Okay, not sure when I'll manage to read it all, but I had a very quick look at the preface. Preface writer assures us every single thing FW wrote with his own hands is reprinted here, bad spelling and all. What he summarizes are the early letters which are mostly dictated to the secretary (or phrased by him, even), with a personal sentence or several added in FW's hand writing.
Seems the source for the story of Klement overreaching himself by accusing Old Dessauer, whereupon Old Dessauer hands over his sword and does a "pick up that sword again or pick up me" with FW, plus tearful reunion, is Pöllnitz. Editor doesn't think it ever happened, but will allow Pöllnitz didn't make it up out of thin air, because a vaguely similar story is in one of Manteuffel's letters, but says that proves Manteuffel was Pöllnitz' source, and Manteuffel in this case was only interested in clearing Frau von Baspiel and thus was feeding Pöllnitz nonsense. His main reason for not believing FW ever suspected his pal of pals being that Old Dessauer gets informed via letters by FW about the ongoing Klement affair which editor thinks would not have happened if Klement had named Dessauer as involved or FW suspected him for a moment. Editor does allow FW with his ongoing belief that Klement/Clement must have said the truth was somewhat less than rational, though. I just checked one of the relevant letters, and behold FW telling old Dessauer that the whole trial against Klement was an evil witch hunt, the poor guy! When he risked so much to tell FW of those evil schemes!
Editor has it in for Saxon envoys and thinks both Manteuffel and Suhm were unable to truly understand the greatness and goodness that was FW. (Wilhelmine didn't, either, but she's excused for being a romantic female.) We're not to trust those Sexy Saxons one bit as far as their reporting on FW is concerned!
Completely new to me: there was a father/son crisis between FW and F1 according to the Dessauer letters in the last years of F1's life where someone slandered FW to F1, but they reconciled again. I don't recall either if the F1 biographies or the FW biographies I've read so far mentioning this at all!
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725! Which FW really really did not want to happen. (I hope Grumbkow appreciated the joke a few years later.) This had been a long time coming because while Dessauer and Grumbkow started out as allies while F1 was still alive, as soon as FW became King they started competing for the most influentual bff status with him. Editor honors Dessauer but is a bit more sceptical towards him than he was about FW and will allow he was incredibly touchy and concerned with his own honor, and while being an awesome army man and army reformer didn't understand anything of politics while Grumbkow did. The almost duel seems to have started out as a Leopold scheme to make Grumbkow look cowardly and bad in FW's eyes should Grumbkow refuse to fight him or kill him if they did fight, but it ended up working in Grumbkow's favor.
There are few of Old Dessauer's letters surviving and what few there are are mostly ultra respectful and somewhat impersonal, not intimate like the FW ones to him. (So a bit like the few Frederdorf letters among the many Fritz letters.)
According to the editor, Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau first disgtinguished himself at the battle of Höchstedt/Blenheim, getting much applause from Eugene & Malrborough, but not enough thank yous from F1, which is why the offendend young man wanted to leave and be employed by Team Vienna permanently, only Eugene, correctly concluding Young Dessauer would find Prussia more congenial than Vienna to his temper, calmed him down.
Not to worry, I figured a first pass would tell us useful things up front.
Preface writer assures us every single thing FW wrote with his own hands is reprinted here, bad spelling and all. What he summarizes are the early letters which are mostly dictated to the secretary
Ahhh, thank you!
Seems the source for the story of Klement overreaching himself by accusing Old Dessauer, whereupon Old Dessauer hands over his sword and does a "pick up that sword again or pick up me" with FW, plus tearful reunion, is Pöllnitz.
Hmm, interesting. Manteuffel is definitely the more reliable source. But since the editor has a hate-on for Manteuffel, I'm not surprised he doesn't buy it! Does he say who the recipient of the Manteuffel letter was? That might make a difference.
Editor has it in for Saxon envoys and thinks both Manteuffel and Suhm were unable to truly understand the greatness and goodness that was FW.
I figured any German who's publishing this many hundreds of pages of letters from FW to his BFF in 1905 is an FW stan, no surprises there. :P
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725!
I remember this from Wilhelmine!
