Another coin of my collection, and a bit history
Udo
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Friedrich III. - German Emperor - King of Prussia
was born on Oct.18.1831. Friedrich III. got a special training and education as crown prince, in contrast to his father Wilhelm I. As usual in Prussia, they attached great importance on military training, and so he thought and acted as a soldier and officer, like his father.
1848 he ecperienced the the revolution in Berlin, the seventeen-year young prince was horrified about the revolutionaries. The more surprisingly his wide views and bearing later was. The reason for this change of heart was amongst other things the influence of his wife Victoria.
In the year 1851 Friedrich met the eleven-year old Victoria, Queen Victorias oldest daughter, in England, five years later both were engaged to be married in Scotland and on Jan.25.1858 they married in London.
Never before a Prussian Crown Prince ventured to marry in a foreign country, but the british parents-in-law wanted it that way. It was a love-match and they got seven children.
Victoria could never become accustomed to Prussian circumstances and often complained about them towards native people insultingly, therefore her popularity did not rise very much. She pursued Prussian policy and later also Bismarcks policy (she regarded Bismarck as the big bad man) suspiciously and exerted on her husbands forming of opinion.
In daily life Friedrichs field of activitys were in the military sector. As an officer, he did this job gladly and with much know-how. He mediated between his father and Bismarck frequently. In the years 1870/71 the crown-prince went to the war against France enthusiastically. In the same way he got enthusiastic about the imperial crown of the second German Empire.
The positive chraracteristics of his father Wilhelm I. and the intelligence and culture of his mother Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach were united in Friedrich III. This good character and mental forming to an outstanding personality gave rise to great hopes in a succesful and benefical reign.
Friedrich III. was in one's prime to undertake this challenge when he returned from the war against France, at the age of 41. But 17 years of waiting to come into power demoralized him increasingly.
Physicians diagnosed the crown-prince with cancer of the throat in 1887. Hereupon several doctors had an unworthy argument with each other, provoked on the one hand by the minor knowledge about this disease and on the other hand by the crown-princess herself.
After Victoria realized that the course of disease will be fatal, in her deep affection the only thing she wanted to have for her husband was a death in dignity. The British laryngologist Dr. Morell MacKenzie saw through Victorias intentions, maybe both played a setup.
At first a surgery was prevented, but finally Friedrich III. was operated under unbelievable attendant circumstances, in a hotel room in San Remo.
In this situation his father, Emperor Wilhelm I. died on Mar.9.1888. When Friedrich returned to Berlin for accession to power, he was with the mark of deadly disease already. In practice he did not officiate, because his intentions melt away in the recognition of Bismarcks policy and he had no longer enough strength to change this.
Emperor Friedrich III. died on Jun.15.1888 after only 99 days of reign in the New Palace of Potsdam.
His son Wilhelm II. arranged for dissonance during Friedrichs passing, when he let troops surround and search the palace, to prevent his mother Victoria from removing documents to England.
Friedrichs destiny was associated with the existence of the second German Empire in a tragic way. Because of his early dead, Germany definitely developed into a course which excluded a liberalisation - what would have been possible throug Friedrichs liberal attitude - and more modernisation of the country was prevented.
The fact that his reign should last for only 99 days belongs to the misfortunes in German history.
---------------
Coins with Friedrich III. obverse are one-year-types, struck 1888 in Berlin (A).
Mintage:
2 Mark = 500.000 (struck after his death)
5 Mark = 200.000
Here is a 2 Mark coin:
was born on Oct.18.1831. Friedrich III. got a special training and education as crown prince, in contrast to his father Wilhelm I. As usual in Prussia, they attached great importance on military training, and so he thought and acted as a soldier and officer, like his father.
1848 he ecperienced the the revolution in Berlin, the seventeen-year young prince was horrified about the revolutionaries. The more surprisingly his wide views and bearing later was. The reason for this change of heart was amongst other things the influence of his wife Victoria.
In the year 1851 Friedrich met the eleven-year old Victoria, Queen Victorias oldest daughter, in England, five years later both were engaged to be married in Scotland and on Jan.25.1858 they married in London.
Never before a Prussian Crown Prince ventured to marry in a foreign country, but the british parents-in-law wanted it that way. It was a love-match and they got seven children.
Victoria could never become accustomed to Prussian circumstances and often complained about them towards native people insultingly, therefore her popularity did not rise very much. She pursued Prussian policy and later also Bismarcks policy (she regarded Bismarck as the big bad man) suspiciously and exerted on her husbands forming of opinion.
In daily life Friedrichs field of activitys were in the military sector. As an officer, he did this job gladly and with much know-how. He mediated between his father and Bismarck frequently. In the years 1870/71 the crown-prince went to the war against France enthusiastically. In the same way he got enthusiastic about the imperial crown of the second German Empire.
The positive chraracteristics of his father Wilhelm I. and the intelligence and culture of his mother Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach were united in Friedrich III. This good character and mental forming to an outstanding personality gave rise to great hopes in a succesful and benefical reign.
Friedrich III. was in one's prime to undertake this challenge when he returned from the war against France, at the age of 41. But 17 years of waiting to come into power demoralized him increasingly.
Physicians diagnosed the crown-prince with cancer of the throat in 1887. Hereupon several doctors had an unworthy argument with each other, provoked on the one hand by the minor knowledge about this disease and on the other hand by the crown-princess herself.
After Victoria realized that the course of disease will be fatal, in her deep affection the only thing she wanted to have for her husband was a death in dignity. The British laryngologist Dr. Morell MacKenzie saw through Victorias intentions, maybe both played a setup.
At first a surgery was prevented, but finally Friedrich III. was operated under unbelievable attendant circumstances, in a hotel room in San Remo.
In this situation his father, Emperor Wilhelm I. died on Mar.9.1888. When Friedrich returned to Berlin for accession to power, he was with the mark of deadly disease already. In practice he did not officiate, because his intentions melt away in the recognition of Bismarcks policy and he had no longer enough strength to change this.
Emperor Friedrich III. died on Jun.15.1888 after only 99 days of reign in the New Palace of Potsdam.
His son Wilhelm II. arranged for dissonance during Friedrichs passing, when he let troops surround and search the palace, to prevent his mother Victoria from removing documents to England.
Friedrichs destiny was associated with the existence of the second German Empire in a tragic way. Because of his early dead, Germany definitely developed into a course which excluded a liberalisation - what would have been possible throug Friedrichs liberal attitude - and more modernisation of the country was prevented.
The fact that his reign should last for only 99 days belongs to the misfortunes in German history.
---------------
Coins with Friedrich III. obverse are one-year-types, struck 1888 in Berlin (A).
Mintage:
2 Mark = 500.000 (struck after his death)
5 Mark = 200.000
Here is a 2 Mark coin:
0
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If you want to, I will continue with posting some of my coins and history about the persons shown on them.
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Friedrich III has always been a fascinating character to me and an interesting case of "what might have been." Germany might not have followed such a disastrous course had he a long reign and his son a short one.
An interesting book (in English) for the general reader is Hannah Pakula's An Uncommon Woman; The Empress Frederick. It gives a very good picture of the times, conditions and characters.
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