Friedrich Wilhelm von Thulemeyer
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Wilhelm von Thulemeyer or Frederick William von Thulemeier was born or baptized on November 9, 1735. He died July 6, 1811, also in Berlin
. In 1763 he was sent by Frederick the Great as a diplomat in the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. In 1784/85 he was one of the architects of a trade relations between the US and Prussia. In 1788 he became justice minister under Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. Of particular importance is - even today - his collection of music prints.
. His mother, Ernestine von Schilden, came from Hanover
. When his father suddenly died his mother was only 34. The young Thulemeyer was educated at public expense, most probably on the royal Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium, while he was the godson
of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia. Thulemeyer studied law in Frankfurt
and was trained by a Mr. Passavant. According to Von Putkamer he moved to Paris after finishing his studies. In 1763 he obtained a post in The Hague. On behalf of Frederick the Great, he was involved to arrange a marriage between the prince William V of Orange and the sixteen year-old Wilhelmine of Prussia
.
Thulemeyer was poorly rewarded and had difficulties to pay his expenses. Around 1782 or before he made acquaintance with a rich widow Agatha Theodora Geelvinck
(Amsterdam
, 1739 - Hanau
, 1805) who paid for his expensives. She came from a powerful and very rich family of burgemeesters from Amsterdam and lived almost next to the French Embassy. Both her brothers Nicolaas Geelvinck
, Joan Geelvinck
and her daughter Constancia van Lynden van Hoevelaken had either close relations with the Patriots
in Holland, or with the stadholder. Frederick the Great did not allow to marry her, may be while his independence was in danger. Thulemeyer did improve his financial situation and moved to an elegant house near the Binnenhof
. The rumours about his venality
did not diminish.
Thulemeyer had good diplomatic relations. In 1784/1785 Thulemeyer cared for the important trading relationship between Prussia
and the United States
through his contacts in the Hague John Adams
, and Thomas Jefferson
and Benjamin Franklin
in Paris. Thulemeyer dealt with the free port
s of Emden
and Szczecin
to set up trade.
and leading councillors of both the Patriot and Orangist factions. In October 1786 Johann Eustach of Görtz was sent to The Hague, but temptations in democratic sense, even demanded by both diplomats failed. Thulemeyer requested the patriots should "... moderate the revolution, disband the Free corps
and accept a Franco-Prussian mediation even if it meant the return of the Stadholder to The Hague."
Thulemeyer dealt with the British Ambassador James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury
, but was not taken into confidence when the princess, at the end of June 1787, tried to travel with two coaches and four chaise
s to The Hague. Her path was blocked outside Schoonhoven
by members of the Free Corps
from Gouda. The princess was helt at a farm in Goejanverwellesluis
until further advice was received. She and her accompany were treated well and offered wine, beer and tobacco. The princess was told that she could not proceed without permission from Estates of Holland. The princess waited in vain and returned after a day or two, back to her husband.
Within a few days her brother, Frederick William II of Prussia
the new king of Prussia, called for satisfaction. It came to an ultimatum
and Thulemeyer had to tell the "Staten van Holland" the decision made. On September 13, 1787 when Holland refused to apologize the Dutch Republic
was occupied by Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
.
Simon Schama
stated: "Thulemeyer was not above a falsification or two. Paid by Finckenstein, the head of the "Francophile" party in Berlin, he had good reason to try to avert war. So, playing the French game of rumour as deterrent, he relayed false information to the King supporting the most pessimistic reports on the Givet
Camp." In 1788 Thulemeyer traveled back to Berlin. He was replaced as ambassador by the energetic
Graf von Alvensleben.
Finally he was paid for his work as an envoy and Thulemeyer bought an estate
in Küssow, Pyrzyce County
, today in West Pomeranian Voivodeship
. After his death in 1811 his daughter Louise, born from a connection with Eleanor Louise Busse - it is not sure he married her - received legitimacy because of the inheritance.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1763 he was sent by Frederick the Great as a diplomat in the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. In 1784/85 he was one of the architects of a trade relations between the US and Prussia. In 1788 he became justice minister under Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. Of particular importance is - even today - his collection of music prints.
