Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 47

[cahn]

We haven't had a new post since before December 25, so obligatory Yuletide link to this hilarious story of Frederick the Great babysitting his bratty little brother, with bonus Fritz/Fredersdorf!

Comments

1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[mildred_of_midgard]

I knew Lehndorff would have the goods on Fritz's reception of the Turks in November 1763, and indeed, he delivers!

October. The Turkish ambassador has arrived in Breslau, and great preparations are being made here to receive him. The Minister of State, Count Finck, assures us that the Peace of Dresden did not cause him as much work as determining the ceremonies for this affair. Achmet Effendi will take up residence in the large Vernezobre house, where everything is furnished in scarlet red in Turkish style. Old Baron Pöllnitz will introduce the envoy. Pöllnitz therefore receives a servant in magnificent livery from the king and a wonderful state dress for himself. His Majesty wrote to him on this occasion: "If you write to me, from now on you will use this address: To Mr. Friedrich, famous personal tailor to Baron von Pöllnitz, living in Potsdam in the suburb of Sanssouci."

Lol, Fritz.

November. The Turkish envoy has arrived in Weißensee. Several Berliners were there to see him; one finds that he has the appearance of a venerable old man. People also praise his gentle character, but claim to know that he is filthy with avarice. On November 9th the whole city was in motion because of the entry of the Turkish envoy. A spectacle like this has never been seen in this country. I'm going to Governor von Hülsen where the whole train has to pass. The envoy arrives at 11 a.m. He sits very well on horseback, and all the Turks in his entourage are handsome men. By the way, I don't think the procession is particularly splendid; Of course, it is explained that all the pomp is being saved for the audience with the king. The Turkish music is terrible, the whole demeanor of the people and their appearance could be called Jewish. The ambassador has his nephew with him, who will probably have a more refined demeanor than the others because he has lived for a long time in the grand vizier's house. He asks Mr. v. Printz, the king's adjutant, to introduce him to all societies, so that he can learn European behavior.

18th century anti-Semitism at work.

I finally satisfy my curiosity and visit the Turk. I attend his meal, his prayer and see the form of his receptions. Everything here is so different from our customs and customs and seems so sad to us that we get the impression that these people must feel quite unhappy. But maybe they have the same view of us. The Messenger's nephew is a young man full of fire who shows an eager desire to learn our customs. He has already dined with several people in the city and seems to be enjoying himself quite well in our company. Yesterday we visited him with a whole group of ladies. He chose the most beautiful ones first and gave them the best seats. Then, with the finest grace in the world, he gave us coffee and jam, and he also began to sing and was in a lovely mood.

I am impressed with his "but maybe they have the same view of us." Lehndorff has his moments of insight!

The old Baron Pöllnitz, who is supposed to determine all the etiquette to be observed for the Turkish ambassador's audience with the king, feels completely rejuvenated. He, who was raised in the etiquette and pomp of the court of Frederick I, is completely in his element. The king now and then disturbs his joy by declaring that all the festivities are disgusting to him, and two days before the audience he writes to him that he does not want to have any ceremony, but will simply meet the Turkish ambassador in his usual rooms received . This makes the baron so angry that no one dares approach him. The king finally arrives at 5 o'clock in the afternoon on the 19th, and Count Finck finds an opportune moment to convince the king that the love of oriental splendor requires a celebratory public reception.

Pöllnitz is beside himself with joy and runs straight to the queen to tell her that he has won the victory and that everything will now play out as it should. He immediately informed the entire nobility that everyone had to meet in the White Hall at 10 a.m. on the 20th.

Hahaha, this whole drama is hilarious to me. It must be hard to have formed your taste for ceremony under Grandpa F1 and then have to live through the reigns of FW and Fritz.

On this day at 9 a.m., the gifts that the Ottoman emperor gives the king are brought into the room next to the Ritter hall intended for the audience and are displayed here. The Ritter hall was beautifully decorated. A dais of three steps had been erected under the canopy, which, in keeping with the noble austerity of our court, was covered with an old window curtain made of crimson and covered with gold. On it stood a canapé of solid silver covered with crimson velvet, in front of which was a table covered with the same cloth. The table had been taken from the cathedral, where it is used for communion and baptisms. The king goes into this hall at 9 a.m. accompanied by all the princes. He waited until 12 o'clock when Baron Pöllnitz and Achmet Effendi finally entered the room in front of the hall.

Here the ambassador is given a chair and the emperor's turban is placed on his head. Then the Baron knocks on the door and the High Court Marshal Count Reuss asks what he wants. Pöllnitz replies that the Turkish ambassador is there and is requesting an audience with the king. Now the ambassador is allowed to enter. Instead of bowing three times, as Christian ambassadors do, he raises his right hand three times, then approaches the throne and delivers his speech, closing his eyes. He addresses the king as "Emperor" and calls him the "follower of Jesus, the sectarian of Nazareth." After Count Finck has answered, the envoy quickly climbs the steps of the throne, takes the king's right arm, kisses his shoulder and disappears from the hall with lightning speed.

Pöllnitz now accompanies the envoy back to the hotel with the same ceremony, where a lavish meal is served by the king. The king appointed 24 people, including me, to take part in it, and as luck would have it, I got my place next to Achmet so that I could see exactly how he eats. He leaves the dishes prepared by our chefs untouched and only enjoys those prepared in the local style. You always give him one bowl after the other and he diligently reaches out with his fingers and serves us in the same way. I'm so curious to taste everything; It's disgusting, everything prepared with honey and oil.

