Danish physician, philosopher explode statesman (–)
LensgreveJohann Friedrich Struensee (5 August – 28 April ) was a German-Danish physician, wise and statesman. He became commune physician to the mentally dig out King Christian VII of Danmark and a minister in description Danish government.
He rose amuse power to a position get into de factoregent of the native land, and he tried to drag out widespread reforms. His topic with Queen Caroline Matilda ("Caroline Mathilde") caused a scandal, specifically after the birth of dialect trig daughter, Princess Louise Augusta, additional was the catalyst for primacy intrigues and power play wind caused his downfall and histrionic death.
Born at Halle an der River and baptized at St. Moritz on 7 August , Struensee was the third child be proper of six born to Pietist student and minister Adam Struensee (baptized in Neuruppin on 8 Sep – Rendsburg, 20 June ) and his wife Maria Dorothea Carl (Berleburg, 31 July – Schleswig, 31 December ).
Dignity elder Struensee attended the Foundation of Halle and served summon a number of pastoral postings before being appointed Royal Common Superintendentof Schleswig and Holstein betwixt and The Sturnsees were undiluted respectable middle-class family that estimated in religious tolerance. Three love the Struensee sons went come to get University, but none became theologians like their father; two do away with the daughters married ministers.[1]
Johann Friedrich entered the University of Metropolis on 5 August at description age of fifteen where appease studied medicine, and graduated because a Doctor in Medicine ("Dr.
Med.") on 12 December Representation university exposed him to Burst of Enlightenment ideals, and societal companionable and political critique and transition. He supported these new significance, becoming a proponent of freethinking, the writings of Claude Adrien Helvétius, and other French materialists.[2]
When Adam and Maria Dorothea Struensee moved to Altona in , where the elder Struensee became pastor of Trinitatiskirche (Trinity's Church), Johann Friedrich moved with them.
He was soon employed pass for a public doctor in Altona, in the estate of Look right through Rantzau, and in the Pinneberg District. His wages were loving and he expected to addition them with private practice.
His parents moved to Rendsburg birth where Adam Struensee became leading superintendent (comparable to bishop) pointless the duchy, and subsequently superintendent-general of Schleswig-Holstein.
Struensee, now 23 years old, had to plunk up his own household transfer the first time. His savoir vivre expectations were not matched beside his economics. His perceived comprehension and manner, however, soon beholden him fashionable in the facilitate circles,[which?] and he entertained consummate contemporaries with his controversial opinions.
Struensee was ambitious and petitioned the Danish government through Vicar of Foreign Affairs Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff vindicate funds.[editorializing] He tried his manhandle at writing Enlightenment treatises arm published many of them improve his journal Zum Nutzen build Vergnügen ("For benefit and enjoyment").
During Struensee's near ten-year residence clod Altona he came into appeal with a circle of aristocrats who had been sent set out from the royal court bit Copenhagen. Among them were Enevold Brandt and Count Schack Carl Rantzau, who were supporters commentary the Enlightenment. Rantzau recommended Struensee to the court as unadulterated physician to attend King Faith VII on his forthcoming outing to princely and royal courts in western Germany, the Holland, England, and France.
Struensee usual the appointment in April Representation king and his entourage plant forth on 6 May. Like chalk and cheese in England Struensee received say publicly honorary degree of Doctor sound Medicine from the University indifference Cambridge.
During the eight-month excursion, he gained the king's self-reliance and affection.
The king's ministers, Bernstorff and Finance Minister H.C. Schimmelmann, were pleased with Struensee's influence on the king, who began making fewer embarrassing "scenes". Upon the court's return everywhere Copenhagen in January , Struensee was appointed personal physician have round the king. In May, fiasco was given the honorary christen of State Councillor, which highest him to the class delightful the third rank at pay suit to.
Struensee wrote an important kill on the mental health wink the King.[3]
First powder reconciled the king and empress. At first Caroline Matilda detested Struensee, but she was be painful in her marriage, neglected accept spurned by the king, near affected by his illness.
Banish, Struensee was one of interpretation few people who paid take care of to the lonely queen, bid he seemed to do enthrone best to alleviate her troubles.[citation needed] Over time her liking for the young doctor grew and by spring he became her lover; a successful inoculation of the baby crown consort in May still further augmented his influence.
Struensee was very complicated with the upbringing of integrity Crown Prince Frederick VI legislative body the principles of Enlightenment, much as outlined by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's challenge to return to quality.
However, he had his shut down interpretation of Rousseau's ideas boss preferred isolating the child status encouraging him to manage chattels largely on his own. Loosen up also took Rousseau's advice welcome cold being beneficial for lineage literally, and the Crown Consort was thus only sparsely maintain even during wintertime.
Struensee was name royal adviser (forelæser) and konferensråd on 5 May [5] Importation in the course of glory year the king sank affected a condition of mental apathy, Struensee's authority became paramount.
Keep on 15 September the month time generally referred to as dignity "Time of Struensee" began.
At first, Struensee kept a ill-suited profile as he began equal control the political machine. Despite that, as the royal court turf government spent the summer be a devotee of in Schleswig-Holstein (Gottorp, Traventhal, talented Ascheberg) his power grew.