Life
Thulemeyer was the son of Wilhelm Heinrich von Thulemeyer, a royal Prussian Minister of State and War and a member of the Tabakskollegium. His family can be traced back to around 1560, located in the Principality of LippePrincipality of Lippe
Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...
. His mother, Ernestine von Schilden, came from Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. When his father suddenly died his mother was only 34. The young Thulemeyer was educated at public expense, most probably on the royal Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium, while he was the godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia. Thulemeyer studied law in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and was trained by a Mr. Passavant. According to Von Putkamer he moved to Paris after finishing his studies. In 1763 he obtained a post in The Hague. On behalf of Frederick the Great, he was involved to arrange a marriage between the prince William V of Orange and the sixteen year-old Wilhelmine of Prussia
Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange
Wilhelmina of Prussia, born Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina, , was the consort of William V of Orange and also the de facto leader of the dynastic party and contra revolution in the Netherlands...
.
Geelvinck
Geelvinck was a Dutch surname. The family died out in the early 19th century.Some notable members of the family include:* Jan Cornelis Geelvinck, the son of a merchant in beans and peas, and involved in the West India Company...
(Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, 1739 - Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
, 1805) who paid for his expensives. She came from a powerful and very rich family of burgemeesters from Amsterdam and lived almost next to the French Embassy. Both her brothers Nicolaas Geelvinck
Nicolaas Geelvinck
Nicolaas Geelvinck , son of Nicolaes Geelvinck, Lord of Stabroek, was President of the Dutch West India Company in 1784....
, Joan Geelvinck
Joan Geelvinck (1737-1802)
Joan Geelvinck was, in 1787, mayor of Amsterdam for scarcely 6 months. He came to offices after two Orangist mayors were ejected in a radical way. Hendrik Hooft, the father of Joan's brother-in-law, was the leader of the Amsterdam Patriots in the vroedschap....
and her daughter Constancia van Lynden van Hoevelaken had either close relations with the Patriots
Patriots (faction)
The Patriots were a political faction in the Dutch Republic in the second half of the 18th century. They were led by Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, gaining power from November 1782....
in Holland, or with the stadholder. Frederick the Great did not allow to marry her, may be while his independence was in danger. Thulemeyer did improve his financial situation and moved to an elegant house near the Binnenhof
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
. The rumours about his venality
Venality
Venality is a vice associated with being bribeable or of selling one's services or power, especially when one should act justly instead. In its most recognizable form, dishonesty, venality causes people to lie and steal for their personal advantage, and is related to bribery and nepotism, among...
did not diminish.
Thulemeyer had good diplomatic relations. In 1784/1785 Thulemeyer cared for the important trading relationship between Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
through his contacts in the Hague John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, and Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
in Paris. Thulemeyer dealt with the free port
Free port
A free port or free zone , sometimes also called a bonded area is a port, port area or other area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
s of Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
and Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
to set up trade.
Troubles in the Netherlands
In the mean time the decisions of the stadholder were amazingly controversial and the prince threatened, in the presence of his wife and Thulemeyer, to leave the country. The stadholdarian family left the Hague and after a year settled down in Nijmegen, not far from the border. The French ambassador Marquis de Vérac, and Thulemeyer conocted a compromise whereby the Stadholder's military functions were replaced by a Council including the Princess, the PensionariesPensionary
A pensionary was a name given to the leading functionary and legal adviser of the principal town corporations in the Netherlands because they received a salary, or pension.-Historical development:...
and leading councillors of both the Patriot and Orangist factions. In October 1786 Johann Eustach of Görtz was sent to The Hague, but temptations in democratic sense, even demanded by both diplomats failed. Thulemeyer requested the patriots should "... moderate the revolution, disband the Free corps
Exercitiegenootschap
An exercitiegenootschap or militia was a military organisation in the 18th century Netherlands, in the form of an armed private organization with a democratically chosen administration, aiming to train the citizens and the lower bourgeoisie in use of muskets...
and accept a Franco-Prussian mediation even if it meant the return of the Stadholder to The Hague."
Thulemeyer dealt with the British Ambassador James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury
James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury
James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury GCB was an English diplomatist.-Early life :...
