Lensgreve Johann Friedrich Struensee (5 August 1737 – 28 April 1772) was a German-Danish physician, philosopher and statesman. He became royal physician to the mentally ill King
Christian VII of Denmark and a minister in the Danish government. He rose in power to a position of "''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
''"
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of the country, where he tried to carry out widespread reforms. His affair with Queen
Caroline Matilda ("Caroline Mathilde") caused a scandal, especially after the birth of a daughter, Princess
Louise Augusta
Princess Louise Augusta of Denmark and Norway (7 July 1771 – 13 January 1843) was the daughter of the Queen of Denmark-Norway, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain. Though officially regarded as the daughter of King Christian VII, it is widely ac ...
, and was the catalyst for the intrigues and power play that caused his downfall and dramatic death.
Upbringing and early career
Born at
Halle an der Saale and baptized at
St. Moritz
St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...
on 7 August 1737, Struensee was the third child of six born to
Pietist theologian and minister Adam Struensee (baptized in
Neuruppin on 8 September 1708 –
Rendsburg
Rendsburg ( da, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'', nds, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Ecke ...
, 20 June 1791), Pfarrer ("
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
") in
Halle an der Saale in 1732, "Dr. theol. (h. c.) von Halle" ("
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...
(honoris causa, "for the honor") from the
University of Halle) in 1757, pastor in
Altona between 1757 and 1760, "
Kgl. Generalsuperintendant von Schleswig und Holstein" ("Royal
general superintendent of Schleswig and Holstein") between 1760 and 1791, and his wife (m.
Berleburg, 8 May 1732) Maria Dorothea Carl (
Berleburg, 31 July 1716 –
Schleswig, 31 December 1792), a respectable middle-class family that believed in religious tolerance. Three of the Struensee sons went to University, but none became theologians like their father; two of the daughters married ministers.
Johann Friedrich entered the
University of Halle on 5 August 1752 at the age of fifteen where he studied
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
, and graduated as a
Doctor in Medicine ("Dr. Med.") on 12 December 1757. The university exposed him to
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...
ideals, and social and political critique and reform. He supported these new ideas, becoming a proponent of
atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
, the writings of
Claude Adrien Helvétius, and other French materialists.
When Adam and Maria Dorothea Struensee moved to Altona in 1758, where the elder Struensee became pastor of Trinitatiskirche (Trinity’s Church), Johann Friedrich moved with them. He was soon employed as a
public doctor in Altona, in the estate of Count Rantzau, and in the
Pinneberg District
Pinneberg () is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the northwest and clockwise) the districts of Steinburg and Segeberg, the city (and state) of Hamburg and the state of Lower Saxony (district Stade). The island of ...
. His wages were meager and he expected to supplement them with private practice.
His parents moved to
Rendsburg
Rendsburg ( da, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'', nds, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Ecke ...
in 1760 where Adam Struensee became first superintendent (comparable to bishop) for the duchy, and subsequently superintendent-general of
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
. Struensee, now 23 years old, had to set up his own household for the first time. His lifestyle expectations were not matched by his economics. His superior intelligence and elegant manners, however, soon made him fashionable in the better circles, and he entertained his contemporaries with his controversial opinions.
![Struensee - miniature portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Struensee_-_miniature_portrait.jpg)
Struensee was ambitious and petitioned the Danish government through Minister of Foreign Affairs
Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff for funds. He tried his hand at writing Enlightenment treatises and published many of them in his journal ''Zum Nutzen und Vergnügen'' ("For benefit and enjoyment").
Physician to King Christian VII
During Struensee's near ten-year residence in Altona he came into contact with a circle of aristocrats who had been sent away from the royal court in Copenhagen. Among them were
Enevold Brandt
Count Enevold Brandt (1738 - 28 April 1772) was a Danish courtier.
Biography
Brandt was born in Copenhagen, and studied law at the University of Copenhagen. He became assistant judge of the Supreme Court of Copenhagen in 1764, royal chamberlai ...
and Count
Schack Carl Rantzau, who were supporters of
the Enlightenment. Rantzau recommended Struensee to the court as a physician to attend King
Christian VII on his forthcoming tour to princely and royal courts in western Germany, the Netherlands, England, and France.