I have mentioned the enmity of the two favourites of the king. As it broke out in the year 1724, it is proper to give an account of it here. Ever since the disgrace of madame de Blaspil, and the good harmony of the English and Prussian courts, the prince of Anhalt had lost much of his favour. He lived at Dessau, and came but seldom to Berlin. The king, however, had still a very great regard for him, and treated him with distinction on account of his military talents. Grumkow, however, had retained his favour unimpaired. He was entrusted with both the home and foreign affairs.
The prince of Anhalt had stood godfather to one of his daughters, and had promised her a portion of five thousand dollars. As this daughter was about to be married, her father wrote to the prince to remind him of his promise. Dissatisfied with Grumkow’s conduct, who had no longer any regard for him, and possessed alone the king's favour, the prince denied having made any such engagement. Grumkow answered; the prince rejoined; and at last they reproached each other with their villanies. The discourse became so abusive, that the prince of Anhalt determined to settle their quarrel in a single combat. Grumkow, with all his great merits, passed for an arrant coward: he had given proofs of his valour in the battle of Malplaquet, by remaining in a ditch all the time the action lasted: he had also distinguished himself at Stralsund, when he put one of his legs out of joint in the beginning of the campaign, which prevented his serving in the trenches: he had the same misfortune as a certain king of France, who could not see a naked sword without fainting: but still he was a brave general. The prince sent him a challenge. Grumkow, trembling with courage, and arming him self with the laws of religion and of the country, answered that he would not fight; that duels were prohibited both by divine and human laws; and that he was not inclined to transgress either. This is not all: he wished to merit a crown in heaven by suffering insults with patience: he made every possible apology to his antagonist, by which he the more incurred his contempt. The prince continued inexorable. The business at length got to the knowledge of the king, who used all his efforts to reconcile them, but in vain; the prince of Anhalt could not be appeased. It was therefore determined that they should settle their quarrel in the presence of two seconds. The prince’s second was a colonel Korf, in the Hessian service; and Grumkow’s, count Sekendorff, a general in the Austrian service, Grumkow’s intimate friend. The scandalous chronicle reported, that in their youth they had been partners at play, and won considerable sums. Be this as it may, Sekendorff was the living picture of Grumkow, except that he affected to be more religious, and was brave as his sword. Nothing was so laughable as the letters which Sekendorff wrote to Grumkow, to inspire him with courage. The king, however, attempted once more to interfere.
In the beginning of the year 1725, he assembled at Berlin a council of war, composed of all the generals and colonels commanding regiments of his army. Most of the generals were of the queen’s party. The fine promises given by Grumkow, to remain firmly attached to her majesty, dazzled her; she inclined the balance in his favour, or else he was in danger of being cashiered. He got off with an arrest of a few days, which was a kind of satisfaction the king gave to prince Anhalt. As soon as he was released from his arrest, the king clandestinely advised him to fight. The field of battle was near Berlin: the two combatants repaired to the spot, attended by their seconds. The prince drew his sword, using some abusive language towards his adversary. Grumkow cast himself at his feet, which he embraced, soliciting his pardon, and requesting to be restored to his favour. The prince, instead of replying, turned his back upon him. Ever since they were sworn enemies, and their animosity ceased only with life. It caused a total change for the better in the prince; most of whose bad actions have generally been attributed to the detestable counsels of Grumkow. The same might be said of prince Anhalt as was said of cardinal to Richelieu: "He has been guilty of too many bad actions to be well spoken of, and he has done too many good actions to be ill spoken of."
Which FW really really did not want to happen. (I hope Grumbkow appreciated the joke a few years later.)
You know, I'm still wondering if the 1729 almost-duel happened. The only sources we've recorded in Rheinsberg are Lord Hervey and Bielfeld both reporting what they've heard on the rumor mill. I've been reading extensively about foreign policy and diplomacy in the 1715-1731 period, and none of my sources, including an entire dissertation chapter on the 1729 fallout between Prussia and Hanover, mentions any such thing. But I still have some items on my reading list that I haven't gotten to yet, so I'm keeping an eye out.
There are few of Old Dessauer's letters surviving and what few there are are mostly ultra respectful and somewhat impersonal, not intimate like the FW ones to him. (So a bit like the few Frederdorf letters among the many Fritz letters.)
