Inaugurating the Prussian Kingdom

Today is the 315th anniversary of the coronation of King Frederick I as King in Prussia at Königsberg in 1701.

King Frederick I in his Coronation robes and with the Prussian regalia.

The King is wearing the collar of the Order of the Black Eagle

Image: Wikipedia

Frederick persuaded the Emperor Leopold I to allow Prussia to be elevated to a kingdom. This agreement was ostensibly given in exchange for an alliance against King Louis XIV in the War of the Spanish Succession. Frederick argued that Prussia had never been part of the Holy Roman Empire, and he ruled over it with full sovereignty. Therefore, he said, there was no legal or political barrier to letting him rule it as a kingdom. Frederick was aided in the negotiations by Charles Ancillon.

Frederick crowned himself and his Queen, Sophie Charlotte of Hanover, on 18 January 1701 in Königsberg. Although he did so with the Emperor's consent, and also with formal acknowledgement from Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony, who held the title of King of Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Diet (Sejm) raised objections, and viewed the coronation as illegal. In fact, according to the terms of the Treaty of Wehlau and Bromberg, the House of Hohenzollern's sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia was not absolute but contingent on the continuation of the male line (in the absence of which the duchy would revert to the Polish crown). Therefore, out of deference to the region's historic ties to the Polish crown, Frederick made the symbolic concession of calling himself "King in Prussia" instead of "King of Prussia."


His royal status was, in any case, limited to Prussia and did not reduce the rights of the Emperor in the portions of his domains that were still part of the Holy Roman Empire. In other words, whilst he was King in Prussia, he was still only an Elector under the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Emperor in Brandenburg. Legally, the Hohenzollern state was still a personal union between Brandenburg and Prussia. However, by the time Frederick crowned himself as King, the Emperor's authority over Brandenburg (and the rest of the Holy Roman Empire) was only nominal, and in practice it soon came to be treated as part of the Prussian kingdom rather than as a separate entity. His grandson, Frederick the Great, was the first Prussian monarch to formally style himself "King of Prussia" in 1772.
[Adapted from the Wikipedia article on King Frederick I]

The Crown of King Frederick I

Image: Wikipedia

The Prussian Regalia on display at Charlottenburg Palace

The smaller crown is that made for Queen Sophie Charlotte

Image: Wikipedia

Sir Christopher Clark in his superb The Iron Kingdom describes the ceremonies of the coronation, with its blend of the older ceremony of allegiance whereby the kneeling landholders raised their right arms in a pledge of allegiance - a similar gesture was made at the Dutch enthronement in 2013 - and self -coronation in the so-called "Age of Absolutism".

The Coronation of King Frederick I

A now destroyed (?) painting by Adolph von Menzel of 1885

Image: skyscrapercity.com

The day before the coronation the new King founded the Order of the Black Eagle, which was the premier Chivalric Order of the Hohenzollern monarchy. There is an account of the Order, its insignia and members at Order of the Black Eagle. I have posted about it previously in Order of the Black Eagle of Prussia

The King's successors King Frederick William I and King Frederick II rejected the Baroque court style of King Frederick I, and indeed the only subsequent similar Prussian coronation was that of King William I in October 1861.

Iron Kingdom

I recently completed reading Christopher Clark's  excellent Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947

Image:Amazon

This really is a wonderful piece of historical scholarship, and a very readable book. It combines elegance and erudition, and richly illustrated with telling, and often entertaining, examples from the history of Prussia and the Prussians. Inevitably, and fittingly, the Hohenzollerns are centre stage for much of the historic drama that is unfolded before the reader's eyes.

It is thought provoking, and a book from which the reader learns a very great deal. It is the type of book to read, to have for refernce and to share with others.

A recurring theme is that of the contrasts and conflicts between a sense of identity inherent in the realm, the state and the nationalism of a unified Germany, even if led and dominated by Prussia. That these three concepts might not indeed be the same, however much they shared, is central to much of Clark's argument about what made Prussia what it was, and the extent to which their conflicting ends counteracted each other.

Prussia within the German Empire

Image: Wikipedia

He also draws out the dilemma posed by the location of the Kingdom and the continuing question as to whether it should primarily look west or look east or look south. For much of its history it was the weaker in power relationships with its neighbours. 

The sudden move to the first rank came only in the 1860s, and that was more uncertain than is often depicted. Thus in 1860 The Times could write of Prussia that had hitherto failed to demonstrate true potential, and in the war of 1864 - the first Prussia had fought since 1815, bar policing measures in 1848-9 within the Confederation - its army was far less successful than that of the Austrians, who had fought in 1858-9 in northern Italy, against Denmark. Again in 1866 the defeat of Austria was perhaps more surprising than one is often led to believe in school text books.

