Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1895–1959): Difference between revisions

Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
	The Prince in uniform (1914)
Born	Franz Joseph Oskar Ernst Patrick Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen; 27 August 1895; Berlin, German Empire
Died	27 November 1959 (aged 64); Lugano, Switzerland
House	Hohenzollern
Father	Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
Mother	Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
Occupation	Art dealer, collector

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Franz Joseph Oskar Ernst Patrick Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen (27 August 1895, in Berlin – 27 November 1959, in Lugano) was a German art collector and dealer. During World War II, he was an inmate at Dachau concentration camp.

Biography

He was the son of Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia and Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, and a nephew of German Empress Augusta Victoria, his mother's elder sister. Originally trained by tutors, at the age of ten, as was customary, he received the Order of the Black Eagle. The following year, he became a Lieutenant in the First Foot Guards.^[1]

In 1912, he became interested in painting, and took drawing lessons from Karl Hagemeister. At the outbreak of World War I, he started his military service, but was soon discharged due to poor health. This enabled him to attend the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he studied with Carl von Marr, among others. He also began collecting art.

His unrestrained collecting put him heavily in debt. As a result, in 1917, the Ministry of the Royal House [de] initiated an "Entmündigung [de]" (incapacitation procedure), with the intent of placing him under a guardianship. The Prince filed a counter-suit, claiming that his collection had appreciated in value, and was now worth as much or more than the amount he owed. In addition, he argued that the Ministry had no standing in the matter of civil suits.^[2] In 1918, following widely publicized hearings, which reached the Kammergericht (Berlin State Supreme Court), the Ministry agreed to halt its proceedings.^[3]

In the 1920s and 1930s, he continued collecting and worked as an art dealer; trading in art objects and autographs from the collection of his great-grandfather, Prince Charles of Prussia. As he had a right of residence at Glienicke Palace, he made the assumption that he had property rights there as well.^[4] He lived with his private secretary, Friedrich Freiherr Cerrini de Monte Varchi (1895–1985), known as "Pierrot", in the "gentleman's wing" of the Palace. One of his best clients was the American diplomat and collector, Robert Woods Bliss. One of the pieces that Bliss purchased in 1937, a 12th-century Byzantine tondo from the Palace's monastery courtyard, led to a criminal investigation and proceedings at the Potsdam District Court [de], which resulted in heavy fines for the Prince and Cerrini.^[5]

After selling the castle in 1939, he and Cerrini moved to a villa, "Gut Imlau", near Werfen in Salzburger Land. He took numerous art works and the family archives with him. The remainder was bequeathed to the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

Dachau

In May 1944, he and Cerrini were arrested in Bad Gastein for listening to a "Feindsender" (enemy radio station). Some sources claim they were actually charged with violating "Section 175", which prohibited homosexual activity.^[6] Later that year, the Prince was remanded to Dachau.

In 1945, he was part of a group of high-status prisoners and Sippenhaften (people guilty by kinship), who were transported to South Tyrol by the SS. A few of the prisoners managed to contact officers of the regular German Army and express their fears that they were going to be executed. They were rescued by Captain Wichard von Alvensleben and took refuge until American troops arrived. The Prince waited until June, so he could be available to American officials in Italy.

In the first of the Dachau trials, he served as a witness against numerous camp officials, including the Commandant, Martin Gottfried Weiss. Forty of them were found guilty, and thirty-six were sentenced to death.

He never returned to Germany, choosing instead to settle in Switzerland.