Had gotten this sense in my skimming and had had the same thought. It makes sense.
getting much applause from Eugene & Malrborough, but not enough thank yous from F1, which is why the offendend young man wanted to leave and be employed by Team Vienna permanently, only Eugene, correctly concluding Young Dessauer would find Prussia more congenial than Vienna to his temper, calmed him down.
Did not know this! Yeah, you made the right call, Eugene.
Thank you, selenak! I look forward to when you have time to see if there are any more goodies. (And I hope there are more goodies.) I do not expect a beginning-to-end read-through, by any means!
Wilhelmine’s description: 100 percent more snark than editor’s, but way more comprehensive. As Felis says, this goes on and on and ooooon, and even for the entertainment value of FW being Rational Guy for once, it’s too much.
BTW, I think Horowski alludes this when saying Wilhelmine was unfair when implying Grumbkow was a coward in battle, how would she know, but that it was understanble she hated him for contributing to ruining her life.
You know, I'm still wondering if the 1729 almost-duel happened. The only sources we've recorded in Rheinsberg are Lord Hervey and Bielfeld both reporting what they've heard on the rumor mill.
Yes, but they report it independently from each other and in different countries. Their social circles didn’t overlap back then. Hervey was dead by the time Fritz became Frederick Superstar and Bielfeld’s book became a bestseller. In his life time, he didn’t talk to non-royal Germans if he could possibly avoid it. Conversely, Hervey’s memoirs weren’t published, so Bielfeld can’t have read them. So if Hervey has heard this story from top British politicians and Bielfeld has heard it from Prussian courtiers, and they both name the same occasion as the trigger for the almost duel, I would say there must have been some gun to cause this bit of smoke.
One more thing about Hervey, 1729 was the year he came back to GB from his Grand Tour, so it’s understandable he didn’t witness the event, if it happened, himself, or rather the aftermath, since it would have happened while G2 was in Hannover and Caroline was regent in GB. But he became quickly familiar with all the players, and as you’ve found out, even the bits in his description that I thought were meant as satire (“haystack”) were in fact among the items G2 and FW argued about in 1729, so he must have talked about the affair with someone who was in the know.
As Felis says, this goes on and on and ooooon, and even for the entertainment value of FW being Rational Guy for once, it’s too much.
Fair, I do not expect a write-up! It's enough to know that FW was being the Rational Guy, I'm entertained just by that! :)
I think Horowski alludes this when saying Wilhelmine was unfair when implying Grumbkow was a coward in battle, how would she know, but that it was understanble she hated him for contributing to ruining her life.
Ah, yes, now that you remind me, I remember Horowski saying this.
Yes, but they report it independently from each other and in different countries. Their social circles didn’t overlap back then.
Fair, though Bielfeld was legation secretary to Hanover and London during Hervey's lifetime, so I can't be sure his sources are completely independent. POV-wise, the most detail Bielfeld has is supposed to come from "Baron von Borck, who had been the Prussian minister at London, and who had been dismissed from that court in a most ungracious manner," and who claims to have been the one who talked sense into FW. Borck could have been both Bielfeld's source and the source of the London rumor mill, since even if Hervey didn't talk to non-royal Germans, Borck presumably talked to some non-royal Englishmen who might have talked to Hervey. And Borck might have had an incentive to make the affair sound like it went a lot further than it did in order to make himself, recently dismissed and disgraced minister, look good.
But also there could be fire behind this smoke! Not disagreeing! (I really hope there was. :D)
Preface writer assures us every single thing FW wrote with his own hands is reprinted here, bad spelling and all..
Wow. (I'm gonna hazard a guess that it was way less than Fritz wrote :PP )
His main reason for not believing FW ever suspected his pal of pals being that Old Dessauer gets informed via letters by FW about the ongoing Klement affair which editor thinks would not have happened if Klement had named Dessauer as involved or FW suspected him for a moment.
But didn't that happen at the very end?
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725! Which FW really really did not want to happen.
Hee, I did not remember this from Wilhelmine, man.
Preface writer assures us every single thing FW wrote with his own hands is reprinted here, bad spelling and all..