This is above all a balanced and humane book, rich in human sympathy for both princes and paupers. The one Prussian Clark writes about whom he appears to dislike is Hindenburg - who has, I think, had a rather good press in Britain.

The last chapter, covering the period after 1918 makes for depressing reading, heartrending at times, and culminates in the idiocy of the 1947 abolition of Prussia by the Allies, on the basis that Prussia of itself was the cause of all the evils that had beset Germany. The problem and perception of the memory of Prussia, the remembrance of the realm, which runs through the book draws it to a conclusion as elegant as one could wish to find in such a work.

Royal Standard of the King of Prussia from 1871

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Prussian Palaces

Today,January 18th was a significant date in teh calendar of the Kingdom of Prussia - it was on this day in 1701 that King Frederick I was crowned and on which in 1871 German Empire, presided over by the King of Prussia as German Emperor was proclaimed at Versailles.

As I am justa bout to sart reading Christopher Clark's acclaimed Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947 today seems a good day on which to post some pictures of Prussian palaces and royal residences.

I have posted previously about the rebuilding of the Royal Palace in Berlin in Rebuilding the Berlin Stadtschloss and in The reconstruction of the Royal Palace in Berlin. 

The coronation of 1701 took place in the church of the castle in Königsberg. The buildings were destroyed in the latter stages of the Second World War and afterwards, being finally blown up in 1986. Subsequently there has been talk of rebuilding it. The case for that is set out in a very interesting illustrated post, which includes aplan of the buildings, from a blogger in the city here.  There is an illustrated history of the buildings at the online piece Königsberg Castle

The courtyard and church of Königsberg castle in the 1890s

Image:Wikimedia

The castle before the Second World War

Image:spiegel.de

As Kings the Hohenzollerns were in the eighteenth century prodigious builders in the Baroque and Rococco styles, despite the rather dour image we often have of Prussian court and social life.

The first of these palaces which survives intact is Charlottenburg, in the western part of Berlin. There is an illustrated account of the history and architecture of the building at Charlottenburg Palace.

Charlottenburg Palace

Image:berlin.citysegwaytours.com

Further to the west of the city a whole series of royal residences were created at Potsdam. Of these the oldest, of which there is an illustrated history at Potsdam City Palace, has recently been rebuilt following its final deliberate destruction by the East German authorities after wartime bombing. There is an illustrated post by Andrew Cusack about the plans from 2010 at Potsdam's City Palace to be Resurrected. Whether such a partial reconstruction of the interior is right is, of course, open to debate.I would prefer to see a full reconstruction.

There is more about the rebuilding at Reconstruction projects in Potsdam (City Palace, baroque Quartier) and the history of the building, its destruction and the begining of reconstruction work is covered in awell illustrated article at Rise and Fall of the City Palace

Potsdam City Palace in 1928
The dome is that of St Nicholas Church which is next to the Palace

Image:v-like-vintage.com

Inspired by King Louis XIV's palace at Marly King Frederick II created his own palace for relaxation, at Sanssouci in the park at Potsdam. This was an idyllic place situated above terraced vineyards where he couls escape the cares of state and military operations. The palace was built in 1747-7, towards the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. There is an account of it at Sanssouci. A fine set of photographs of the Palace can be seen here.

































 


There are a fine series of photographs of the palace here.

 Sanssouci

Image:wallnyc.com

Following his next major European conflict, the Seven Years War , the King built the Neue Palais in Potsdam in the years after 1763. On top of the dome naked figures of his three female opponants - the Empress Maria Theresa, the Empress Elizabeth of Russia and Madame de Pompadour - are to be seen, holding up the King's crown.

The Neue Palais built by King Frederick II

Image:insidertour.com

There is an account of the building at the illustrated article New Palace Potsdam, which shows how it was built to entertain other royal guests and only used as a regular residence in the late nineteenth century. It survived the Second Wotld War relatively unscathed.


If the eighteenth century was the great age of Prussian palace building - and its achievements were spectacular - in the late nineteenth century the tradition continued with structures such as the Empress Frederick's Schloss Friedrichshof, built in the Taunus in her widowhood, and now a hotel, and her son Emperor Wilhelm II's Romanesque palace at Posen/Poznan, about which there is an illustrated article at Imperial Castle, Poznań. This was built in 1905-10.

The Imperial Castle as originally built.
Following damage in the Second World War the tower was reduced in height

Image;info-poland.buffalo.edu

The reconstruction of the Royal Palace in Berlin

Continuing the theme of my previous post about restoration work in Berlin the friend who sent me the link to the odd idea of gothicising St Pauls in London which I posted earlier in the week, and who is assiduous in sharing such online discoveries, sent me a link a while ago to a piece about the progress in the rebuilding work on the Berlin Royal Palace. I have been meaning to post it, but have only now got round to it. It can be seen here.

