Every couple of months I check if the 1740 issues of the Berlinische Nachrichten have been digitized yet, because among other things, there's that Preuss-alleged reference to Peter in December I want to see. They still haven't shown up, but I found something else this time: Berliner geschriebene Zeitungen aus dem Jahr 1740. These aren't official newspapers, but private reports, from two different people, which were written for the Abbess of Quedlinburg, June-December 1740. (The abbess at the time = a great-aunt of Russian!Pete. She died in 1755 - which is when Amalie got the job - and she and her people were interested in the new king and his politics because all throughout FW's reign there had been quarrels re: sovereignty, stationing of military, and of course recruiting. (I think there were very few people FW didn't have quarrels with regarding the last one.))
The two agents are Schultzer (previously military) and Vogel (low official) and the editor is the same one who published the Stratemann reports. He put some effort into checking all their claims and has lots of footnotes with references to other sources (actual newspapers and military records, other envoy reports, even the elusive Tröger compilation of Manteuffel's Fidamire thing) to verify things or correct them and point out unfounded rumours, in case the two agents don't correct themselves down the line, as they sometimes do.
Why am I telling you all this? Because Peter is mentioned.
On the 14th of October, Schultzer writes the following: "Übrigens ist den 12. der Herr Lieutnant v. Keit, welcher vor einigen Jahren von Wesel nach Engelland übergegangen, aus Engelland wieder hier angekommen, welches S.M., weil er nicht gerufen worden, ungnädig vermerckt haben sollen." ("Incidentally, on the 12th, Lieutnant von Keit, who moved from Wesel to Engelland a few years ago, came back from Engelland, which HM, because he was not called, is said to have received ungraciously.")
As you can see, immediately we have some mixed-up info and an unfounded rumour, but the Editor mentions the July summons in the footnote, setting this straight, and at least it's written in a way ("haben sollen") that makes it clear that it's only hearsay.
Even better: Fritz arrives in Berlin on the 15th, and: "Um 5 Uhr begab sich der Herr v. Kait, welcher Obristlieutenant in Portugisischen Diensten sein soll, durch die kleine Pforte an der Stech-Bahn, dem Dom gegenüber, nach die Königl. Zimmer, wohin S.M. denselben dem Verlaut nach beschieden hätten. Den 16. erschienen S.M. auf der Wachparade, wobei dieser Herr v. Kait sich gleichfalls befand. Weil aber S.M. vom Fieber noch nicht gäntzlich verlassen sind, als haben Sich Höchst-Dieselbe den 17. in Dero Zimmer gehalten. Eodem Abends um halb 9 Uhr trafen endlich die so lange erwartete Bayreuthsche Frau Markgräfin Königl. Hoheiten hier ein."
("At 5 o'clock, Herr von Kait, who is supposed to be Lieutenant Colonel in Portuguese service, went through the little gate at the Stech-Bahn, across from the cathedral, to the Royal Rooms, where HM reportedly had him called. On the 16th, HM appeared at the parade, and this Herr von Kait was also there. On the 17th, HM kept to his rooms because the fever still wasn't gone. The same day at half past eight in the evening the Bayreuth Margravine Royal Highnesses, who had been awaited for so long, finally arrived here.")
There are no references to other sources in the footnotes in this case, so this guy Schultzer seems to be the only one who reported this. That said, he tends to mention a lot of names and people, unlike his colleague Vogel, who keeps things a lot more brief and specifically doesn't have Schultzer's military interests and connections. (He corroborates Fritz's whereabouts, the fever, and Wilhelmine, but doesn't mention Peter.) Since I don't know why anybody should make this up in its entirety, there's at least a chance that Fritz and Peter did indeed meet on the 15th/16th (i.e. the earliest date possible). Fritz then leaves for Rheinsberg on the 19th, still suffering from fever.
Last Peter reference is on October 28: "Herr v. Kait sei Stallmeister geworden." (Which is the kind of career news Schultzer reports all the time. No mention of a commission in the Prussian military, though, which is something he would have noted I think.)
--
Other interesting tidbits:
Since Mildred was interested in the mourning dress code: During the envoy audiences on June 12th, Fritz was wearing violet, not black, which was very unusual. The footnote quotes Manteuffel: contre tout usage et sans rime et raison. Also, during those audiences, people noted (and some envoys were upset) that Valory got first dibs.
