The rough pranks which were being played on Gundling can be explained both by his odd personality
WHAT
IKR? Original phrase: "Seine skurrile Persönlichkeit". You'd think a modern historian would know better than to go with "he asked for it" as an excuse for victimizing, but noooo. Also, no mention of the fact Gundling somehow made it to the age of 40 without his "odd personality" invisting people to torment him, not to mention that Protestant pastors Freylinghausen (in 1727) and Schubert (days before Gundling's death in 1731) could hold conversations with him without feeling the slightest urge.
In summation: The problem that there's no way you can honestly tell the tale of Gundling without putting FW in a bad light is solved by older historians by declaring the worst excesses never happened or were surely exaggarated and that Gundling, being a weak alcoholic, had it coming; and by newer FW-friendly historians by saying that okay, they happened, but he could have run away more successfully, and also it was the era and also Gundling was weird and an alcoholic and had it coming.
Also, note that neither Kloosterhuis nor Göse mention Gundling on his deathbed begged through the Reverend that FW shouldn't bury him in a wine barrel with the horrid taunting inscription. And FW not only refused the request from a dying man but actively punished anyone not participating in the mocking funeral he himself had devised. Presumably even the spin-doctors are at a loss to come up with an explanation not containing the word "cruelty" for that one, especially since refusing the request of a dying man brought through a clergyman - when the dying person in question isn't a criminal, hasn't gone against the law, has, in fact, done his best to serve in the offices he was appointed to and thus even in 18th century morals would be due some consideration from his liege lord - is just about the most un-Christian King like behavior imaginable.
And all these clergymen were like "NO FW. THIS IS WRONG AND YOU ARE WRONG. FULL STOP." and no one pauses to say, "wait a minute, what were these guys all worked up about? MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE HE WAS WRONG."
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timeasmymeasure
Re: FW and the Younglings
Date: 2021-04-14 05:58 am (UTC)WHAT
IKR? Original phrase: "Seine skurrile Persönlichkeit". You'd think a modern historian would know better than to go with "he asked for it" as an excuse for victimizing, but noooo. Also, no mention of the fact Gundling somehow made it to the age of 40 without his "odd personality" invisting people to torment him, not to mention that Protestant pastors Freylinghausen (in 1727) and Schubert (days before Gundling's death in 1731) could hold conversations with him without feeling the slightest urge.
In summation: The problem that there's no way you can honestly tell the tale of Gundling without putting FW in a bad light is solved by older historians by declaring the worst excesses never happened or were surely exaggarated and that Gundling, being a weak alcoholic, had it coming; and by newer FW-friendly historians by saying that okay, they happened, but he could have run away more successfully, and also it was the era and also Gundling was weird and an alcoholic and had it coming.
Also, note that neither Kloosterhuis nor Göse mention Gundling on his deathbed begged through the Reverend that FW shouldn't bury him in a wine barrel with the horrid taunting inscription. And FW not only refused the request from a dying man but actively punished anyone not participating in the mocking funeral he himself had devised. Presumably even the spin-doctors are at a loss to come up with an explanation not containing the word "cruelty" for that one, especially since refusing the request of a dying man brought through a clergyman - when the dying person in question isn't a criminal, hasn't gone against the law, has, in fact, done his best to serve in the offices he was appointed to and thus even in 18th century morals would be due some consideration from his liege lord - is just about the most un-Christian King like behavior imaginable.
Re: FW and the Younglings
Date: 2021-04-16 04:50 am (UTC)