivated Fredersdorf to either not learn French or pretend he didn't: my current guess it had to do with a) maintaining his identity, his sense of self, and b) was a smart move not to look inferior vis a vis the Algarottis of Fritz' circle.
re: b) no matter how well he was or would have been able to learn French as an adult (who had a lot of other things to do which he couldn't delegate!), he would never have been able to speak and write French on a level approaching that of Fritz' intellectual friends. He'd have sounded clumsy and foolish next to them, and he knew this meant volunteering for humiliation and ridicule at worst and silent disappointment at best. I mean, look at Fritz going on about AW's educational deficits in the late 30s, and Voltaire making that "didn't learn to read or write" crack. And AW might have been lagging behind in his education, but he did get one as a prince from early childhood onwards. Frederdorf would just not have been able to catch up on any Fritz satisfying level. Meanwhile, he could be extremely competent at the things he did do, and Fritz respected that.
and a) So much of his life was about Fritz that I think insisting on German as their language was something like insisting on alchemy, and his own medication, despite Fritz constantly telling him otherwise. It was a way of of saying "This is me, not you; I love you, but I exist apart from you". Maintaining that core of self probably allowed him to remain sane and have no nervous breakdowns. (As opposed to ruining his physical health.)
And again, that Fritz accepted the language instead of doing a "my way or no way" here remains as powerful a testimony as the open tenderness of those letters.