Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick II of Prussia (January 24, 1712–August 17, 1786) was a king of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty, reigning from 1740 to 1786. He was one of the so-called "enlightened monarchs" (also refered to as "enlightened despots"). Because of his accomplishments he became known as Frederick the Great (German Friedrich der Große).

Legacy

Frederick had some famous buildings constructed in his chief residence, Berlin, most of which still exist today, such as the Berlin State Opera, the Royal Library (today the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin), St. Hedwig's Cathedral, the French and German Cathedrals on the Gendarmenmarkt, and Prince Henry's Palace (now the site of Humboldt University). But the king preferred spending his time in his summer residence Potsdam, where he built the palace of Sanssouci, the most important work of Northern German rococo.

Related Topics:
Berlin State Opera - Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - St. Hedwig's Cathedral - Cathedral - Gendarmenmarkt - Humboldt University - Sanssouci - Rococo

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To this day Frederick remains a controversial figure in Germany and Central Europe. He called himself the "first servant of the state", but the Austrian empress Maria Theresa called him "the evil man in Sanssouci." He was both: an enlightend ruler and a ruthless despot. Through reform, war, and the first Partition of Poland (1772), he turned his state of Brandenburg-Prussia into a European great power.

Related Topics:
Maria Theresa - Partition of Poland

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