He really likes our dessert and has several porcelain bowls taken away. As we rise from the table, his entourage plunders the entire dessert, which seems quite amusing to us. The ambassador then has the coffee served and plays the amiable host.

That same evening the king gives a ball to the queen and then drives back to Potsdam early in the morning. The Hereditary Prince of Braunschweig and the Prince of Prussia stay here for another day and attend the ball at Prince Ferdinand's, where the nephew of the Turkish ambassador is having a great time.

On December 12th, Prince Heinrich arrives in Berlin, quite displeased at having swapped his idyllic Rheinsberg for the noisy Berlin. He also gives the Turks an audience, where he seems quite interested since the matter is completely new to him.

Poor Heinrich. He *just* got to move to Rheinsberg! This is also when he's clinically depressed from PTSD, of course.

The Turks are actively taking part in the carnival festivities that are now beginning. The old envoy always maintains his dignity and has only appeared once in a play. His nephew, on the other hand, young Effendi, is everywhere and is having a great time. In the academy where I took him, he looked at our physics experiments with great interest. These people don't talk much, but they often make pertinent comments. When he sees the color change in the water that the Margrave causes with various essences, he says: "Yes, what's the use of that? It would be better if you could make water instead of giving it colors." Electricity arouses his lively interest. In the evening we are in Dominos at a ball that Prince Henry is giving to the queen and a large part of the nobility. Old Achmet is delighted to see all these beautiful women; he assures us that he has never seen so many from one house.

And thus ends Lehndorff's entry.

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[selenak]

You can always rely on Lehndorff (if he's around) for those things. (Just not for positive details about the Katte family. *g*) I vaguely remembered that entry, but I hadn't reread it after the first time I read through the diaries, so reading it again now was very welcome. It's perhaps also worth pointing out/reminding everyone that Turks per se were not completely new to Berlin, since Sophia Charlotte famously brought two attendants with her from Hannover, just as her brother G1 would take two with him to Britain. (Though whether SC's two "Chamber Turks", Hassan and Ali, were actually Turks (from Anatolia) or just "Turks" in the sense of citizens of the vast Ottoman Empire is impossible to say. Just that because her last words were supposedly addressed to them - "Adieu, Hassan, adieu, Ali" -, Berliners would have been aware of their existence, and of course both had married and founded families, the descendants of which were still around today. Still, something like this embassy would have been incredibly "exotic" for 1763, especially coming hard on the heels of the Seven Years War with attendant austerity.

It must be hard to have formed your taste for ceremony under Grandpa F1 and then have to live through the reigns of FW and Fritz.

Pöllnitz: Why do people think I changed my religion a couple of times? I was trying to figure out the right way to pray for a miracle!

Re: Fritz giving in, since we're still in 1763, Fritz is undoubtedly aware he's pissed people off/disappointed them by skipping the public victory celebrations and making the Berliners wait in vain for him earlier that year.

He addresses the king as "Emperor"

Good thing MT wasn't there, she might have rethought partitioning the Ottoman Empire?

Poor Heinrich. He *just* got to move to Rheinsberg! This is also when he's clinically depressed from PTSD, of course.

Indeed, and about to slide into the last, very dysfunctional phase of his relationship with Kalckreuth while Kaphengst isn't around yet (but soon will be), not to mention poor Mina.

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[mildred_of_midgard]

You can always rely on Lehndorff (if he's around) for those things. (Just not for positive details about the Katte family. *g*)

I almost concluded that write-up with these exact same two sentences! *g*

Still, something like this embassy would have been incredibly "exotic" for 1763, especially coming hard on the heels of the Seven Years War with attendant austerity.

Yeah, individual Turks and an embassy being officially received with pomp and circumstance are two very different things!

Pöllnitz: Why do people think I changed my religion a couple of times? I was trying to figure out the right way to pray for a miracle!

Lol, Selena! I actually laughed out loud.

Re: Fritz giving in, since we're still in 1763, Fritz is undoubtedly aware he's pissed people off/disappointed them by skipping the public victory celebrations and making the Berliners wait in vain for him earlier that year

Ah, yes, good point.

He addresses the king as "Emperor"

Good thing MT wasn't there, she might have rethought partitioning the Ottoman Empire?

Hahaha. Where are her spies, though??? (More seriously, that was 5-10 years later, so it's doubtful if even the same people are in charge.) But yes, she would not have been amused!

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[luzula]

Just wanted to let you know that while I'm not commenting much, I have now read and enjoyed all your entries in this series so far!

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[mildred_of_midgard]

Understood, thank you for letting me know, and glad it's entertaining!

selenak, same goes for me and your Stuart entries! (Well, I still have to catch up on today's, but I will, is the point.) :)

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[luzula]

Yes, definitely entertaining, A+ on that score!

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[cahn]

18th century anti-Semitism at work.

>:(

Everything here is so different from our customs and customs and seems so sad to us that we get the impression that these people must feel quite unhappy. But maybe they have the same view of us.

I was also impressed by this!

I'm so curious to taste everything; It's disgusting, everything prepared with honey and oil.

Hee. I can't say I agree with Lehndorff here :) Baklava used to be my very favorite dessert!

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Prussia: Lehndorff

[selenak]

At least he tries it first before condemming it? :) Lehndorff being genuinely curious about other people and customs is another appealing trait of his.