Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 43

[cahn]

Still going! Still clearing Fritz's valet/chamberlain Fredersdorf's name from the calumny enshrined in wikipedia that he was dismissed for financial irregularities!

Comments

Manger on Leining

[selenak]

Ha, my guess that Manger might have listed Leining as he did Fredersdorf & Glasow under "people who were not building masters but who carried out the King's orders towards them" paid off.

The order is really Fredersdorf - Glasow - Leining - Neuffer - etc. I did reread the Fredersdorf chapter, and it reminded me that while Manger has some criticism (he thinks Fredersdorf was smart but also nuts with the alchemy stuff, and liked money a lot, so Manger includes asides like "he fell in love with the daughter of rich banker Daum or with her money") and thus is by no means a Fredersdorf apologist, still ends his Fredersdorff chapter with: "It remains to be said that Fredersdorf due to a very painful illness could not accompagny the King on campaign anymore in 1756, but had to remain in Potsdam. He still was one of the few who enjoyed the King's favour until their death. For when the King 1758 received the news of his death in Dresden, people supposedly noticed tears in his eyes."

(Page 650 of Manger's book, if you want to quote it.) Then comes the Glasow paragraph which I translated in totem in the Glasow post at Rheinsberg, and then it's time for:

Friedrich Wilhelm Leining, Sergeant with the first Bataillon Leibfußgarde and Lieutenant with the Army, took Glasow's position as Secret Chamberlain, but had little to do with building matters. For example on February 18th 1752 he forwarded news about the assigned rest sum of the 23325 Taler for the construction of the Colonnades.

And that's it, except for the letter in question quoted in the footnote, which is again about the money transferred and which Neuffer (the next guy) is supposed to co-sign the receipt of. It's not surprising Manger didn't see much more of Leining, since Manger remained in Potsdam throughout the war, and Leining it seems remained with Fritz in the field.

Anyway, seems I was wrong about Leining being from the civil service. Fritz must have drafted him on the spot. "Leibfußgarde" - "Personal guard on foot?" Was that a thing? Help? Anyway, Presumably he came across as responsible, and had been around Fritz enough so Fredersdorf was familiar with him and vice versa.

Re: Manger on Leining

[mildred_of_midgard]

Proper response when time permits. For now:

For example on February 18th 1752

Typo for 1762.