I wrote about this project in Rebuilding the Berlin Stadtschloss

Both the Palace rebuilding and the plan to reorder St Hedwig's Cathedral point to the wealth of modern Germany, but in both cases the disinclination to put back completely what was there before the destruction occurred is, in my opinion, to say the least unfortunate, and as indeed I indicated in the post linked to above.

 

The German Imperial Arms after 1871

Image: Wikipedia

The Prussian Crown of Wilhelm II

Following on from my previous post about the accession of Wilhelm II as Kaiser and King in 1888 here are pictures of the crown he commissioned as King of Prussia. The German Imperial Crown only existed as a model and in heraldric use, and there was no ceremonial investiture with it.

The Kings of Prussia did have a crown, and a coronation rite - notably as used by King Wilhelm I in 1861 at Königsberg - the first coronation of which there are photographs. In 1888 his short lived successor son Frederick III had visions of an Imperial coronation as Emperor Fredertick IV of a renewed Holy Roman Empire, but his failing health and the opposition of this Chancellor Bismarck - who pointed to the new constitutional dispendation of the post 1871 German Empire - prevented that ever being more than an idea.

The new Kaiser-King also thought of a traditional coronation at Königsberg, but Bismarck, who disliked the outward ceremonial of state dissuaded him. However the new monarch did have a new crown made as King of Prussia in 1888.

The Crown of Prussia made for Kaiser Wilhelm II

Image: Wikipedia

The crown  contains a large sapphire, supporting a diamond-studded cross, plus 142 rose-cut diamonds, 18 diamonds and 8 large pearls . It comprises eight half-arches.

Although he never wore it the crown does appear in some portraits and photographs from the early years of his reign.

When the Kaiser abdicated  in 1918 he was permitted to retain the family jewels, which included the Hohenzollern crown. To protect it from theft and destruction, during the Second World War  it was hidden in a wall in the crypt of a church. Following the war it was returned to the Hohenzollern family, and it is now kept at the family residence of Hohenzollern Castle in Swabia.

 

  King Wilhelm II's  "Hohenzollern House Crown", now at Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Württemberg.

The older regalia survives in Berlin, and the 1701 crown clearly provided the design for the one made in 1888:

The Prussian Crown Jewels: The crown of King Frederick I - as it is today: a gold frame devoid of diamonds - together with the orb and sceptre, on display at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.

Modern model of the original appearance of the diamond-studded crown of King Frederick I of Prussia, now at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin

Images:forum.alexanderpalace.org

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Today is the 125th anniversary of the accession of Wilhelm II as German Emperor and King of Prussia in 1888, the third Kaiser to rule in the Year of Three Emperors.

 

The young Emperor Wilhelm II

 

Image: ETA/Daily Telegraph

Reading about him, and the pivotal role he played, or is claimed to have played, in the events of the succeeding decades what emerges is a complex man.  He was intelligent and talented, yet also neurotic, and clearly suffered from mood swings. Brash at times, tactful and sensitive at others, and could certainly display charm and humour. In his public speeches and statements he was prone to sweeping rhetorical phrases, not a few of which came back to haunt him. I know various attempts have been made to analyse him in terms of pschology or as a victim of birth trauma, but I wonder if he might have suffered from a form of Asperger's Syndrome - that could account for the retentive memory and some of the social awkwardnesses he manifested. 

The physical disability he had from birth of a withered left arm, usually carefully concealed in pictures and in his daily life, clearly made his life difficult from the earliest days of educating the heir to the Prussian throne to be able to perform his public duties - for example he clearly suffered greatly as a child in being forced to learn to ride - and the conciousness of that disability may well have compounded whatever other difficulties he suffered from.

Through his upbringing and education he had a complicated relationship with his mother and her country - they were too much alike in many ways. To some Germans he was, and is, seen as half English, and not sufficiently Prussian. To the British he was a sometimes popular figure, but more often not popular one, and an object of suspicion with his Naval expansion in the years before 1914, then an object of concentrated venom, and finally, perhaps, a curious survival as the exile of Doorn.

 

 

Striking a pose - the young Emperor-King at his most grandiloquent. 

A state portrait of him as King of Prussia in 1890 by Max Koner.
He is wearing the mantle of the Order of the Black Eagle and has his crown as King of Prussia at his side

Image:Wikipedia

The other year I read Giles McDonagh's excellent biography of him The Last Kaiser and I currently have Christopher Clark's biography Kaiser Wilhelm II: A life in Power on order, which promises to be an excellent and well researched study. From what I have seen of it so far it is an insightful study into the Kaiser as monarch, and what his role actually was in government. 

