Life’s Seasons and the Friendships of Frederick the Great Artwork

90 Second Narratives

90 Second Narratives is a podcast featuring engaging true stories told by trained historians. Each episode includes a short story interwoven with expert analysis of the story’s historical significance. The concise length and storytelling format of the episodes make history accessible, dynamic, and entertaining. The subjects of the stories are diverse—spanning the globe and ranging from the pre-historic to the modern age. While individual stories stand alone, the episodes in each season are linked thematically and combine to offer comparative perspectives that illuminate connections from across the human experience. Every episode also includes recommendations for further reading. 90 Second Narratives provides a novel way to hear historians share the wonders of the past in their own voices.

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Life’s Seasons and the Friendships of Frederick the Great

October 18, 2021 • Sky Michael Johnston • Season 9 • Episode 5

“Many long-term friendships change over time with the seasons of life. This was certainly true in the case of Frederick II, King of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great…”

So begins today’s story from Dr. Sky Michael Johnston.

For further reading:
Frederick the Great: King of Prussia by Tim Blanning (Random House, 2016)

90 Second Narratives
Season 9: “Friendship”
Episode 5: “Life’s Seasons and the Friendships of Frederick the Great”

Sky Michael Johnston:

Hello and thank you for joining me on 90 Second Narratives. I’m Sky Michael Johnston and this week I am sharing another story on this season’s theme of friendship. Here is, “Life’s Seasons and the Friendships of Frederick the Great.”

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Many long-term friendships change over time with the seasons of life. This was certainly true in the case of Frederick II, King of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great. Frederick is remembered for successfully pursuing friendships with many of the pre-eminent artists and thinkers of the Enlightenment. While still just the crown prince, Frederick initiated a life-long relationship with the French philosopher, Voltaire, via letters. Another friend of Frederick’s in these years was Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. In contrast to the pen-pal relationship between Frederick and Voltaire, Knobelsdorff spent considerable time with Frederick. Together, they collaborated on robust architectural projects.

Although it was expected, Frederick experienced a greater change in life’s circumstances than most people do when he ascended the throne of Prussia in 1740 at age 28. Access to greater resources for pursuing his artistic interests and greater freedom after the death of his father was tempered by the new responsibilities of his position. His attention to Knobelsdorff waned at this time which caused a strain on the relationship between two men with strong personalities. Nevertheless, Knobelsdorff was still well-supported and is known today as a leading figure of the Frederician Rococo style seen in the ornate design and decoration of architectural structures including Charlottenburg Palace.

Frederick’s relationship with Voltaire seemed to move in the opposite direction after 1740. Finally, the two met in person culminating in Voltaire moving to Frederick’s home of Potsdam in 1750. Once again, however, the personalities of the two figures were too big to fit under a single roof. By 1753 Voltaire left Prussia. Before long, Frederick and Voltaire settled in once again, to a friendship that was carried through the exchange of letters. Through their ups and downs, these two friendships had significant impacts on the culture of eighteenth-century Europe.

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If you are interested in learning more about the life of Frederick the Great, you might see Tim Blanning’s 2016 biography, Frederick the Great: King of Prussia, published by Random House.

Please come back to 90 Second Narratives next week for another “little story with BIG historical significance.”