Rochus Friedrich zu Lynar (1708–1781)

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Rochus Friedrich Graf zu Lynar (around 1745)
Rochus Friedrich zu Lynar, engraving by Johann David Schleuen

Rochus Friedrich Graf zu Lynar (* December 16, 1708 in Lübbenau ; † November 13, 1781 ibid) was a diplomat in the service of the Danish crown.

Life

Count Rochus Friedrich came from an old Prussian noble family of Italian origin - the Lynar . The son of the Electorate Chamberlain and senior councilor Friedrich Casimir zu Lynar (1673–1716) and his wife Eva Elisabeth von Windischgrätz (1672–1745). First he received from his later father-in-law, the Pietist Count Heinrich XXIV. Reuss in Köstritz , together with his son Heinrich VI. (Reuss-Köstritz) his first education from the age of 16. In 1726 he began studying at the University of Jena and in 1729 at the University of Halle . After he had completed his studies, he undertook his educational trip to Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, France and England from 1731 , where he observed the respective political situations. In 1733 he went to Copenhagen , where, thanks to the good connections his foster father had with the pietistic circles at the Copenhagen court, he joined the German chancellery and was appointed chamberlain. In 1734 he was on a diplomatic mission in East Friesland , where he looked after Princess Sophie Karoline of East Friesland , a sister of the Danish Queen Sophie Magdalene , and negotiated a suzession agreement with Carl Edzard , the last East Frisian prince of the county of East Friesland .

In 1735 he worked as the Danish envoy in Stockholm and was awarded the Dannebrogden in 1739 . After the Danish-Swedish alliance negotiations were broken off, he returned to Copenhagen in 1740 and was taken over by King Christian VI. used by Denmark at the Supreme Court in Gottorp. After he took over the office of Steinburg in 1742, he was appointed Chancellor and President of the Government of the Duchy of Holstein . In addition, in 1746 he was appointed a real privy councilor and in 1749 was given a mission at the court of St. Petersburg , which peacefully settled the long-standing disputes with the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf through negotiations and with Duke Karl Peter, who was recognized as the successor of Tsarina Elisabeth Ulrich von Holstein-Gottorp, the later Tsar Peter III. to move to renounce his rights to the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. However, the mission was unsuccessful and was canceled in 1751. However, Lynar's negotiations prepared the later provisional treaty of Copenhagen of April 22, 1767 and the definitive treaty of Tsarskoe-Selo of June 1, 1773, through which the goals of Lynar's negotiations were then achieved. Minister of State Johann Sigismund Schulin died on April 13, 1750 in Copenhagen during the negotiations in Petersburg . Although Lynar was planned as his successor, the appointment was canceled in June 1750 by an intrigue and King Friedrich V appointed Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff as Schulin's successor. Lynar, envoy Extraordinary at the Tsar's court from February 1750, was received with great honors on his return from St. Petersburg in March 1752, but he was denied the already known career as Minister of State and instead was promoted from King to Governor and Oberlanddrost of the counties Oldenburg and Delmenhorst appointed and transferred to Oldenburg . Christoph Ernst von Beulwitz , who until then had been Oldenburg Oberlanddrost, took over his offices in Holstein .

The county of Oldenburg has been under the reign of the Danish crown since Count Anton Günther's death in 1667. Lynar was governor there for 13 years (from 1752 to 1765) after the position had remained vacant since 1680. During this time he devoted himself to literary studies and the writing of theological treatises. In 1761 he wrote the collection of stories Der Sonderling , intended for the moral edification of his servants , which also contains three stories that are commonly attributed to the “baron of lies” Münchhausen . During the Seven Years' War in September 1757, after the Battle of Hastenbeck, the experienced diplomat negotiated the Convention of Kloster Zeven between France and the Anglo - Hanoverian coalition on behalf of the Danish king . Subsequently, however, the two governments refused to ratify the convention, so that Lynar, as before in St. Petersburg, had failed in his efforts.

