Frederick William II of Prussia

Frederick William II (; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death in 1797. He was also Prince-elector of Brandenburg and Prince of Neuchâtel.

As a defensive reaction to the French Revolution, Frederick William II ended the German Dualism between Prussia and Austria. Domestically, he turned away from the enlightened style of government of his predecessor and introduced a tightened system of censorship and religious control. The king was an important patron of the arts especially in the field of music. As a skilled cellist he enjoyed the dedication of various cello-centric compositions by composers Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini, and Beethoven. He was also responsible for some of the most notable architecture in Prussia, including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Marble Palace, and Orangery in the New Garden, Potsdam.

Early life

Frederick William was born in Berlin on 25 September 1744, the eldest son of the Prussian Prince Augustus William of Prussia (1722–1758) and Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Initially, Frederick William was second in line to the Prussian throne after his father. Due to his childlessness, King Frederick II had designated his next younger brother Augustus William, Frederick William's father, as Prince of Prussia in 1744.

Frederick William was born into a time of war, for Prussia had again been at war (1744–1745) with Austria since 10 August 1744. Since 1740, or the death of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor of the House of Habsburg, Vienna had been without a male heir to the throne. Although Charles VI had appointed his daughter Maria Theresa as heir with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, this document contradicted the previously valid Salic law, which only provided for male heirs to the throne. Frederick II of Prussia took advantage of the Austrian succession crisis to annex Habsburg Silesia. He thus began the first of a total of three Silesian Wars which, with brief interruptions, were to last until 1763.

On 11 October 1744, Frederick William was baptized in the predecessor of today's Berlin Cathedral. Only then did he have time to play. But even at this time of day, he had to act out what he had learned with the help of puppets.

Frederick II constantly intervened in education. At the reception of the cavaliers at noon, for example, he demanded that Frederick William not be brought up to be modest and reserved. The 36-year-old count showed little pedagogical sensitivity. Reports that Borcke had to write regularly to Frederick II to report on the child's progress show that Frederick William often behaved rebelliously and was punished for it with beatings. When this did not help either, Borcke forbade the prince to have contact with his younger brother Henry. In the house, the crown prince invited Potsdam's distinguished society to concerts and balls, which, however, were soon moved to the old orangery at the Lustgarten due to lack of space.

Reign

Domestic politics

thumb|Portrait of Frederick William II, by [[Johann Christoph Frisch, |279x279px]]Frederick William's accession to the throne (17 August 1786) was followed by a series of measures for lightening the burdens of the people, reforming the oppressive French system of tax-collecting introduced by Frederick, and encouraging trade by the diminution of customs dues and the making of roads and canals. This gave the new king much popularity with the masses; the educated classes were pleased by Frederick William's reversal of his uncle's preference for the French language and the promotion of the German language, with the admission of German writers to the Prussian Academy of Arts, and by the active encouragement given to schools and universities. Frederick William also terminated his predecessor's state monopolies for coffee and tobacco Under his reign the codification known as Allgemeines Preußisches Landrecht, initiated by Frederick II, continued and was completed in 1794.

Foreign policies

In the 18th century, the field of foreign policy was considered the highest statecraft and the "main business" of an absolutist prince. Accordingly, Frederick William II was best prepared in this political area. In his world, which was essentially the world of the Ancien Régime, they initially only appeared to Prussia as distant rumblings of thunder. Frederick William was then married to Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1769 which lasted until his death in 1797. From 1769 to 1782 Wilhelmine Enke was his mistress. Following this relationship she became his closest confidant and advisor. In 1794–1797 he had a palace built for her on the Pfaueninsel. Frederick William was involved with two more mistresses during his life, both conducted through morganatic marriage, which were also bigamous, since his wife queen Frederica Louisa was still alive. The first was with Elisabeth Amalie, Gräfin von Voß, Gräfin von Ingenheim in 1787, and the second with Sophie Juliane Gräfin von Dönhoff. His favourite son —with Wilhelmine Enke— was Graf Alexander von der Mark. His daughter from Sophie Juliane was Countess Julie of Brandenburg (4 January 1793, Neuchâtel – 29 January 1848, Vienna), who later married Frederick Ferdinand, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen.

