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Preußische Kuriositäten

Tag Archives: Books

Mollwitz

31 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by paulskin in Books, Events

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Books, carlyle, fritz, prussia, schlacht

Purely by coincidence I just started reading about the Battle of Mollwitz in “Ausgewählte Werke Friedrichs des Großen“, Erster Band, on the same day that I was repairing one of my editions of Thomas Carlyle’s History of Frederick the Great ready for rebinding and came across the following map. So I scanned it before it all goes back together.

Weltbürger

17 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by paulskin in Politics

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Books, german, geschichte, history, ideas, marwitz, politics, prussia

This seemed apposite considering my views of current politics, it was for opinions like this that Marwitz went to Spandau for a short while. “Weltbürger” sort of jumped out.

Nachlasse, Vol. I Seite 321.

Es bildete sich der Wahn aus und verbreitete sich weit, daß man ein Weltbürger seyn könne (Kosmopolit) ohne ein ordentlicher Staatsbürger zu seyn, und eben daher kam es, daß die Staats-Angelegenheiten nur von dazu besoldeten Dienern betrieben wurden, ohne eingentliche lebendige Theilnahme von seiten der Staatsbürger, daß diese letzteren sich je mehr und mehr isolirten, und daß, je freier die Gedanken wurden, um desto mehr die Regierung einseitig und despotisch gehandhabt wurde.

Friedrich Wilhelms Gymnasium 

05 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by paulskin in Uncategorized

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bismarck, Books, german, geschichte, prussia

I’ve just noticed that my 1794 copy of  Campe’s Kinder Bibliothek has a library stamp from “Königl. Friedrich Wilhelms Gymnas.” which I presume is the Friedrich Wilhelms Gymnasium in Berlin (although it could be one of several others), once on the corner of Kochstraße and Friedrichstraße, sadly no longer extant. 

I see that Bismarck was a pupil there, perhaps he read the same book? 

Die historische Mühle von Sanssouci

13 Thursday Jul 2017

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Books, fritz, german, geschichte, history, hohenzollern, prussia

A cutting from a magazine, 1950’s maybe?, found in “Ausgewählte Werke Friedrichs des Großen”, Erster Band.

Kamenskoi (Kamensky) – Russian or Prussian?

29 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by paulskin in Books, Events

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Books, geschichte, heroes, history, marwitz, prussia, schlacht

Russian or Prussian? Hero or Villain?

Marwitz states in his memoirs (Seite 210), apparently relating what he had heard from Major (later Field Marshall) von Knesebeck regarding Kamenskoi, commander of the Russian troops in Prussia in 1806:

Kamenskoi war ein preußischer Offizier, im 7jährigen Kriege von den Russen gefangen, und in ihre Dienste übergtreten, also eigentlich ein Deserteur, der sich durch seine Tapferkeit, vorzüglich unter Suvarow, emporgeschwungen hatte.

So, a Prussian officer, captured in the 7 Years War who went over to the Russians and rose through the ranks due to his bravery.

Wikipedia however, clearly states that he was a Russian, with Russian forenames, born in St. Petersburg. Strange that Marwitz got it so wrong, particularly since Marwitz assures us that he got the story from Knesebeck who had had private meetings with Kamenskoi, couldn’t he tell a Russian from a Prussian?

The standard account surrounding the Battle of Pultusk seems to be that Kamenskoi lost his grip, possibly his mind, left the army, General Bennigsen particularly, in the lurch, and was removed from his command.

The account from Knesebeck and Marwitz is that Kamenskoi went out to reconnoitre the left flank of his troops, got separated and lost in the dark and the terrible weather and, getting on in years, became ill. However he managed to retain enough of his wits to order a regrouping of the army near Novograd, in order to prepare for a large scale offensive against the French.

This order was obeyed by General Buxhöwden but ignored by Bennigsen, who saw an opportunity to attack a weak French force, and thereby increase his own prestige, furthermore, by writing a scathíng report about both Kamenskoi and Buxhöwen he hoped to take command of the army. As indeed happened.

If Helen Mirren (a descendant apparently?) is reading this, which I doubt, then if it’s any consolation Marwitz seemed to think Kamenskoi was a decent man and that the confusion around the battle of Pultusk was not down to him, but to the “greedy” and “arrogant” Bennigsen.

Even more curiously Marwitz says that Kamenskoi died shortly after this event (Seite 216), not murdered by one of his mistreated serfs as stated by Wikipedia:

Wo dieser in dem Augenblick gewesen? weiß man nicht, wahrscheinlich todtkrank, denn er starb bald darauf, vermuthlich aus Aerger über seinen Fehlgriff.

Marwitz’s account differs wildly from the received one, personally I trust him more than Wikipedia, but I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the complete truth.

So to partially put the record straight, or confuse it even more, here’s Marwitz’s conclusion (Seite 217/218):

So war also zuerst Kamenskoi, der noch ein Preußisches Herz hatte, und den Zweck des Krieges erkannte, dann der tapfere Buxhöwden beseitigt, der Kaiser war betrogen, und der hochmüthige, geldgierige Intriguant (Bennigsen) führte die Armee nach seinen, nicht nach des Krieges Zwecken.

Bellona and the Magic Stick

14 Wednesday Jun 2017

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Books, folklore, geschichte, history, marwitz, prussia

Time for another Marwitz instalment, this time a couple of small, superstitious observations from 1806.