He died fourteen years later in Lugano.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1895–1959)

8. Prince Charles of Prussia

4. Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia

9. Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

2. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia

10. Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt

5. Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau

11. Princess Frederica of Prussia

1. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia

12. Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg

6. Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

13. Countess Louise Sophie Danneskiold-Samsøe

3. Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg

14. Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

7. Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

15. Princess Feodora of Leiningen

References

^ Militär-Wochenblatt, #91, 1906, pg.1560
^ Frankfurter Zeitung, 2. Oktober 1917, Online
^ Deutscher Geschichtskalender 1918, pg.235.
^ John Murray, Behind the Scenes at the Prussian Court, London, 1939, pg.247.
^ Harry Nehls: "Der »Klosterhof« im Park von Schloss Glienicke in Berlin". Berlin 1993. In: Jahrbuch für brandenburgische Landesgeschichte #45 (1994), pp. 233/234
^ Volker Koop: In Hitlers Hand. Sonder- und Ehrenhäftlinge der SS. Böhlau, Köln/Weimar/Wien 2010, ISBN 978-3-412-20580-5, pg.63

External links

Newspaper clippings about Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW

[1] Militär-Wochenblatt, #91, 1906, pg.1560

[2] Frankfurter Zeitung, 2. Oktober 1917, Online

[3] Deutscher Geschichtskalender 1918, pg.235.

[4] John Murray, Behind the Scenes at the Prussian Court, London, 1939, pg.247.

[5] Harry Nehls: "Der »Klosterhof« im Park von Schloss Glienicke in Berlin". Berlin 1993. In: Jahrbuch für brandenburgische Landesgeschichte #45 (1994), pp. 233/234

[6] Volker Koop: In Hitlers Hand. Sonder- und Ehrenhäftlinge der SS. Böhlau, Köln/Weimar/Wien 2010, ISBN 978-3-412-20580-5, pg.63

