Frederick the Great discussion post 12

[cahn]

Every time I am amazed and enchanted that this is still going on! Truly DW is the Earthly Paradise!

All the good stuff continues to be archived at rheinsberg :)

Comments

Unfun interluding footnote: Seydlitz

[selenak]

Did we tell cahn about Seydlitz' syphilis yet? If we didn't, Cahn, Seydlitz really would have benefited from a break. He had contracted syphilis at a young age, and eventually died in the tertiary stage. There was a period of enstrangement from Fritz but also a reconciliation, and a very sad final meeting,. To quote Wiki: In August 1773, in his last illness, Frederick and Seydlitz met again at Seydlitz's home at Minkovsky near Ohlau (now Oława, Poland). The King sat beside his sickbed, horrified at Seydlitz's condition, and even persuaded him to take some of his medications, but Seydlitz would not look at him; the illness had already deformed his face.

Re: Unfun interluding footnote: Seydlitz

[mildred_of_midgard]

I mentioned it once, but not in this much detail, and I'm sure it got lost in the flood of information. This fandom is like drinking from a firehose!

Seydlitz, btw, is the one who got wounded in battle, recovered from his wound, and right before he returned to active duty, wrote to Fritz asking if he could marry someone who could act as his nurse in the hypothetical event that he got injured again someday.

Fritz: Sure! I'm all about marrying for the distant prospect of future medical care. I know you would never get married because you *wanted* to...right?

Seydlitz: Nope, not a bit of it. I mean, what about my entire life history would make you think I'm attracted to women? I'm as pure a Potsdamite as you and your brother! Just like your chamberlain boyfriend, who also married a nurse.

Fritz: I find this argument totally convincing. Permission granted!

Seydlitz, sotto voce: Fritz will let you marry a prospective nurse, spread the word!

ETA: Seydlitz also the one about whom Fritz wrote to Heinrich that his death could have been avoided if only he had listened his doctors like Fritz notoriously never does.

Re: Unfun interluding footnote: Seydlitz

[selenak]

And the one on the Obelisk ("this rare man, surviving all dangers, died in the arms of peace"). Lehndorff who socialized a bit with him when Seydlitz was recovering found him very dashing and attractive indeed.