On June 5th, Fritz visits the treasury with v. Boden, Eversmann, and Fredersdorff; Eversman gets dismissed at least by June 17th, which is also when the Zernikow gift gets reported (with varying rtl. values). Fredersdorf's collection of responsiblities - Castellan, Bettmeister, Kämmerer, setting the theatre people straight - trickles in bit by bit over the months.
Re: Fritz's August trip - before he even left, there were already rumours that he'd go for an incognito trip to Paris, and lots of arguing back and fourth if true or just invented. (As of August 30th, Schulzer has not yet heard of the Strasburg adventure.)
LOTS of mentions that Fritz had revues for all the regiments and pulled all the prettiest people for his new guard regiment. See also, August 16th, mention of a new chamber servant, previously a musketeer, "[der] gut aussiehet". Also lots of info on the new page/servant/etc uniforms, very splendid and pretty, plus a green/golden carriage that Fritz had himself made.
Height of the rumour mill: right after the Emperor's death. Not just regarding the war preparations - people say we are going to invade Poland! no, Cleve! no, Silesia! yes, we are going to Silesia, but not to invade but to protect MT against Bavaria and Saxony! - but also other deaths, and while the Tzarina did indeed die (although not via unnatural causes), the Saxon King was NOT in fact assassinated in Warschau. :P To be fair, both of them say that nobody really knows and confirmation is missing.
Finally, in less Fritz-related but still interesting news: Schultzer includes the occasional crime report, i.e. several murders and street robberies, a severed head found in a clay jar, and an armoury break-in. Said break-in was followed by a lengthy investigation, starting with a tree, a ladder, and a broken window, and ending with an expert saying that the tree wasn't strong enough for a person and suggesting that it was an inside-job, upon which Stallmeister Schwerin vouched for all his people and the investigator's sights turned towards some craftsmen who had been working there, but a search of their rooms for the stolen goods didn't yield anything. No final conclusion reported. (Me: This detective story, while intriguing, leaves something to be desired.)
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News from 1740
Date: 2021-11-20 02:00 pm (UTC)Every couple of months I check if the 1740 issues of the Berlinische Nachrichten have been digitized yet, because among other things, there's that Preuss-alleged reference to Peter in December I want to see. They still haven't shown up, but I found something else this time: Berliner geschriebene Zeitungen aus dem Jahr 1740. These aren't official newspapers, but private reports, from two different people, which were written for the Abbess of Quedlinburg, June-December 1740. (The abbess at the time = a great-aunt of Russian!Pete. She died in 1755 - which is when Amalie got the job - and she and her people were interested in the new king and his politics because all throughout FW's reign there had been quarrels re: sovereignty, stationing of military, and of course recruiting. (I think there were very few people FW didn't have quarrels with regarding the last one.))
The two agents are Schultzer (previously military) and Vogel (low official) and the editor is the same one who published the Stratemann reports. He put some effort into checking all their claims and has lots of footnotes with references to other sources (actual newspapers and military records, other envoy reports, even the elusive Tröger compilation of Manteuffel's Fidamire thing) to verify things or correct them and point out unfounded rumours, in case the two agents don't correct themselves down the line, as they sometimes do.
Why am I telling you all this? Because Peter is mentioned.
On the 14th of October, Schultzer writes the following: "Übrigens ist den 12. der Herr Lieutnant v. Keit, welcher vor einigen Jahren von Wesel nach Engelland übergegangen, aus Engelland wieder hier angekommen, welches S.M., weil er nicht gerufen worden, ungnädig vermerckt haben sollen." ("Incidentally, on the 12th, Lieutnant von Keit, who moved from Wesel to Engelland a few years ago, came back from Engelland, which HM, because he was not called, is said to have received ungraciously.")
As you can see, immediately we have some mixed-up info and an unfounded rumour, but the Editor mentions the July summons in the footnote, setting this straight, and at least it's written in a way ("haben sollen") that makes it clear that it's only hearsay.
