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 1726 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:
- when Fredersdorf was born, Gartz actually was still a part of Sweden; Fredersdorf became a Prussian subject only at age 12, courtesy of FW having taken part in the Great Northern War which Sweden lost (which meant they had to hand over Southern Pomerania to Prussia); it's a river town, located at the Oder, with some very slight hills around
- Fredersdorf was the seventh and youngest child of town musician Joachim Fredersdorf and, so Fahlenkamp claims, "his wife Anna Christiane Fredersdorf born von Frederborn". I'm assuming this is from the baptism registry. Colour me confused, because no one, not even the early 19th century letters edition which makes Fredersdorf the son of a Frankfurt merchant, mentioned his mother having been nobilty; and it would be stunning messalliance for a noble lady to have married the town piper. I therefore tentatively suggest that "Frederborn" might be her place of origin, i.e. she's from F., not a "von F."; but it's just a theory
- Fahlenkamp has a transcription of the entire donation documement of Fritz giving Fredersdorf Zernikow, dated Charlottenburg, June 26th (cahn, FW died on May 30th, so that really was barely a month later) , and while it's typical judical Rokoko German (just as much a headache to read as all the Katte interroggation protocols, though with a more fun subject), I chortled about the very start, which lists all of Fritz' new titles and goes about three quarters of a page, just like MT 's titles, only hers go with a litlte more terrritory. I'm also amused he' s listed not just as the Prince of Jülich and Berg (FW and Fritz wish!) but as the "Duke of Silesia" (Fritz, you hadn't even invaded yet!). I'll transcribe all the titles for your amusement below.
- the document says Zernikow was given "in recognition of the tireless, diligent, devoted and loyal service" which Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf has given so far and will give in the future; Fredersdorf later is referred to as "our dear faithful", and I also find it interesting that the linguistically, the document doesn't just specify Zernikow will also go to Fredersdorf's descendant or otherwise heirs and their heirs, but says it will remain "his or her true property"; this is important because women inheriting isn't a given in German lands at this time (MT: Don't I know it!), but the document specifically says female heirs are just as valid
- the letter excerpts remind me that Seckendorff's biographer might be an outlier in considering Old Dessauer as the most evil man of his time, but Fritz and Fredersdorf aren't fans, either, for this is how they talk about his death:
Fritz: Eichel will send you the letter back. Get me two Pour Le Merité crosses and mail them to me; Old Dessauer has kicked the bucket.Now take care of yourself, Gott bewahre Dir!
Fredersdorf: The Old Prince will enjoy meeting all the devils he's always sworn by; and other than Geheimrat Deutsch, no one will wish him a good journey.
Fritz uses the term "verreckt", which isn't just slang for dying, but contemptuous slang, so maybe "has bit the dust" would be a better translation, I keep wavering between the two and defer to you two as the native speakers. Geheimrat Deutsch was a veteran official in the army supply line, who Fahlenkamp guesses might now afraid for his job. -
- Alkmene's fur was black (yay! actual intel!)
- Carel the page, who gets mentioned repeatedly in several of the later letters, was Carl Friedrich von Pirch, born on October 12th 1739, who was hired in 1754 as the King's page for ten Taler monthly salary (at last a Fritizian page salary! I always wanted to know); he remained with Fritz into the 7 Years War but managed to mishandle a loaded gun which exploded (this actually happened a lot, believe it or not, I remember it from Füssel's 7 Years War book) and thus got himself killed in 1757
- Fahlenkamp tells the same anecdote about Fritz not using spurs on horses and why that Mildred told us eons ago
- (Gaetano Appolline Baldassare) Vestris, male star ballet dancer (lived from 1729 - 1808), who was one of the divas Fredersdorf had to negotiate for, had such a healthy ego that he said "there are only three great men in Europe: The King of Prussia, Voltaire and I"
- Fahlenkamp employs the art of the very selected quote when claiming that our Lehndorff "maliciously describes Fredersdorf as 'a common man from the most backward Pommarania without any education'"; if you'll recall, the complete sentence goes " It is not a little amazing that a common man from the most backward Pommarania without any education could acquire such decency, grace of conduct and quickness of mind" (for the entire Lehndorff on Fredersdorf passage, see October 25th 1757); Fahlenkamp also quotes Voltaire's "He has a chancellor who never talks" etc. up to "and all these positions are fulfillled by a single man named Fredersdorf, who is also valet, chamberlain and cabinet secretary", but attributes this passage not to Voltaire (who gets quoted by name in other parts of the book), but to "a French envoy"; I'm side eyeing you now, Fahlenkamp