Rebuilding the Berlin Stadtschloss

I was interested to see the report on the BBC website tonight about the commencement of the rebuilding of the shell of the Stadtschloss in Berlin. The report can be read here.

The schloss was the winter palace of the Kings of Prussia until 1918. Although damaged by bombing early in 1945 it was destroyed for ideological and political rather than structural reasons by the East German regime in 1950 when it was dynamited. Since 1989 there has been much debate about the proposal to rebuild it, and what form that should take. These disussion are summarized along with the history of the palace in the illustrated online article here.

An aerial view of the Berlin Schloss taken in 1910

Image:Wolf on Flickr

Kaiser Wilhelm II apparently did not like living in the palace - he felt it was not secure enough in case of an attack, and after the outbreak of war in 1914 he and the Empress lived at another of the Berlin palaces

Now I do feel tempted to add that if they can begin to rebuild the palace, firstly do it properly and completely, including reconstructing the interiors, and secondly, restore the people it was built for.

Prussian Coronation 1861

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Coronation of King William I and Queen Augusta of Prussia at Konigsberg in 1861. The King, who became German Emperor in 1871, was the last Prussian King to have a coronation - his son Frederick III was too ill and died after 99 days as Kaiser and King in 1888, although he envisaged two ceremonies, one as King and another as Deutsches Kaiser, and his son, William II, was dissuaded from holding the ceremony on the grounds of expense - Bismarck was not at all favourable to ceremonial, tending to see it as out of date. It is somewhat surprising, given William II's flamboyant style, that he did not insist on having a coronation.

This was the first coronation of which photographs survive, though I cannot find any online. I have seen one in a book by those eminent historians of photography Helmut and Alison Gernsheim, and there is a photograph of the Crown Princess on the day in Roger Fulford's Dearest Child. I remember seeing a series of paintings of the ceremonies reproduced some years ago in one of Sotheby's Art at Auction year reports.

I did find this picture, a painting by Adolf Menzel from 1861. The arrangement of the cathedral looks similar to that for the Norwegian coronation in 1906, with two facing thrones. The figures in red mantles are Knights of the Order of the Black Eagle:

Original: Stiftung Preußische Schlöser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Schloß Sanssouci, Potsdam.
© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Today is the seventieth anniversary of the death in exile at Doorn of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. Anyone who reads about the personalities of his era cannot but be intrigued by him. Vilified and caricatured as he was - and his speeches and distinctive appearance were a gift to opponants - it is clear with hindsight that he was a much more complex and interesting figure than he once appeared. At times bombastic and vainglorious, at others insightful and far-sighted, a man who could be both bullying and selfless, he still arouses strong feelings. He may no longer be the hate figure he became in Britain  during the First World War, but one Bavarian friend was very keen to lay the blame for what happened on the Kaiser himself. Was that, I wondered, because my friend was proud of being Bavarian, and Wilhelm II incarnated  Prussia? I did n't ask, but I suspected it. Clearly for many Germans in 1918 Wilhelm and his Empire along with their other Kings, Grand Dukes and Dukes were easily made into scapegoats. The trouble, as we now know, was not with the old order, but with the fightening possibilities offered by the New Orders which succeeded it.   Wilhelm II  by Max Koner 1890 This portrait , showing the young ruler at his most flamboyant, depicts him as King of Prussia rather than as German Emperor, with the Priussian crown as his side, and in the insignia of the Order of the Black Eagle  The Kaiser in exile in 1933 Another German friend made the point that Kaiser Wilhelm's English ancestry meant that for some of his subjects he was not fully German, and it is clear that  his love-hate relationship with his mother and her country was a major factor in both his own life and in his actions as sovereign.  Continuing interest in him by German monarchists is covered in this article about pilgrimages to his last resting place at Doorn His life has something of the qualities of classical tragedy - birth and rank, genuine gifts, the effect of historical cirumstance, and a character full of conflicting impulses, gave him a central role in the great drama that erupted in the Great War. His own part in that is receiving significant new attention from historians. My own sense is that despite his high profile actions and ambitions he did not realise the extent to which the modern state as it had come to function had taken on a life of its own which was increasingly resistant to interventions by the head of state or other figures. Like his fellow monarchs in 1914 he found things, as he himself commented in later years, got away from him. The concert of Europe no longer worked as a family reunion to sort out local difficulties. Nationalisms of all varieties were calling the new and strident tune. The Kaiser and his fellow rulers were drawn into that - how could they not be - but the pressures were too often to drag them down.  The anniversary has prompted me to start reading Giles MacDonagh's biography of the Emperor  The Last Kaiser: William the Impetuous, which was published in 2000. From an initial skimming and what I have read it appears a well-balanced and humane biography, well researched and eminently readable. I will comment further when I have finished reading it. I also have some links to archive film of his life which I will publish.