Name Hans von | ||
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Parent(s) Hans Heinrich Graf von KatteDorothee Sophia von Wartensleben Died November 6, 1730, Kostrzyn nad Odra, Poland | ||
Der tod des hans hermann von katte trailer
Hans Hermann von Katte (28 February 1704 – 6 November 1730) was a Lieutenant of the Prussian Army and the lover of the future King Frederick II of Prussia, who was at the time the Crown Prince. He was executed by Frederick's father King Frederick William I of Prussia when Frederick II plotted to escape from the Kingdom of Prussia to the Kingdom of Great Britain. Some believe that Frederick intended to defect to the service of George II of Great Britain (Frederick's maternal first cousin) and possibly return to Prussia to depose Frederick William.
Contents
- Der tod des hans hermann von katte trailer
- APHGilberts Vater Everyone except you SUB ITA
- Life
- References
【APH】Gilbert's Vater ~ Everyone except you 【SUB ITA】
Life
Born in the Prussian capital of Berlin, Katte was a nobleman by birth, coming from a long line of aristocratic military men. His ancestors were squires of Wust in the Altmark. His father, Hans Heinrich Graf von Katte, was one of Frederick William I's most regarded cuirassiers. Katte's mother, Dorothee Sophia von Wartensleben, was the daughter of a seasoned and revered field marshal, Graf Leopold Alexander von Wartensleben. Hans Hermann studied in Konigsberg and Utrecht — his foci were French and law. After completing his studies he joined the Prussian Army.
It is not known when Frederick II and Katte met for the first time. However, when they both attended private mathematics and mechanics lessons in 1729, they became acquainted rapidly. Frederick, eight years younger than Katte, admired Katte for his cosmopolitan attitude. Both were interested in poetry and playing the flute. Due to their close relationship they soon became known as lovers; Frederick's father King Frederick William I suspected them to be such, which may explain his extreme hostility towards Katte. Yet then, in the spring of 1730 Frederick revealed to Katte that he had a plan to flee to Great Britain as a way to leave his harsh and despotic father. At first, Katte tried to hold Frederick back, yet at the end supported Frederick's plan to escape.
On 5 August 1730, while the royal retinue was near Mannheim in the Electorate of the Palatinate, Frederick tried to escape from his quarters. At that point Katte stayed in Potsdam. A compromising letter unmasked Katte as an accomplice and Frederick and Katte were subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Kustrin. However because they were army officers who had tried to flee Prussia for England, Frederick William I leveled an accusation of treason against the pair.
A court martial found Katte guilty of desertion and sentenced him to lifelong imprisonment; but King Frederick Wilhelm I ordered the sentence changed to beheading, declaring that "it would be better that Katte came to death than the justice out of the world." As Katte was an officer of the King's Guard, the King argued that if Katte were let off lightly (a life sentence would only last until Frederick William died), the King's Guard could never be trusted again. All petitions of mercy for Katte, including one from Frederick, were ignored.
Katte was beheaded at the fortress of Kustrin where the king forced Frederick to watch the execution. However when he was brought up to be executed, Fritz shouted in French to Katte, "Veuillez pardonner mon cher Katte, au nom de Dieu, pardonne-moi!" ("Please forgive, my dear Katte, in God's name, forgive me."). Katte called back in the same language, "There is nothing to forgive, I die for you with joy in my heart!" Fritz then fell to the floor in a dead faint. These were Katte's last words, yet not his last farewell. Soon it was discovered that Katte had written a farewell letter to his father before his execution which states:
Upon witnessing his death, Frederick was plunged into deep despair for three days. After that, he never spoke of Katte again nor visited his grave as Katte's remains rest in the crypt of the church in Wust.