Biche
Biche († 29. December 1752 in Sanssouci ) was one of the favorite bitches of the Prussian King Friedrich II. She was the then commonly called wind chime designated type of dog that is about today's breed Whippet equivalent. Friedrich had received the bitch described as white as a gift from his confidante Friedrich Rudolf von Rothenburg in 1744 . She was the first sighthound owned by the king. The Francophile Friedrich gave her a French name (Biche = doe).
Second Silesian War
In 1744 the king took Biche to Bad Pyrmont for a cure . She was also carried on the ruler's campaigns. Two incidents from this period are recorded:
During the Battle of Thrush in September 1745, the Pandur Corps of General Franz Leopold von Nádasdy attacked the Prussian camp and was able to steal the war chest and take several prisoners. With the baggage train, which was also captured, Biche also fell into the hands of the enemy. Nádasdy is said to have given the dog to his wife, who was very fond of her. In the subsequent negotiations, however, the Prussian side demanded the return of the dog. After Biche was returned, Friedrich is said to have cried when they saw them again.
During a reconnaissance ride into hostile terrain near Breslau , the king was surprised by a troop of Austrian horsemen in October 1745. He was able to hide under a small bridge with Biche just in time. Despite the noise made by the galloping horses on the bridge, the bitch remained calm and did not betray her master. Various illustrations were later created for the incident.
Life in Sanssouci
The graceful Biche became a loyal and valued companion to Friedrich; she was also referred to by him as a “little mouse” and “the most beloved creature”. The bitch lived in Sanssouci Palace, was allowed to sleep on armchairs and play with the balls that were laid out. The king tolerated her at the table; he fed her. They had to speak to lackeys in French [ biʃ ] and to Siezen. She was also allowed to sleep in the king's bed. In 1747 he had it immortalized by the court painter Antoine Pesne on the central painting ("The Bath of Diana") of a cycle of five wall paintings with mythological figures in the concert room of Sanssouci. Here the bitch sits on the lap of the goddess Diana and looks at her.
On June 15, 1748, Friedrich wrote to his sister Wilhelmine von Bayreuth about his dog: "Biche has a sound judgment and comprehension, and day after day I see people who do not know how to behave as consistently as they do."
Exchange of dog letters
The so-called dog letters were written in May 1748. Friedrich corresponded in French with his sister Wilhelmine von Prussia . He wrote in the name of Biche she replied as Folichon her toy spaniel dog . In his letter, the king solicits his sister's affection after the relationship between the two had cooled in the Second Silesian War .
“Folichon: Favorite bitch. I love and adore you. I have been longing for you since we separated. I spend my time melancholy at the feet of my mistress. I hear you complain about the cruel separation from a beloved brother. "
“Biche: Yes, Folichon, you can tell me what you want; I have seen your adorable mistress and you will not talk me out of the fact that she is of a much higher kind than we are. How spirited their conversation was: And their indefinite grace, their dignity, softened by affability, make them seem completely adorable to me. "
Death and grave
In 1752 Biche died in the Sanssouci concert hall. The death of the bitch hit the king hard, he later wrote to his sister Wilhelmine: "I was ashamed that the death of a dog affects me so [...]". Biche was buried in a coffin as the first of eleven greyhounds on the palace terrace of Sanssouci; a sandstone slab bears her name. In 2005 the grave slab was cleaned and preserved.
The bitch was repeatedly mentioned in later works about the king as an example of his great love for animals and especially his affection for greyhounds. Theodor Fontane mentioned Biche in the 1885 poem "On the stairs of Sanssouci".
Others
At the castle in Potsdam and on the Jägerhof, which was located in front of the Jägertor and the Excise Wall, which still stands today, greyhounds were bred in a "nursery" with around 40 to 80 dogs; Two hunters were responsible for care and supervision, one of whom was also responsible for the health of these animals. The most beautiful “pupils” of this “nursery” were delivered to the royal court.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Friedrich the Great: The King's Dogs , SPK Digital, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation .
- ↑ Marianne Bunyan, Whippet: The Right Dog for You? , ISBN 3-8334-2507-5 , BoD, Norderstedt, p. 16
- ^ Sächsische Dorfzeitung - Anzeiger für Stadt und Land , Volume 16, C. Heinrich, 1854, p. 44
- ↑ a b Katharina von der Leyen , Friedrich II., The great dog friend , July 12, 2012, Bild.de
- ^ Sibylle Princess of Prussia and Friedrich Wilhelm Prince of Prussia , The King's Love: Friedrich the Great, His Wind Chimes and Other Passions , ISBN 978-3-88680-854-0 , Siedler , Munich 2006, p. 7 ( Memento des Originals from March 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Wolfgang Wippermann and Detlef Berentzen , The Germans and their dogs: a special way of the history of mentality? , Volume 75546 from Siedler Taschenbuch, ISBN 978-3-44275-5-462 , Siedler , 1999, p. 32 (Snippet)
- ↑ Christian Hein, December 25, 1745 ( Memento of the original of March 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Baroque Academy
- ↑ Claudia Becker, Biche to Blondi - Germany's most famous dogs , October 10, 2014, Welt.de
- ↑ z. B. Steel engraving at KF Reiche, Friedrich the Great and his time: illustrated from the best sources , Kollmann, 1840, p. 190
- ↑ Christoph Stollowsky, Der Alte Fritz: Das Gute Herrchen , February 7, 2012, Der Tagesspiegel
- ↑ a b c E. Hohenstein, Friedrichs vierbeinige Freunde , January 27, 2005, Der Tagesspiegel
- ↑ Photo of the mural
- ↑ Letters of Frederick the Great , Vol. 1, ed. by Max Hein , transl. by Friedrich von Oppeln-Bronikowski a. Eberhard Koenig. Reimar Hobbing, Berlin 1914, p. 265 .
- ↑ Georg Guntermann (Ed.), Classic, modern: For Norbert Oellers on his 60th birthday , Volume 115 of: Journal for German Philology , special issue, ISBN 978-3-50303-7-513 , Erich Schmidt Verlag , 1996 p. 31
- ↑ Ehm Welk, The silent companions: Thoughts on life with animals , W. Limpert , 1943, p. 61 (Snippet)
- ↑ Ina Seidel , German Women: Portraits and Biographies , Steiniger, 1939, p. 69 (Snippet)
- ↑ a b Dirk Klose, "You alone tie me to the world": Friedrich II's correspondence with his favorite sister is one of the most touching testimonies of German letter literature , June 28, 2012, Preussische Allgemeine Zeitung
- ^ Theodor Fontane, On the stairs of Sanssouci , at: Wikisource
- ↑ on this: potsdam-chronik.de, Lemma Jägerhof
- ↑ Hans Räber , Die Windspiele Friedrichs der Große in Enzyklopädie der Rassehunde, Volume 2: Origin, History, Breeding Goals , Suitability and Use , 2nd edition provided as an eBook, Kosmos 2014, pp. 842-844 (limited preview on Google Books; there broadly quoting from: Anton Friedrich Büsching , Contributions to the life stories of memorable people, especially learned men, Volume 5 , Halle, Curt 1788, pp. 22-24 )
- ↑ Ludwig Pflaum, Friedrich the Great. A biography for young men , Volume 3 of: Biographies of Strange Men , Verlag JF Steinkopf , 1815, p. 273
