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cahnBackground: The kids' school has a topic for "Unit" every trimester that a lot of their work (reading, writing, some math) revolves around. These topics range from time/geographic periods ('Colonial America') to geography ('Asia') to science ('Space') to social science ('Business and Economics'). (I have some issues with this way of doing things, but that's a whole separate post.) Anyway, for Reasons, they have had to come up with a new topic this year, and E's 7/8 class is doing "World Fairs" as their new topic.
Me: I know E's teacher is all about World Fairs and I know she is great and will do a good job. But I feel like if we had a different teacher who wasn't so into World Fairs, they wouldn't do such a good job and another topic would be better.
Me: Like... the Enlightenment!
D: Heh, you could teach that! But you'd have to restrain yourself from making everything about Frederick the Great.
Me: But that's the thing! Everyone does relate to each other in this time period! Voltaire -- and his partner Émilie du Châtelet, who was heavily involved in the discourse of conservation of energy and momentum -- well, I've told you Voltaire had a thing with Fritz -- and then there's Empress Maria Theresa, who went to war with him a few times -- and Catherine the Great --
D, meditatively: You know --
Me: *am innocently not warned even though this is the same tone of voice that is often followed by, say, a bad pun*
D: -- it's impressive how everyone from this 'the Great' family is so famous!
Me: *splutters*
D, thoughtfully: But of course there's probably selection bias, as the ones who aren't famous don't get mentioned. You never see 'Bob the Great' in the history books...
Me: *splutters more*
Me: I know E's teacher is all about World Fairs and I know she is great and will do a good job. But I feel like if we had a different teacher who wasn't so into World Fairs, they wouldn't do such a good job and another topic would be better.
Me: Like... the Enlightenment!
D: Heh, you could teach that! But you'd have to restrain yourself from making everything about Frederick the Great.
Me: But that's the thing! Everyone does relate to each other in this time period! Voltaire -- and his partner Émilie du Châtelet, who was heavily involved in the discourse of conservation of energy and momentum -- well, I've told you Voltaire had a thing with Fritz -- and then there's Empress Maria Theresa, who went to war with him a few times -- and Catherine the Great --
D, meditatively: You know --
Me: *am innocently not warned even though this is the same tone of voice that is often followed by, say, a bad pun*
D: -- it's impressive how everyone from this 'the Great' family is so famous!
Me: *splutters*
D, thoughtfully: But of course there's probably selection bias, as the ones who aren't famous don't get mentioned. You never see 'Bob the Great' in the history books...
Me: *splutters more*
Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2023-12-28 06:47 am (UTC)It's four pages, and I'm not wrestling with the semi-legible parts, so I'm just going to give highlights.
FW is hunting at Wusterhausen, in the worst temper of his life, and that's saying a lot (says Løvenørn, lol).
SD has left with the third daughter, and the oldest daughter has still not recovered from her indisposition. [Mildred:
Fritz is at Küstrin, and never sees anyone except the guard officer on duty, the guy with the keys who opens and closes his door, and the lackey who dresses Fritz and brings him food. The officer in question sleeps in the antechamber with two sub-officers, they are armed to the teeth, and they have to swear an oath not to speak a word to Fritz. Fritz gets 8 groschen for food at midday and the same in the evening.
[Mildred: I'm not going to look it up, but we have the details in FW's orders, and I think that's correct.]
Katte hasn't been judged yet, but he and Fritz are still being interrogated and giving depositions.
Nobody knows how this said story will end, but it puts all right-thinking men in a state of desolation. FW is planning a manifest on his treatment of Fritz, but hasn't published it yet.
*handwriting deteriorates, lots of scratching out*
Something illegible about Hotham and the English.
*handwriting gets good again, albeit with scratching out*
The English court certainly did not approve Fritz's plan. The English ministers in Berlin haven't done anything but report Fritz's complaints about his father's treatment of him and his intentions to put an end to it.
*handwriting deteriorates*
Katte told Løvenørn that Fritz often complained to him about his father?
Something about Fritz and Katte and their respective depositions about their roles in this affair. Sorry, not deciphering this bit, doesn't look like it'll tell us anything new.
Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2023-12-28 08:48 am (UTC)Lövenörn, you just weren't present for most of his life, so say all the veterans who were. Though certainly the aftermath of the escape attempt is a very special time in that way.
SD has left with the third daughter, and the oldest daughter has still not recovered from her indisposition. [Mildred: [personal profile] cahn, remember that Wilhelmine was locked up in house arrest, and without being able to take communion, under pretense of being indisposed.)
Stratemeann the Braunschweig envoy gives us the same report (i.e. Wilhelmine is sick) right until very very briefly before she's allowed out again. Otoh I think Guy Dickens doesn't, but then he gets his news from SD's chapel. The second daughter presumably is not mentioned because that's the one who has already been married, to Ansbach. (Where she'll be absolutely miserable and go from a spirited girl cheeking FW about what kind of food he allows his family to a depressive woman. Thanks to her husband.)
Nobody knows how this said story will end, but it puts all right-thinking men in a state of desolation.
Sad story, I presume. Fontane points out that all the fretting among the envoys and at foreign courts was done for as long as Fritz' fate and Katte's fate were linked in that people did have genuine fears FW would go hardcore on Fritz, but that as soon as it was clear Fritz would survive, no one bothered with Katte anymore because he was guilty for conspiring with the crown prince against the sitting monarch and of attempted desertion, and therefore his sentence, while harsh, was not seen as unduly unfair. Now that doesn't quite jive with those December reports by Dickens of FW's reaction to hearing how Katte is lamented and symphatized with in GB, but I am curious whether Lövenörn will change his attitude as soon as it's clear that while it's death for Katte, Fritz' life is no longer at stake.
FW is planning a manifest on his treatment of Fritz, but hasn't published it yet.
That's an interesting rumor. I could see him intending to do so and being talked out of it by Grumbkow & SEckendorff, because seriously, he would not do himself or the reputation of the Prussian royal family any favours no matter how much he insists on being in the right and everyone conspiring against him.
Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2023-12-28 09:27 am (UTC)Yep, I was thinking of him!
Sad story, I presume.
Yes, sorry, typo for "sad" ("triste").
. Fontane points out that all the fretting among the envoys and at foreign courts was done for as long as Fritz' fate and Katte's fate were linked in that people did have genuine fears FW would go hardcore on Fritz, but that as soon as it was clear Fritz would survive, no one bothered with Katte anymore because he was guilty for conspiring with the crown prince against the sitting monarch and of attempted desertion, and therefore his sentence, while harsh, was not seen as unduly unfair.
I definitely remember Eugene being disapproving of Katte's fate, until he read the Puncta, when he realized Katte had been encouraging Fritz, and he concluded the sentence was probably for the best.
I am curious whether Lövenörn will change his attitude as soon as it's clear that while it's death for Katte, Fritz' life is no longer at stake.
We may not find out; the letters only go up to October (which is why
There are a couple letters between King Christian and Løvenørn in November, but they seem to have to do more with Christian's accession and Løvenørn's recall than with affairs in Prussia. Though that's only as best I can tell from skimming Kurrent in German and--oh god--Danish; I may modify this assessment after I do a proper decipherment. Løvenørn's Kurrent seems readable, I should be able to do this, at least for the German ones.
That's an interesting rumor. I could see him intending to do so and being talked out of it by Grumbkow & SEckendorff, because seriously, he would not do himself or the reputation of the Prussian royal family any favours no matter how much he insists on being in the right and everyone conspiring against him.
It's a rumor that rings a bell, but I can't remember where I've encountered it before.
Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2024-01-01 08:53 am (UTC)Question: did Stratemann ever have to deal with gangpressing, or was the Duke of Brunswick on such good terms with FW that he let him have all the tall men he wanted?
Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2024-01-01 09:01 am (UTC)Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2024-01-01 09:47 am (UTC)I have to say, it was definitely a feeling of deja vu watching gangster!Fritz demand soldiers from Weimar during the Seven Years' War, and Anna Amalia as regent constantly trying to get out of it. Like father, like son, in some respects.
Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2024-01-01 12:21 pm (UTC)Re: Løvenørn letters: Sept 26, 1730
Date: 2024-01-01 12:43 pm (UTC)