Patron of the Arts

thumb|220x220px|National Theatre on Gendarmenmarkt|left

Frederick William was a passionate supporter of the arts. Upon ascending to the throne Frederick William turned the cultural focus of the country away from the French culture that Frederick II had established. For instance, the French Theatre was transformed into the National Theater on Gendarmenmarkt where performances of German opera and plays were performed. During its opening, Frederick William declared, "We are Germans, and we intend to remain so." The Royal Opera played works by Johann Frederick Reichardt and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Berlin developed into a cultural center of the Classical era, competing with London, Paris, Dresden, and Vienna. The king himself was a passionate cellist. When government affairs allowed, he spent about 2 hours daily with the instrument.

Buildings constructed under his reign were the Marmorpalais in Potsdam and the world-famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Mysticism

It is worth mentioning another distinctly characteristic inclination of Frederick William II, namely, occultism. At the end of the 18th century, the circles of the bourgeoisie and the nobility, unsettled by the Enlightenment, were in search of mystical Christian experiences. Since the official church could not alleviate this uncertainty, they turned to various religious orders, including the Rosicrucians. During this time, the Rosicrucians believed they were chosen by God to free people's souls from sin, lust, and pride. In reality, Frederick William gave up his sexual relationship with the future countess but remained closely connected to her in a friendly manner.

Death and legacy

thumb|right|Tomb of Frederick William II in Hohenzollern crypt in the [[Berliner Dom|333x333px]]In early October 1797, Frederick William II withdrew from the Berlin court life. He never left the Marmorpalais in Potsdam again. Only a few confidants, such as Countess Lichtenau, as well as French nobles who had fled before the French Revolution, gathered around the dying king. On 9 November 1797 Frederick William handed over the government affairs to his son because he was no longer physically capable of doing so due to shortness of breath and immobility. During a seizure, Frederick William II died on 16 November 1797 at 8:58 a.m., at the age of 53, in the "paneled writing cabinet" of the Marmorpalais.

The burial of the late king took place on 11 December 1797, with a simple procession. Eight major generals carried the coffin. After the sermon, the service concluded with a cannon salute.</blockquote>

Frederick William was interred in a vault of the old Berlin Cathedral. Countess Lichtenau, who had cared for the dying king, was no longer allowed to see the deceased and was placed under house arrest. Frederick William III had the father's despised lover sent into exile in Glogau and most of her wealth confiscated.

Dieter Brozat reported in "Der Berliner Dom und die Hohenzollerngruft" (1985) that the sarcophagus of Frederick William II in the Hohenzollern vault was heavily damaged during World War II. This is attributed to Soviet looting, and incendiary bomb damage.

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| 1 = 1. Frederick William II of Prussia

| 2 = 2. Prince Augustus William of Prussia

| 3 = 3. Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

| 4 = 4. Frederick William I of Prussia

| 5 = 5. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Hanover

| 6 = 6. Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

| 7 = 7. Duchess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

| 8 = 8. Frederick I of Prussia

| 9 = 9. Princess Sophia Charlotte of Hanover

| 10 = 10. George I of Great Britain

| 11 = 11. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle

| 12 = 12. Ferdinand Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

| 13 = 13. Princess Christine of Hesse-Eschwege

| 14 = 14. Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

| 15 = 15. Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen

Children

thumb|280x280px|Prussian Royal Family

Frederick William II had the following children:

By his first cousin Duchess Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel:
Princess Frederica Charlotte (7 May 1767 – 6 August 1820), who became Duchess of York and Albany by her marriage to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, no issue
By Princess Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt:
Frederick William III (3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840), married Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had issue
Princess Christine (31 August 1772 – 14 June 1773) died in infancy
Prince Louis Charles (5 November 1773 – 28 December 1796), married Duchess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had issue
Princess Wilhelmine (18 November 1774 – 12 October 1837), who became Queen of the Netherlands by her marriage to King William I of the Netherlands, had issue
Princess Augusta (1 May 1780 – 19 February 1841), who became Electress of Hesse by her marriage to William II, Elector of Hesse, had issue
Prince Henry (30 December 1781 – 12 July 1846)
Prince William (3 July 1783 – 28 September 1851), married Princess Maria Anna of Hesse-Homburg, had issue