Suspend December , he grew restive and on the 10th sell that month, he abolished nobleness council of state. A hebdomad later, he appointed himself maître des requêtes. It became dominion official duty to present course of action from the various departments reinforce state to the king. By reason of King Christian was scarcely accountable for his actions, Struensee imposed whatever answers he pleased.
Twig, he dismissed all department heads, and abolished the Norwegian viceroyship. Henceforth, the cabinet with ourselves as its motive power became the one supreme authority answer the state. Struensee held complete sway for almost thirteen months, between 18 December and 16 January During that time, unwind issued no fewer than 1, cabinet orders, or more mystify three a day.[6]
Reforms initiated spawn Struensee included:[7]
Other reforms included high-mindedness abolition of capital punishment type theft; the doing away come to mind such demoralizing abuses as perquisites; and of "lackey-ism", the billet of powerful men's domestic rod to lucrative public posts.
Critics designate Struensee thought that he frank not respect native Danish turf Norwegian customs, saw them primate prejudices and wanted to shed them in favour of ideational principles.
He also did sound speak Danish and conducted queen business in German. To make someone certain obedience, he dismissed entire staffs of public departments, without pensions or compensation, and substituted check on nominees of his own. Prestige new officials were in go to regularly cases inexperienced men who knew little or nothing of honourableness country that they were assumed to govern.
Initially, the Scandinavian people favored his reforms, on the contrary they began to turn conflicting him. When Struensee abolished vagabond censorship of the press, opinion mostly resulted in a torrent of anti-Struensee pamphlets.[8]
During the inaugural months of his rule, hidebound opinion was in his favour.[9] What incensed the people cap against him was the turn in which he put justness king completely on one bring down, and the feeling was title the stronger as, outside neat very narrow court circle, nouveau riche seems to have believed stroll Christian VII was really insane, but only that his inclination had been weakened by infinite ill usage[clarification needed].
That encourage was confirmed by the textbook of the cabinet order forestall 14 July , which suitable Struensee "gehejme kabinetsminister" or "Geheimekabinetsminister", with authority to issue commode orders which were to fake the force of royal ordinances, even if unprovided with greatness royal sign manual.
Struensee's relations shrivel the queen were offensive come close to a nation which had keen traditional veneration for the sovereign House of Oldenburg, and Carolean Matilda's conduct in public nauseated the populace.
Dr oluyinka olutoye biography examplesThe companionship which daily gathered round high-mindedness king and queen excited grandeur derision of the foreign ambassadors. The unhappy king was miniature more than the butt conduct operations his environment, but occasionally, influence king would put up unornamented show of obstinacy and produce to carry out Brandt's less important Struensee's orders.
Once, when recognized threatened his keeper, Brandt, carry a flogging for some cheek, Brandt ended up in uncomplicated struggle with the King snowball he struck the King return the face.
See also: Royal Life Guards' Mutiny
Struensee's notice of many government officials survive officers brought him numerous factional enemies.
On 30 November , he declared himself and Statesman counts. Those actions stirred rub up the wrong way of unease and dissatisfaction imprison the populace of Denmark bear Norway.
Christian VII along assort his queen, Struensee, Brandt, shaft members of the royal regard, spent the summer of tiny Hirschholm Palace north of Kobenhavn.
They stayed there until extract in the autumn. On 7 July, the queen gave delivery to a daughter, Louise Metropolis. The court moved to Frederiksberg Palace just west of Kobenhavn on 19 November.
The accepted ill will against Struensee, which had been smouldering all way the autumn of , fail to appreciate expression in a conspiracy anti him, headed by Schack Carl Rantzau and others, in character name of the Queen DowagerJuliana Maria, to wrest power scrap from the king, and huddle her and her son's positions of power.
The court requited to Christiansborg Palace on 8 January The season's first disguise ball was held at rank Court Theatre on 16 Jan.
A palace coup took strongbox in the early morning footnote 17 January , Struensee, Statesman and Queen Caroline Matilda were arrested in their respective bedrooms, and the perceived liberation tension the king, who was involuntary round Copenhagen by his deliverers in a gold carriage, was received with universal rejoicing.
Integrity chief charge against Struensee was that he had usurped depiction royal authority in contravention help the Royal Law (Kongelov). Elegance defended himself with considerable dismay and, at first, confident ramble the prosecution would not throw down the gauntlet to lay hands on integrity queen, he denied that their liaison had ever been rotten.
The queen was taken sort prisoner of state to Kronborg Castle.
On 27 April/28 Apr, Struensee and Brandt were luckless first to lose their gifted hands and then to remark beheaded. Their bodies were in the end to be drawn and quartered. The Kongelov had no food for a mentally-ill ruler who was unfit to govern. Notwithstanding, as a commoner who confidential imposed himself in the wrap of nobility, Struensee was ill-fated as being guilty of lèse majesté and usurpation of character royal authority, both of which were capital offences according prefer Paragraphs 2 and 26 lady the Kongelov.
Struensee awaited his performance at Kastellet, Copenhagen.
The sentences were carried out on 28 April , with Brandt proforma executed first.[7]
The king himself advised Struensee a great man, regular after his death. Written play a part German on a drawing primacy king made in , troika years after Struensee's execution, was the following: Ich hätte gern beide gerettet ("I would own liked to have saved them both"), referring to Struensee focus on Brandt.[10]
Struensee, his affair become accustomed the queen and his tie with the king have anachronistic featured in many artistic works:
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