In the lead up to the war with Napoleon (der Pferdedieb), Berlin and the surrounding area were apparently shook up by the bad omen of the head of the statue of Bellona (Minerva) being blown off the top of the Zeughaus in a storm and crashing to the ground. It wasn’t restored until 1817. It’s the group on the left in the photo below.

Zeughaus

Later in 1806 when Marwitz returned to his estate at Friedersdorf, badly neglected in his absence, there was a big fire, allegedly set by Gypsies. Almost all the stables were destroyed, apart from one, apparently saved by magic (Füßnote, Seite 160/161):

Ein kleiner Stall blieb mitten in der Brandstelle stehen. An selbigem stand ein Stock. Wie ich mich wunderte, das dieses kleine Ding von Holz und Stroh mitten in den Flammen unversehrt geblieben, sagte man mir:

“Ja, das macht der Stock!”

“Wie so?”

“Es kam ein alter Mann, sah das Feuer an, murmelte einige Worte setzte den Stock gegen den Stall, sprach: laßt den Stock da stehen! — und ging fort.”

— So viel war Wahr, der Stock stand da und der Stall war wunderbarer Weise nicht mitverbrannt.

Seems unlikely.

Hauptmann von Blumenstein

02 Friday Jun 2017

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Books, german, geschichte, history

Hauptmann von Blumenstein, billeted with Marwitz in Dresden in 1805 seems like quite the character. Although stereotypically French (lively, quick-witted and educated, angeblich), he maintained nonetheless that Blumenstein was his real name.

After leaving France (where he served in the Royal Musketeers) because of the revolution he becomes a dedicated Prussian officer, complete with, if Marwitz’s transcription is anything to go by, a rather curious accent.

When the French garrison he was besieging at Glogau in 1813 wanted to negotiate, he refused to speak in French and made them use an interpreter:

Ick bin ein Deutscher! Ick verstehe der verfluchten Kerlen ihre Sprake nick. Wollen sie mit einem Deutschen Offizieren reden, können Deutsch lernen! Müssen wir wohl Französisch lernen, wenn nach Frankreich kommen!

Later he retired to a small estate near Breslau  where he apparently speculated unsuccessfully with a new type of brick(?), and ended up on his uppers.

Aus dem Nachlasse Friedrich August Ludwig’s von der Marwitz, Volume 1, Pages 138-139.

Der Tag ist Angebrochen #2

01 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by paulskin in Books, Politics

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Books, collecting, german, geschichte, history, ideas, prussia

Today I received a copy of Der Tag ist Angebrochen! in the post, via AbeBooks as usual.

TagAngebrochen

2nd edition, 1852, a little tatty but solid. I’m confident that it will provide the opportunity for a few more blogposts yet…

*Edit: Now sandwiched in my bookcase between Bismarck’s Gedanken und Erinnerungen and a book of his speeches. You can feel the spinning in the Bismark Mausoleum.

Der Tag ist angebrochen!

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by paulskin in Books, Politics

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bismarck, Books, german, geschichte, history, ideas, politics, prussia

I found a not particularly flattering reference to “Der Tag ist angebrochen!” by Rudolph Dulon in “Briefwechsel des Generals Leopold von Gerlach mit dem Bundestags-Gesandten Otto von Bismarck” (20th May 1852).

Upon reading it, not only can I see why they were unimpressed, but also that Mencius Moldbug may have a point…

From Chapter 3, “Der Tag der Erkenntnis”:

Ihr seid Diener des Volks, unterworfen seinem Willen. Wollt ihr mehr sein, so ist das gegen Gottes Willen und gegen sein heilige Ordnung.

See, you can’t argue with Democracy, it’s the will of God.

Huldigung Friedrich Wilhelm des Dritten

26 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by paulskin in Books, Events, Politics

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Books, collecting, geschichte, history, hohenzollern, marwitz, prussia

Another incident, this time at the Huldigung for Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1798, sounds like a good day out. Somewhat of an anti-democracy theme so stay away if you’re a true believer, as most are today.

Marwitz, not a particular fan of democracy, probably understandable given the recent (and continuing) events during the French Revolution, was not overly impressed by the presence of Abbé Sieyès as the French representative: “ein Kerl mit einem wahren Canaillen-Gesicht, mit seinem schwarzen Kopf (damals ging noch Alles gepudert) und mit seiner enormen dreifarbigen Schärpe.” (A wretch with a proper dog’s face, black hair — powdered wigs were still the current fashion — and a gigantic tri-coloured sash).

To make his day even better, a guest at a nearby table began spouting the latest fashionable socialist views (hardly the right time and place one would have thought), the first time that Marwitz had heard such views spoken aloud. Another nearby guest (Major von Bredow, perhaps related to him of the trousers fame) was even more incensed, rising red-faced from his chair he states: “Jetzt ist es genug! Infamer Hallunke, wenn er nun nicht den Augenblick das Maul hält, so wahr ich lebe, ich packe ihn, und werfe ihn hier zu dem Fenster hinaus!” (That’s enough, you scoundrel, if you don’t shut up this moment I’ll pick you up and throw you out the window!). The socialist, understandably, shuts up.

To the denigration of my bank balance Marwitz mentions that a commemorative Medallion was under each napkin on the table, so of course I had to buy one.

 

 

 

 

 

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