Frederick the Great discussion post 15

[cahn]

...I have nothing clever to say here, just really pleased this is still going :)
rheinsberg

Comments

Re: 1799

[selenak]

I was going to say. „Lehndorff has hobbit-like qualities“, but then I reconsidered. Let‘s do this properly. Who would be of which race and age, were they a Tolkien character? I‘m tempted to go with dwarves for the Hohenzollern, because two thirds male homosocial society, champion grudge bearers, stubborn, love good singing and a nice treasury. Which would beg for the Habsburgs as Elves (their time is actually past, highest rank and all that, but then again, neither MT nor her immediate family had any intent of going west and diminishing, and MT can‘t be accused of avoiding a fight, so - maybe they should rather be Stewards of Gondor?

Lehndorff does work as a hobbit, but given his longing to travel, one of the larger Took clan. Seydlitz, of course, is a man of Rohan. So is Katte.

Re: living in a golden age - agreed, and since Lehndorff isn‘t a historian but has actually lived through it, it‘s doubly interesting that he sees it that way. Mind you, he doesn‘t say he wants to go back there. Just that there were giants in those days. (This reminds me: Heinrich‘s letter „pretending the last twelve years didn‘t happen“ letter to Ferdinand includes the self aware „having illusions about the past“.)

Lehndorff and the Comte, yes, shame he didn‘t get along with the (nearly) sole decent one of the lot, but it might have been too much to ask - the sole one he actually liked was Lamberg when they were young, and with all the others, he varied between toleration to active dislike. The odds were against the Comte there.

Re: 1799

[mildred_of_midgard]

Hmm. I always have trouble thinking in terms of groups of people instead of individuals. Maybe the British could be Numenoreans? With you on Seydlitz and Katte. :D

since Lehndorff isn‘t a historian but has actually lived through it, it‘s doubly interesting that he sees it that way.

Agreed! And yes, he seems to be saying that the times that are filled with giants are *not* necessarily the times that are most comfortable to live in as a normal person.

Heinrich‘s letter „pretending the last twelve years didn‘t happen“ letter to Ferdinand includes the self aware „having illusions about the past“.

Oh, Heinrich. *hug*

Re: 1799

[cahn]

Hee! I like the idea of the Habsburgs as elves! Rebellious elves? :)