Wow. (I'm gonna hazard a guess that it was way less than Fritz wrote :PP )
I think maybe you interpreted this to mean everything he wrote in his lifetime? What the preface writer means is everything he wrote to the Old Dessauer. Which is still some 700 pages! (Which is why we don't expect even the redoubtable selenak to read it all. :))
Hee, I did not remember this from Wilhelmine, man.
Benefits of having had to read every single sentence in German, very slowly, and think very hard about it before moving on to the next sentence. :)
Dittoing this, the editor meant all FW wrote by his own hand to Old Dessaur, not to other people. The letter passages (and letters) which were written by FW's secretary to Old Dessauer get summarized.
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Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
Seems the source for the story of Klement overreaching himself by accusing Old Dessauer, whereupon Old Dessauer hands over his sword and does a "pick up that sword again or pick up me" with FW, plus tearful reunion, is Pöllnitz. Editor doesn't think it ever happened, but will allow Pöllnitz didn't make it up out of thin air, because a vaguely similar story is in one of Manteuffel's letters, but says that proves Manteuffel was Pöllnitz' source, and Manteuffel in this case was only interested in clearing Frau von Baspiel and thus was feeding Pöllnitz nonsense. His main reason for not believing FW ever suspected his pal of pals being that Old Dessauer gets informed via letters by FW about the ongoing Klement affair which editor thinks would not have happened if Klement had named Dessauer as involved or FW suspected him for a moment. Editor does allow FW with his ongoing belief that Klement/Clement must have said the truth was somewhat less than rational, though. I just checked one of the relevant letters, and behold FW telling old Dessauer that the whole trial against Klement was an evil witch hunt, the poor guy! When he risked so much to tell FW of those evil schemes!
Editor has it in for Saxon envoys and thinks both Manteuffel and Suhm were unable to truly understand the greatness and goodness that was FW. (Wilhelmine didn't, either, but she's excused for being a romantic female.) We're not to trust those Sexy Saxons one bit as far as their reporting on FW is concerned!
Completely new to me: there was a father/son crisis between FW and F1 according to the Dessauer letters in the last years of F1's life where someone slandered FW to F1, but they reconciled again. I don't recall either if the F1 biographies or the FW biographies I've read so far mentioning this at all!
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725! Which FW really really did not want to happen. (I hope Grumbkow appreciated the joke a few years later.) This had been a long time coming because while Dessauer and Grumbkow started out as allies while F1 was still alive, as soon as FW became King they started competing for the most influentual bff status with him. Editor honors Dessauer but is a bit more sceptical towards him than he was about FW and will allow he was incredibly touchy and concerned with his own honor, and while being an awesome army man and army reformer didn't understand anything of politics while Grumbkow did. The almost duel seems to have started out as a Leopold scheme to make Grumbkow look cowardly and bad in FW's eyes should Grumbkow refuse to fight him or kill him if they did fight, but it ended up working in Grumbkow's favor.
There are few of Old Dessauer's letters surviving and what few there are are mostly ultra respectful and somewhat impersonal, not intimate like the FW ones to him. (So a bit like the few Frederdorf letters among the many Fritz letters.)
According to the editor, Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau first disgtinguished himself at the battle of Höchstedt/Blenheim, getting much applause from Eugene & Malrborough, but not enough thank yous from F1, which is why the offendend young man wanted to leave and be employed by Team Vienna permanently, only Eugene, correctly concluding Young Dessauer would find Prussia more congenial than Vienna to his temper, calmed him down.
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
Not to worry, I figured a first pass would tell us useful things up front.
Preface writer assures us every single thing FW wrote with his own hands is reprinted here, bad spelling and all. What he summarizes are the early letters which are mostly dictated to the secretary
Ahhh, thank you!
Seems the source for the story of Klement overreaching himself by accusing Old Dessauer, whereupon Old Dessauer hands over his sword and does a "pick up that sword again or pick up me" with FW, plus tearful reunion, is Pöllnitz.
Hmm, interesting. Manteuffel is definitely the more reliable source. But since the editor has a hate-on for Manteuffel, I'm not surprised he doesn't buy it! Does he say who the recipient of the Manteuffel letter was? That might make a difference.
Editor has it in for Saxon envoys and thinks both Manteuffel and Suhm were unable to truly understand the greatness and goodness that was FW.