Fredersdorf: The Dirk Fahlenkamp Version (I) - Generalities
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 1726 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:
- when Fredersdorf was born, Gartz actually was still a part of Sweden; Fredersdorf became a Prussian subject only at age 12, courtesy of FW having taken part in the Great Northern War which Sweden lost (which meant they had to hand over Southern Pomerania to Prussia); it's a river town, located at the Oder, with some very slight hills around
- Fredersdorf was the seventh and youngest child of town musician Joachim Fredersdorf and, so Fahlenkamp claims, "his wife Anna Christiane Fredersdorf born von Frederborn". I'm assuming this is from the baptism registry. Colour me confused, because no one, not even the early 19th century letters edition which makes Fredersdorf the son of a Frankfurt merchant, mentioned his mother having been nobilty; and it would be stunning messalliance for a noble lady to have married the town piper. I therefore tentatively suggest that "Frederborn" might be her place of origin, i.e. she's from F., not a "von F."; but it's just a theory
- Fahlenkamp has a transcription of the entire donation documement of Fritz giving Fredersdorf Zernikow, dated Charlottenburg, June 26th (
- the document says Zernikow was given "in recognition of the tireless, diligent, devoted and loyal service" which Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf has given so far and will give in the future; Fredersdorf later is referred to as "our dear faithful", and I also find it interesting that the linguistically, the document doesn't just specify Zernikow will also go to Fredersdorf's descendant or otherwise heirs and their heirs, but says it will remain "his or her true property"; this is important because women inheriting isn't a given in German lands at this time (MT: Don't I know it!), but the document specifically says female heirs are just as valid
- the letter excerpts remind me that Seckendorff's biographer might be an outlier in considering Old Dessauer as the most evil man of his time, but Fritz and Fredersdorf aren't fans, either, for this is how they talk about his death:
Fritz: Eichel will send you the letter back. Get me two Pour Le Merité crosses and mail them to me; Old Dessauer has kicked the bucket.Now take care of yourself, Gott bewahre Dir!
Fredersdorf: The Old Prince will enjoy meeting all the devils he's always sworn by; and other than Geheimrat Deutsch, no one will wish him a good journey.
Fritz uses the term "verreckt", which isn't just slang for dying, but contemptuous slang, so maybe "has bit the dust" would be a better translation, I keep wavering between the two and defer to you two as the native speakers. Geheimrat Deutsch was a veteran official in the army supply line, who Fahlenkamp guesses might now afraid for his job. -
- Alkmene's fur was black (yay! actual intel!)
- Carel the page, who gets mentioned repeatedly in several of the later letters, was Carl Friedrich von Pirch, born on October 12th 1739, who was hired in 1754 as the King's page for ten Taler monthly salary (at last a Fritizian page salary! I always wanted to know); he remained with Fritz into the 7 Years War but managed to mishandle a loaded gun which exploded (this actually happened a lot, believe it or not, I remember it from Füssel's 7 Years War book) and thus got himself killed in 1757
- Fahlenkamp tells the same anecdote about Fritz not using spurs on horses and why that Mildred told us eons ago
- (Gaetano Appolline Baldassare) Vestris, male star ballet dancer (lived from 1729 - 1808), who was one of the divas Fredersdorf had to negotiate for, had such a healthy ego that he said "there are only three great men in Europe: The King of Prussia, Voltaire and I"
- Fahlenkamp employs the art of the very selected quote when claiming that our Lehndorff "maliciously describes Fredersdorf as 'a common man from the most backward Pommarania without any education'"; if you'll recall, the complete sentence goes " It is not a little amazing that a common man from the most backward Pommarania without any education could acquire such decency, grace of conduct and quickness of mind" (for the entire Lehndorff on Fredersdorf passage, see October 25th 1757); Fahlenkamp also quotes Voltaire's "He has a chancellor who never talks" etc. up to "and all these positions are fulfillled by a single man named Fredersdorf, who is also valet, chamberlain and cabinet secretary", but attributes this passage not to Voltaire (who gets quoted by name in other parts of the book), but to "a French envoy"; I'm side eyeing you now, Fahlenkamp