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Prussian prince and art collector (1895–1959)}}
-[[File:Friedrich Leopold von Preußen.jpg|thumb|185px|The Prince in uniform (1914)]]
+{{Distinguish|Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia}}{{Infobox royalty
-'''Franz Joseph Oskar Ernst Patrick Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen''' (27 August 1895, [[Berlin]] - 27 November 1959, [[Lugano]]) was a German [[art collector]] and [[Art dealer|dealer]]. During [[World War II]], he was an inmate at [[Dachau concentration camp]].
+| name         = Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
+| image        = File:Friedrich Leopold von Preußen.jpg
+| caption      = The Prince in uniform (1914)
+| birth_name   = Franz Joseph Oskar Ernst Patrick Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen
+| birth_date   = 27 August 1895
+| birth_place  = [[Berlin]], [[German Empire]]
+| death_date   = {{death date and age|1959|11|27|1895|8|27|df=y}}
+| death_place  = [[Lugano]], [[Switzerland]]
+| house        = [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]]
+| father       = [[Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia]]
+| mother       = [[Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]
+| occupation   = Art dealer, collector
+}}
+'''Franz Joseph Oskar Ernst Patrick Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Preußen''' (27 August 1895, in [[Berlin]] – 27 November 1959, in [[Lugano]]) was a German [[art collector]] and [[Art dealer|dealer]]. During [[World War II]], he was an inmate at [[Dachau concentration camp]].
 == Biography ==
-He was the son of [[Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia]], and [[Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]. Originally trained by tutors, at the age of ten, as was customary, he received the [[Order of the Black Eagle]]. The following year, he became a Lieutenant in the [[1st Foot Guards (German Empire)|First Foot Guards]].<ref>''Militär-Wochenblatt'', #91, 1906, pg.1560</ref>
+He was the son of [[Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia]] and [[Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], and a nephew of [[Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein|German Empress Augusta Victoria]], his mother's elder sister. Originally trained by tutors, at the age of ten, as was customary, he received the [[Order of the Black Eagle]]. The following year, he became a Lieutenant in the [[1st Foot Guards (German Empire)|First Foot Guards]].<ref>''Militär-Wochenblatt'', #91, 1906, pg.1560</ref>
 In 1912, he became interested in painting, and took drawing lessons from [[Karl Hagemeister]]. At the outbreak of [[World War I]], he started his military service, but was soon discharged due to poor health. This enabled him to attend the [[Academy of Fine Arts, Munich]], where he studied with [[Carl von Marr]], among others. He also began collecting art.
-His unrestrained collecting put him heavily in debt. As a result, in 1917, the {{ill|Ministry of the Royal House|de|Minister des königlichen Hauses (Preußen)}} initiated an "{{ill|Entmündigung (Deutschland)|de|lt=Entmündigung}}" (incapacitation procedure), with the intent of placing him under a [[guardianship]]. The Prince filed a [[counter-suit]], claiming that his collection had appreciated in value, and was now worth as much or more than the amount he owed. In addition, he argued that the Ministry had no [[Standing (law)|standing]] in the matter of civil suits.<ref>''[[Frankfurter Zeitung]]'', 2. Oktober 1917, [http://dfg-viewer.de/show/?set%5Bimage%5D=1&set%5Bzoom%5D=min&set%5Bdebug%5D=0&set%5Bdouble%5D=0&set%5Bmets%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fzbw.eu%2Fbeta%2Fp20%2Fperson%2F5616%2F0001%2Fabout.de.xml&L=0 Online]</ref> In 1918, following widely publicized hearings, which reached the [[Kammergericht]] (Berlin State Supreme Court), the Ministry agreed to halt its proceedings.<ref>''Deutscher Geschichtskalender'' 1918, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000728223s;view=1up;seq=247, pg.235.]</ref>
+His unrestrained collecting put him heavily in debt. As a result, in 1917, the {{ill|Ministry of the Royal House|de|Minister des königlichen Hauses (Preußen)}} initiated an "{{ill|Entmündigung (Deutschland)|de|lt=Entmündigung}}" (incapacitation procedure), with the intent of placing him under a [[guardianship]]. The Prince filed a [[counter-suit]], claiming that his collection had appreciated in value, and was now worth as much or more than the amount he owed. In addition, he argued that the Ministry had no [[Standing (law)|standing]] in the matter of civil suits.<ref>''[[Frankfurter Zeitung]]'', 2. Oktober 1917, [https://pm20.zbw.eu/folder/pe/005616/00001 Online]</ref> In 1918, following widely publicized hearings, which reached the [[Kammergericht]] (Berlin State Supreme Court), the Ministry agreed to halt its proceedings.<ref>''Deutscher Geschichtskalender'' 1918, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000728223s;view=1up;seq=247, pg.235.]</ref>
-In the 1920s and 30s, he continued collecting and worked as an art dealer; trading in art objects and autographs from the collection of his great-grandfather, [[Prince Charles of Prussia]]. As he had a right of residence at [[Glienicke Palace]], he made the assumption that he had property rights there as well.<ref>John Murray, ''Behind the Scenes at the Prussian Court'', London, 1939, pg.247.</ref> He lived with his private secretary, Friedrich Freiherr Cerrini de Monte Varchi (1895–1985), known as "[[Pierrot]]", in the "gentleman's wing" of the Palace. One of his best clients was the American diplomat and collector, [[Robert Woods Bliss]]. One of the pieces that Bliss purchased in 1937, a 12th century [[Byzantine]] [[tondo]] from the Palace's monastery courtyard, led to a criminal investigation and proceedings at the {{ill|Potsdam District Court|de|Landgericht Potsdam}}, which resulted in heavy fines for the Prince and Cerrini.<ref>Harry Nehls: "Der »Klosterhof« im Park von Schloss Glienicke in Berlin". Berlin 1993. In: ''Jahrbuch für brandenburgische Landesgeschichte'' #45 (1994), pg.233/234</ref>
+In the 1920s and 1930s, he continued collecting and worked as an art dealer; trading in art objects and autographs from the collection of his great-grandfather, [[Prince Charles of Prussia]]. As he had a right of residence at [[Glienicke Palace]], he made the assumption that he had property rights there as well.<ref>John Murray, ''Behind the Scenes at the Prussian Court'', London, 1939, pg.247.</ref> He lived with his private secretary, Friedrich Freiherr Cerrini de Monte Varchi (1895–1985), known as "[[Pierrot]]", in the "gentleman's wing" of the Palace. One of his best clients was the American diplomat and collector, [[Robert Woods Bliss]]. One of the pieces that Bliss purchased in 1937, a 12th-century [[Byzantine]] [[Tondo (art)|tondo]] from the Palace's monastery courtyard, led to a criminal investigation and proceedings at the {{ill|Potsdam District Court|de|Landgericht Potsdam}}, which resulted in heavy fines for the Prince and Cerrini.<ref>Harry Nehls: "Der »Klosterhof« im Park von Schloss Glienicke in Berlin". Berlin 1993. In: ''Jahrbuch für brandenburgische Landesgeschichte'' #45 (1994), pp. 233/234</ref>