I figured any German who's publishing this many hundreds of pages of letters from FW to his BFF in 1905 is an FW stan, no surprises there. :P
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725!
I remember this from Wilhelmine!
I have mentioned the enmity of the two favourites of the king. As it broke out in the year 1724, it is proper to give an account of it here. Ever since the disgrace of madame de Blaspil, and the good harmony of the English and Prussian courts, the prince of Anhalt had lost much of his favour. He lived at Dessau, and came but seldom to Berlin. The king, however, had still a very great regard for him, and treated him with distinction on account of his military talents. Grumkow, however, had retained his favour unimpaired. He was entrusted with both the home and foreign affairs.
The prince of Anhalt had stood godfather to one of his daughters, and had promised her a portion of five thousand dollars. As this daughter was about to be married, her father wrote to the prince to remind him of his promise. Dissatisfied with Grumkow’s conduct, who had no longer any regard for him, and possessed alone the king's favour, the prince denied having made any such engagement. Grumkow answered; the prince rejoined; and at last they reproached each other with their villanies. The discourse became so abusive, that the prince of Anhalt determined to settle their quarrel in a single combat. Grumkow, with all his great merits, passed for an arrant coward: he had given proofs of his valour in the battle of Malplaquet, by remaining in a ditch all the time the action lasted: he had also distinguished himself at Stralsund, when he put one of his legs out of joint in the beginning of the campaign, which prevented his serving in the trenches: he had the same misfortune as a certain king of France, who could not see a naked sword without fainting: but still he was a brave general. The prince sent him a challenge. Grumkow, trembling with courage, and arming him self with the laws of religion and of the country, answered that he would not fight; that duels were prohibited both by divine and human laws; and that he was not inclined to transgress either. This is not all: he wished to merit a crown in heaven by suffering insults with patience: he made every possible apology to his antagonist, by which he the more incurred his contempt. The prince continued inexorable. The business at length got to the knowledge of the king, who used all his efforts to reconcile them, but in vain; the prince of Anhalt could not be appeased. It was therefore determined that they should settle their quarrel in the presence of two seconds. The prince’s second was a colonel Korf, in the Hessian service; and Grumkow’s, count Sekendorff, a general in the Austrian service, Grumkow’s intimate friend. The scandalous chronicle reported, that in their youth they had been partners at play, and won considerable sums. Be this as it may, Sekendorff was the living picture of Grumkow, except that he affected to be more religious, and was brave as his sword. Nothing was so laughable as the letters which Sekendorff wrote to Grumkow, to inspire him with courage. The king, however, attempted once more to interfere.
In the beginning of the year 1725, he assembled at Berlin a council of war, composed of all the generals and colonels commanding regiments of his army. Most of the generals were of the queen’s party. The fine promises given by Grumkow, to remain firmly attached to her majesty, dazzled her; she inclined the balance in his favour, or else he was in danger of being cashiered. He got off with an arrest of a few days, which was a kind of satisfaction the king gave to prince Anhalt. As soon as he was released from his arrest, the king clandestinely advised him to fight. The field of battle was near Berlin: the two combatants repaired to the spot, attended by their seconds. The prince drew his sword, using some abusive language towards his adversary. Grumkow cast himself at his feet, which he embraced, soliciting his pardon, and requesting to be restored to his favour. The prince, instead of replying, turned his back upon him. Ever since they were sworn enemies, and their animosity ceased only with life. It caused a total change for the better in the prince; most of whose bad actions have generally been attributed to the detestable counsels of Grumkow. The same might be said of prince Anhalt as was said of cardinal to Richelieu: "He has been guilty of too many bad actions to be well spoken of, and he has done too many good actions to be ill spoken of."
Which FW really really did not want to happen. (I hope Grumbkow appreciated the joke a few years later.)
You know, I'm still wondering if the 1729 almost-duel happened. The only sources we've recorded in Rheinsberg are Lord Hervey and Bielfeld both reporting what they've heard on the rumor mill. I've been reading extensively about foreign policy and diplomacy in the 1715-1731 period, and none of my sources, including an entire dissertation chapter on the 1729 fallout between Prussia and Hanover, mentions any such thing. But I still have some items on my reading list that I haven't gotten to yet, so I'm keeping an eye out.