Even better: Fritz arrives in Berlin on the 15th, and: "Um 5 Uhr begab sich der Herr v. Kait, welcher Obristlieutenant in Portugisischen Diensten sein soll, durch die kleine Pforte an der Stech-Bahn, dem Dom gegenüber, nach die Königl. Zimmer, wohin S.M. denselben dem Verlaut nach beschieden hätten. Den 16. erschienen S.M. auf der Wachparade, wobei dieser Herr v. Kait sich gleichfalls befand. Weil aber S.M. vom Fieber noch nicht gäntzlich verlassen sind, als haben Sich Höchst-Dieselbe den 17. in Dero Zimmer gehalten. Eodem Abends um halb 9 Uhr trafen endlich die so lange erwartete Bayreuthsche Frau Markgräfin Königl. Hoheiten hier ein."
("At 5 o'clock, Herr von Kait, who is supposed to be Lieutenant Colonel in Portuguese service, went through the little gate at the Stech-Bahn, across from the cathedral, to the Royal Rooms, where HM reportedly had him called. On the 16th, HM appeared at the parade, and this Herr von Kait was also there. On the 17th, HM kept to his rooms because the fever still wasn't gone. The same day at half past eight in the evening the Bayreuth Margravine Royal Highnesses, who had been awaited for so long, finally arrived here.")
There are no references to other sources in the footnotes in this case, so this guy Schultzer seems to be the only one who reported this. That said, he tends to mention a lot of names and people, unlike his colleague Vogel, who keeps things a lot more brief and specifically doesn't have Schultzer's military interests and connections. (He corroborates Fritz's whereabouts, the fever, and Wilhelmine, but doesn't mention Peter.) Since I don't know why anybody should make this up in its entirety, there's at least a chance that Fritz and Peter did indeed meet on the 15th/16th (i.e. the earliest date possible). Fritz then leaves for Rheinsberg on the 19th, still suffering from fever.
Last Peter reference is on October 28: "Herr v. Kait sei Stallmeister geworden." (Which is the kind of career news Schultzer reports all the time. No mention of a commission in the Prussian military, though, which is something he would have noted I think.)
--
Other interesting tidbits:
Since Mildred was interested in the mourning dress code: During the envoy audiences on June 12th, Fritz was wearing violet, not black, which was very unusual. The footnote quotes Manteuffel: contre tout usage et sans rime et raison. Also, during those audiences, people noted (and some envoys were upset) that Valory got first dibs.
On June 5th, Fritz visits the treasury with v. Boden, Eversmann, and Fredersdorff; Eversman gets dismissed at least by June 17th, which is also when the Zernikow gift gets reported (with varying rtl. values). Fredersdorf's collection of responsiblities - Castellan, Bettmeister, Kämmerer, setting the theatre people straight - trickles in bit by bit over the months.
Re: Fritz's August trip - before he even left, there were already rumours that he'd go for an incognito trip to Paris, and lots of arguing back and fourth if true or just invented. (As of August 30th, Schulzer has not yet heard of the Strasburg adventure.)
LOTS of mentions that Fritz had revues for all the regiments and pulled all the prettiest people for his new guard regiment. See also, August 16th, mention of a new chamber servant, previously a musketeer, "[der] gut aussiehet". Also lots of info on the new page/servant/etc uniforms, very splendid and pretty, plus a green/golden carriage that Fritz had himself made.
Height of the rumour mill: right after the Emperor's death. Not just regarding the war preparations - people say we are going to invade Poland! no, Cleve! no, Silesia! yes, we are going to Silesia, but not to invade but to protect MT against Bavaria and Saxony! - but also other deaths, and while the Tzarina did indeed die (although not via unnatural causes), the Saxon King was NOT in fact assassinated in Warschau. :P To be fair, both of them say that nobody really knows and confirmation is missing.
Finally, in less Fritz-related but still interesting news: Schultzer includes the occasional crime report, i.e. several murders and street robberies, a severed head found in a clay jar, and an armoury break-in. Said break-in was followed by a lengthy investigation, starting with a tree, a ladder, and a broken window, and ending with an expert saying that the tree wasn't strong enough for a person and suggesting that it was an inside-job, upon which Stallmeister Schwerin vouched for all his people and the investigator's sights turned towards some craftsmen who had been working there, but a search of their rooms for the stolen goods didn't yield anything. No final conclusion reported. (Me: This detective story, while intriguing, leaves something to be desired.)