, but was not taken into confidence when the princess, at the end of June 1787, tried to travel with two coaches and four chaise
Chaise
A chaise, sometimes called chay or shay, is a light two - or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage, with a folding hood or calash top for one or two people....
s to The Hague. Her path was blocked outside Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 12,195 , and covers an area of 6.96 km²...
by members of the Free Corps
Exercitiegenootschap
An exercitiegenootschap or militia was a military organisation in the 18th century Netherlands, in the form of an armed private organization with a democratically chosen administration, aiming to train the citizens and the lower bourgeoisie in use of muskets...
from Gouda. The princess was helt at a farm in Goejanverwellesluis
Goejanverwellesluis
The Goejanverwellesluis is a lock in Hekendorp, Netherlands. The 'Goejannen' - the men from the surrounding polders who went to sea - said their last farewells by this channel....
until further advice was received. She and her accompany were treated well and offered wine, beer and tobacco. The princess was told that she could not proceed without permission from Estates of Holland. The princess waited in vain and returned after a day or two, back to her husband.
Within a few days her brother, Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
the new king of Prussia, called for satisfaction. It came to an ultimatum
Ultimatum
An ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
and Thulemeyer had to tell the "Staten van Holland" the decision made. On September 13, 1787 when Holland refused to apologize the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
was occupied by Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand , Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a sovereign prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and a professional soldier who served as a Generalfeldmarschall of the Kingdom of Prussia...
.
Simon Schama
Simon Schama
Simon Michael Schama, CBE is a British historian and art historian. He is a University Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University. He is best known for writing and hosting the 15-part BBC documentary series A History of Britain...
stated: "Thulemeyer was not above a falsification or two. Paid by Finckenstein, the head of the "Francophile" party in Berlin, he had good reason to try to avert war. So, playing the French game of rumour as deterrent, he relayed false information to the King supporting the most pessimistic reports on the Givet
Givet
Givet is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France very close to the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont....
Camp." In 1788 Thulemeyer traveled back to Berlin. He was replaced as ambassador by the energetic
Graf von Alvensleben.
Finally he was paid for his work as an envoy and Thulemeyer bought an estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
in Küssow, Pyrzyce County
Pyrzyce County
Pyrzyce County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Pyrzyce, which...
, today in West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
. After his death in 1811 his daughter Louise, born from a connection with Eleanor Louise Busse - it is not sure he married her - received legitimacy because of the inheritance.
Estate
- The 4,000 books, that Thulemeyer had brought from Holland, were given to the Royal Joachimsthalschen Gymnasium. Today some of these books are kept in the Berlin State LibraryBerlin State LibraryThe Berlin State Library is a library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.-Buildings:The State Library runs several premises, three of which are open for users, namely House 1 in Unter den Linden 8, House 2 in Potsdamer Straße 33 and the newspaper archive...
. - Particularly noteworthy is his music collection with very good copies of compositions by Carl Philipp Emanuel BachCarl Philipp Emanuel Bachright|250pxCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and second son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach...
, Johann Joachim QuantzJohann Joachim QuantzJohann Joachim Quantz was a German flutist, flute maker and composer.-Biography:Quantz was born in Oberscheden, near Göttingen, Germany, and died in Potsdam....
, Christoph SchaffrathChristoph SchaffrathChristoph Schaffrath is best known as a musician and composer of classical western music of the late Baroque to Classical transition era.-Career:...
, which he bought from Christoph Nichelmann. - His correspondence with John Adams, the first US-ambassador in The Hague has already been published in 1853.
- The letters with spicy details, kept in BytówBytówBytów is a town in the Middle Pomerania region of northern Poland in the Bytów Lakeland with 16,888 inhabitants . Previously in Słupsk Voivodeship , it is the capital of Bytów County in Pomeranian Voivodeship .-History:...
before World War II, are probably lost. It seems he knew details on the beautiful and spiritual Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-LüneburgElisabeth Christine of Brunswick-LüneburgElisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , was the first wife of Prince Frederick William, her cousin and the future king Frederick William II of Prussia....
.