During this time, Lynar neglected the interests of the Oldenburg citizens. By constantly raising new taxes, he burdened the ignorant people more and more. Under questionable circumstances, he bought land from farmers in Rastede (north of Oldenburg) and had other properties that were still owned by the government transferred to his private property. Furthermore, he wrongly collected taxes for exemption from military service. This dubious enrichment and other dishonorable behavior were enough to cause several charges by the Danish Rent Chamber in 1765 , his impeachment and the cancellation of his pension. He had to repay unjustified amounts of money. Henning von Qualen was appointed as his successor .

Some time later he sold the Rastede property including Rastede Castle to the judiciary Christoph Römer, who was one of the richest men in the country at the time. In the spring of 1766 he then moved to Lübbenau in the ancestral palace of his family. With the death of his brother Moritz Karl zu Lynar in 1768, he also got hold of his Lübbenau possessions. In his final years, Lynar published a variety of works, traveled and maintained extensive correspondence.

Rating

The verdict on Lynar is controversial. He was sharply criticized for his vanity, his often unconvincing religiosity and his inclination to look for scapegoats for his own failures. Catherine II of Russia and Friedrich II of Prussia mention him negatively in their memoirs, and Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg's judgment is also negative. Andreas Peter von Bernstorff , the nephew of Lynar's declared adversary at the Danish court, Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff , said on the news of his death that the world had been freed from the greatest hypocrite of all time. In addition, Lynar was also admired for his great talent, his profound education, his brilliant appearance and piety.

A memorial plaque for Count Rochus Friedrich zu Lynar is in the Sankt-Nikolai-Kirche in Lübbenau .

family

He was married since May 22, 1735 to Sophie Marie Helene (born November 30, 1712; † February 18, 1781), daughter of Count Heinrich XXIV. Reuss zu Köstritz. They had twelve children together. Are known:

  • Friedrich Ulrich (born March 16, 1736; † June 21, 1807), royal Danish chamberlain
  • Christian Ernst (born February 6, 1742 - † April 28, 1784), Knight of the Order of St. John
  • Rochus (born March 18, 1745 - † January 30, 1824), royal Danish adjutant general
  • Heinrich Kasimir Gottlob zu Lynar (7 May 1748 - 19 September 1796), writer
  • Moritz Ludwig Ernst (* December 15, 1754; † August 15, 1807), also in royal Danish military service, raised to the rank of prince in 1806

Works

  • Seneca, by grace, translated with notes. Hamburg 1753.
  • Seneca, on the brevity of life. Hamburg 1754.
  • Attempt to paraphrase Pauli's letter to the Romans. 1754.
  • Explanatory description of the letter to the Hebrews. Bremen 1756.
  • The eccentric. Hanover 1761. Full text in the Google book search.
  • L'homme singulier a Copenhague. 1771. (French)
  • Explanatory description of all apostolic letters. Hall 1765.
  • Speech at the electoral homage in Lübben. 1768.
  • Explanatory description of the Evangelii Johannis. 1770.
  • Explanatory description of the four evangelists. Hall 1775.
  • New miscellanous, historical, political, moral, also otherwise different content. 2 pieces. Leipzig 1775.
  • State writings and other articles left behind by Count Rochus Friedrich zu Lynar. 2 volumes. Hamburg 1793.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Inger Gorny: Qualen, Henning von. In: Hans Friedl u. a. (Ed.): Biographical manual for the history of the state of Oldenburg. Edited on behalf of the Oldenburg landscape. Isensee, Oldenburg 1992, ISBN 3-89442-135-5 , pp. 572-573 ( online ).

Web links

Wikisource: Rochus Friedrich zu Lynar  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Lynar, Rochus Friedrich too
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lynar, Rochus Friedrich Graf too
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Diplomat in the service of the Danish crown
DATE OF BIRTH December 16, 1708
PLACE OF BIRTH Luebbenau
DATE OF DEATH November 13, 1781
Place of death Luebbenau