-After the castle was sold in 1939, he and Cerrini moved to a villa, "Gut Imlau", near [[Werfen]] in [[Salzburg (state)|Salzburger Land]]. He took numerous art works and the family archives with him. The remainder was bequeathed to the [[Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg]].
+After selling the castle in 1939, he and Cerrini moved to a villa, "Gut Imlau", near [[Werfen]] in [[Salzburg (state)|Salzburger Land]]. He took numerous art works and the family archives with him. The remainder was bequeathed to the [[Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg]].
 ===Dachau===
 [[File:Prince Friedrich Leopold.jpg|thumb|185px|At the Dachau trials (1945)]]
-In May 1944, he and Cerrini were arrested in [[Bad Gastein]] for listening to a "[[Feindsender]]" (enemy radio station). Some sources indicate they were actually charged with violating "[[Section 175]]", against homosexual activity.<ref>Volker Koop: ''In Hitlers Hand. Sonder- und Ehrenhäftlinge der SS.'' Böhlau, Köln/Weimar/Wien 2010, ISBN 978-3-412-20580-5, pg.63</ref> Later that year, the Prince was remanded to Dachau.
+In May 1944, he and Cerrini were arrested in [[Bad Gastein]] for listening to a
-In 1945, he was part of a group of high-status prisoners and [[Sippenhaft]]en (people guilty by kinship), who were [[Transport of concentration camp inmates to Tyrol|transported to South Tyrol]] by the [[SS]]. A few of the prisoners managed to contact officers of the regular German Army and express their fears that they were going to be executed. They were rescued by Captain [[Wichard von Alvensleben]] and took refuge until American troops arrived. The Prince waited until June, so he could be available to American officials in Italy.
+"[[Feindsender]]" (enemy radio station). Some sources claim they were actually charged with violating "[[Section 175]]", which prohibited homosexual activity.<ref>Volker Koop: ''In Hitlers Hand. Sonder- und Ehrenhäftlinge der SS.'' Böhlau, Köln/Weimar/Wien 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-412-20580-5}}, pg.63</ref> Later that year, the Prince was remanded to Dachau.
+In 1945, he was part of a group of high-status prisoners and ''[[Sippenhaft]]en'' (people guilty by kinship), who were [[Transport of concentration camp inmates to Tyrol|transported to South Tyrol]] by the [[SS]]. A few of the prisoners managed to contact officers of the regular German Army and express their fears that they were going to be executed. They were rescued by Captain [[Wichard von Alvensleben]] and took refuge until American troops arrived. The Prince waited until June, so he could be available to American officials in Italy.
 In the first of the [[Dachau trials]], he served as a witness against numerous camp officials, including the Commandant, [[Martin Gottfried Weiss]]. Forty of them were found guilty, and thirty-six were sentenced to death.
+He never returned to Germany, choosing instead to settle in Switzerland.
+He died fourteen years later in [[Lugano]].
+== Ancestry ==
+{{ahnentafel|1. '''Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia'''|2. [[Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia]]|3. [[Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]|4. [[Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828-1885)|Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia]]|5. [[Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau]]|6. [[Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein]]|7. [[Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]|8. [[Prince Charles of Prussia]]|9. [[Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1808–1877)|Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]|10. [[Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt]]|11. [[Princess Frederica of Prussia (1796–1850)|Princess Frederica of Prussia]]|12. [[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]|13. [[Countess Louise Sophie Danneskiold-Samsøe]]|14. [[Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]|15. [[Princess Feodora of Leiningen]]|collapsed=yes|align=center|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;}}
 ==References==
@@ Line 26: / Line 49: @@
 == Further reading ==
 * Karl Friedrichs: ''Der Entmündigungsstreit im Königlichen Hause.'' In: ''{{ill|Deutsche Juristen-Zeitung|de}},'' 22 (1917), Sp. 988–991; [http://dlib-zs.mpier.mpg.de/pdf/2173669/22/1917/21736692219170522.pdf Digitalisat] (PDF) [http://dlib-zs.mpier.mpg.de/pdf/2173669/22/1917/21736692219170524.pdf Online]
-* Andreas Pretzel, Volker Weiß: ''Ohnmacht und Aufbegehren: Homosexuelle Männer in der frühen Bundesrepublik.'' Männerschwarm Verlag; (October 2010), pp.49–50.
+* Andreas Pretzel, Volker Weiß: ''Ohnmacht und Aufbegehren: Homosexuelle Männer in der frühen Bundesrepublik.'' Männerschwarm Verlag; (October 2010), pp.&nbsp;49–50.
 * Peter Koblank: [http://www.mythoselser.de/niederdorf.htm ''Die Befreiung der Sonder- und Sippenhäftlinge in Südtirol''], Online-Edition ''Mythos Elser'', 2006.
 == External links ==
-{{Commonscat|Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1895–1959)|Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia}}
+{{Commons category|Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1895–1959)|Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia}}
+* {{PM20|FID=pe/005616}}
-* [http://zbw.eu/beta/p20/person/5616 ''Friedrich Leopold ‹Preußen, Prinz›; 1895–1959''.] Eintrag in der [[Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften|Deutschen Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften]]
-* [http://webopac.hwwa.de/PresseMappe20E/Digiview_MID.cfm?mid=P005616 Entry for "Friedrich Leopold"] @ Pressemappe
+{{Prussian princes}}
 {{Authority control}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Friedrich Leopold, Prince of Prussia}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Friedrich Leopold of Prussia, Prince}}
 [[Category:1895 births]]
 [[Category:1959 deaths]]
-[[Category:German nobility]]
+[[Category:LGBTQ royalty]]
-[[Category:German noble families]]
+[[Category:Prussian princes]]
+[[Category:House of Hohenzollern]]
 [[Category:German art collectors]]
 [[Category:German art dealers]]
@@ Line 47: / Line 70: @@
 [[Category:Dachau trials]]
 [[Category:People from Berlin]]
+[[Category:Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni]]