There are few of Old Dessauer's letters surviving and what few there are are mostly ultra respectful and somewhat impersonal, not intimate like the FW ones to him. (So a bit like the few Frederdorf letters among the many Fritz letters.)
Had gotten this sense in my skimming and had had the same thought. It makes sense.
getting much applause from Eugene & Malrborough, but not enough thank yous from F1, which is why the offendend young man wanted to leave and be employed by Team Vienna permanently, only Eugene, correctly concluding Young Dessauer would find Prussia more congenial than Vienna to his temper, calmed him down.
Did not know this! Yeah, you made the right call, Eugene.
Thank you,
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
BTW, I think Horowski alludes this when saying Wilhelmine was unfair when implying Grumbkow was a coward in battle, how would she know, but that it was understanble she hated him for contributing to ruining her life.
You know, I'm still wondering if the 1729 almost-duel happened. The only sources we've recorded in Rheinsberg are Lord Hervey and Bielfeld both reporting what they've heard on the rumor mill.
Yes, but they report it independently from each other and in different countries. Their social circles didn’t overlap back then. Hervey was dead by the time Fritz became Frederick Superstar and Bielfeld’s book became a bestseller. In his life time, he didn’t talk to non-royal Germans if he could possibly avoid it. Conversely, Hervey’s memoirs weren’t published, so Bielfeld can’t have read them. So if Hervey has heard this story from top British politicians and Bielfeld has heard it from Prussian courtiers, and they both name the same occasion as the trigger for the almost duel, I would say there must have been some gun to cause this bit of smoke.
One more thing about Hervey, 1729 was the year he came back to GB from his Grand Tour, so it’s understandable he didn’t witness the event, if it happened, himself, or rather the aftermath, since it would have happened while G2 was in Hannover and Caroline was regent in GB. But he became quickly familiar with all the players, and as you’ve found out, even the bits in his description that I thought were meant as satire (“haystack”) were in fact among the items G2 and FW argued about in 1729, so he must have talked about the affair with someone who was in the know.
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
Fair, I do not expect a write-up! It's enough to know that FW was being the Rational Guy, I'm entertained just by that! :)
I think Horowski alludes this when saying Wilhelmine was unfair when implying Grumbkow was a coward in battle, how would she know, but that it was understanble she hated him for contributing to ruining her life.
Ah, yes, now that you remind me, I remember Horowski saying this.
Yes, but they report it independently from each other and in different countries. Their social circles didn’t overlap back then.
Fair, though Bielfeld was legation secretary to Hanover and London during Hervey's lifetime, so I can't be sure his sources are completely independent. POV-wise, the most detail Bielfeld has is supposed to come from "Baron von Borck, who had been the Prussian minister at London, and who had been dismissed from that court in a most ungracious manner," and who claims to have been the one who talked sense into FW. Borck could have been both Bielfeld's source and the source of the London rumor mill, since even if Hervey didn't talk to non-royal Germans, Borck presumably talked to some non-royal Englishmen who might have talked to Hervey. And Borck might have had an incentive to make the affair sound like it went a lot further than it did in order to make himself, recently dismissed and disgraced minister, look good.
But also there could be fire behind this smoke! Not disagreeing! (I really hope there was. :D)
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
Wow. (I'm gonna hazard a guess that it was way less than Fritz wrote :PP )
His main reason for not believing FW ever suspected his pal of pals being that Old Dessauer gets informed via letters by FW about the ongoing Klement affair which editor thinks would not have happened if Klement had named Dessauer as involved or FW suspected him for a moment.
But didn't that happen at the very end?
There was an almost duel between Old Dessauer and Grumbkow in 1725! Which FW really really did not want to happen.
Hee, I did not remember this from Wilhelmine, man.
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer
Wow. (I'm gonna hazard a guess that it was way less than Fritz wrote :PP )
I think maybe you interpreted this to mean everything he wrote in his lifetime? What the preface writer means is everything he wrote to the Old Dessauer. Which is still some 700 pages! (Which is why we don't expect even the redoubtable
Hee, I did not remember this from Wilhelmine, man.
Benefits of having had to read every single sentence in German, very slowly, and think very hard about it before moving on to the next sentence. :)
Re: Letters from Soul Mates: FW and Alte Dessauer