Die "Werke des Philosophen von Sanssouci / OEuvres du Philosophe de Sans-Souci" sind ein außergewöhnliches historisches Dokument und ein Manifest der praktischen Philosophie der Aufklärung. Sie beinhalten eine aufschlussreiche Auswahl von Gedichten aus der Feder Friedrichs des Großen, die er selbst nach sehr persönlichen Kriterien zusammenstellte und 1752 in einer winzigen Auflage drucken ließ. Diese Gedichtsammlung hatte von Anfang an einen sehr privaten und geheimnisvollen Charakter: Ein Philosoph auf dem Thron schreibt Gedichte! Fern von allen metaphysischen Entwürfen zielen die (...) Verse auf eine konkrete und aufgeklärte Lebensführung ab. In Oden und Episteln und einem Lehrgedicht setzt sich Friedrich mit neuen wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen und philosophischen Systemen auseinander. Als der Gedichtband 1760, mitten im Siebenjährigen Krieg, gegen den Willen des Autors durch Raubdrucke in ganz Europa bekannt wurde, kam es zum Skandal und Papst Clemens XIII. setzte die Gedichte des preußischen Königs sogar auf den Index. Dieser Band vermittelt wichtige Einblicke in den Denkhorizont des "roi-philosophe" von Sanssouci. (shrink)

In the building of the Maison de plaisir "Sanssouci" and the surrounding park with its pavilions and mythological-dynastic program of figures, Friedrich II designed an idealized image of his view of the unfolding of world history that arose from his discussions with Voltaire. At various sites in the park, personal experiences have also been impressed like ciphers, as it were. These can be read unambiguously in the Temple of Friendship built for his sister Wilhelmine, and they become visible elsewhere, (...) too, like in the Chinese Teahouse. The grounds in Potsdam are characterised by the young Prussian king's will to represent himself, and they mirror the facets of his secret emotions. (shrink)

Frederick II neither tolerated the Schwenckfeldians in Silesia as an independent denomination nor recognized them, but, rather from a legal basis demanded that they be incorporated into the Lutheran Church. With the acknowledgement of the Schwenckfeldian movement as an independant denomination, he would have gone beyond article VII of the Instrumenta Pacis Osnabrigense, jeopardizing future peace negotiations with the House of Habsburg. However, he did promise the Schwenckfeldians that the government would respect their personal faith and conscience and would be (...) willing to protect them from attack, though limited by the reason of state which would be endangered if the fundamental articles of the Christian religion were openly denied. For if these were negated one could not discount the possibility that not only Maria Theresea but also the Protestant and Catholic subjects would take offence, causing tension and diminishing the prosperity of the State. The philosopher of Sanssouci himself held freedom of faith and conscience highly, but felt it had to be subordinate to the welfare of the state. The actual reason for he gave this assurance to the Schwenckfeldians though, was not merely to give his subjects a relative amount of freedom, but, more important, to encourage further immigration into his lands. Frederick II, who saw himself as the first servant of his state, thereby hoped to raise the density of population in relatively depopulated areas, to promote manufacturing and trade, and with it the prosperity of the state. The positive impulse for the attitude of Frederic II against the Schwenckfeldians was therefore in the last analysis based on political motives. His concession of freedom of faith and conscience to the Schwenckfeldians was in principle possible only because he had granted such freedom to all his Silesian subjects - who had to belong to one of the three confessions recognized by the Peace of Westphalia- on the condition that they would not deny reverence to God or subservience to the State. In comparison to the intolerant attitude of many contemporary states which gave their subjects no liberty of faith or conscience, the position which the state of Frederic II hat taken vis-a-vis the Schwenckfeldians in Silesia therefore signifies a great step forward. This position, however, was considerably less than the religious freedom enjoyed by those Schwenckfeldians who emigrated to Pennsylvania. (shrink)