v t e Princes of Prussia
The generations are numbered from the ascension of Frederick I as King in Prussia in 1701.
1st generation	Frederick William I
2nd generation	Frederick II Prince Augustus William Prince Henry Prince Augustus Ferdinand
3rd generation	Frederick William II Prince Henry Prince Louis Ferdinand Prince Augustus
4th generation	Frederick William III Prince Louis Prince Henry Prince William
5th generation	Frederick William IV William I Prince Charles Prince Albert Prince Frederick Prince Adalbert Prince Waldemar
6th generation	Frederick III Prince Friedrich Karl Prince Albert Prince Alexander Prince George
7th generation	William II Prince Henry Prince Sigismund Prince Waldemar Prince Friedrich Leopold Prince Friedrich Heinrich Albrecht Prince Joachim Albert Prince Friedrich Wilhelm
8th generation	Crown Prince Wilhelm Prince Eitel Friedrich Prince Adalbert Prince August Wilhelm Prince Oskar Prince Joachim Prince Waldemar Prince Sigismund Prince Henry Prince Friedrich Sigismund Prince Frederick Charles Prince Friedrich Leopold
9th generation	Prince Wilhelm^• Prince Louis Ferdinand Prince Hubertus Prince Frederick Prince Wilhelm Viktor Prince Alexander Ferdinand^• Prince Wilhelm-Karl^§ Prince Karl Franz
10th generation	Prince Michael^§ ^• Prince Oskar^§ Prince Franz Wilhelm^§
11th generation	Prince Georg Friedrich^§ Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia^§
^§ born after the abolishment of monarchy by the Weimar Constitution ^• Forfeit rights to the succession

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