Struensee received the appointment in April 1768. The king and his entourage set forth on 6 May. While in England Struensee received the honorary degree of Doctor in Medicine from the University of Cambridge.
During the eight-month tour he gained the king's confidence 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 to Copenhagen in January 1769, Struensee was appointed personal physician to the king. In May, he was given the honorary title of State Councillor, which advanced him to the class of the third rank at court. Struensee wrote an important report on the mental health of the King.
Rise to power
![Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Caroline_Matilda%2C_Queen_of_Denmark_and_Norway.jpg)
First he reconciled the king and queen. At first
Caroline Matilda disliked Struensee, but she was unhappy in her marriage, neglected and spurned by the king, and affected by his illness. But Struensee was one of the few people who paid attention to the lonely queen, and he seemed to do his best to alleviate her troubles. Over time her affection for the young doctor grew and by spring 1770 he became her lover; a successful vaccination of the baby crown prince in May still further increased his influence.
Struensee was very involved with the upbringing of the Crown Prince
Frederick VI along the principles of Enlightenment, such as outlined by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
's challenge to return to nature. However, he had his own rather strict interpretation of Rousseau's ideas by isolating the child and encouraging him to manage things largely on his own. He also took Rousseau's advice about cold being beneficial for children literally, and the Crown Prince was thus only sparsely clothed even during winter time.
In control of the government
Struensee was named royal adviser (forelæser) and konferensråd on 5 May 1770. As in the course of the year the king sank into a condition of mental torpor, Struensee's authority became paramount. On the 15th September the 16-month period generally referred to as the "Time of Struensee" began.
At first, Struensee kept a low profile as he began to control the political machine. However, as the royal court and government spent the summer of 1770 in Schleswig-Holstein (
Gottorp,
Traventhal
Traventhal is a municipality in the district of Segeberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It gave name to the Peace of Travendal
The Peace of Travendal was a peace treaty concluded at the outset of the Great Northern War on 18 August 1700 betwe ...
, and
Ascheberg
Ascheberg () is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The neighbouring cities, towns and municipalities of Ascheberg are (clockwise, starting in the North) the city Münster, the town Drenste ...
) his power grew. In December 1770, he grew impatient and on the 10th of that month he abolished the council of state. A week later he appointed himself ''maître des requêtes''. It became his official duty to present reports from the various departments of state to the king. Because King Christian was scarcely responsible for his actions, Struensee dictated whatever answers he pleased. Next, he dismissed all department heads, and abolished the
Norwegian viceroyship. Henceforth, the cabinet with himself as its motive power, became the one supreme authority in the state. Struensee held absolute sway for almost thirteen months, between 18 December 1770 and 16 January 1772. During this time he issued no fewer than 1,069 cabinet orders, or more than three a day.
Reforms initiated by Struensee included:
*abolition of torture
*abolition of unfree labor (
corvée)
*abolition of the
censorship of the press
*abolition of the practice of preferring nobles for state offices
*abolition of noble privileges
*abolition of "undeserved" revenues for nobles
*abolition of the ''etiquette'' rules at the Royal Court
*abolition of the Royal Court's aristocracy
*abolition of state funding of unproductive manufacturers
*abolition of several holidays
*introduction of a tax on gambling and luxury horses to fund nursing of
foundlings
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring in an illegal way, with the intent of never resuming or reasserting guardianship. The phrase is typically used to describe the physical abandonment of a ...
*ban of
slave trade
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
in the
Danish colonies
*rewarding only actual achievements with feudal titles and decorations
*criminalization and punishment of bribery
*re-organization of the judicial institutions to minimize corruption
*introduction of state-owned grain storages to balance out the grain price
*assignment of farmland to peasants
*re-organization and reduction of the army
*university reforms
*reform of the state-owned medical institutions
Other reforms included the abolition of
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
for theft, the doing away with such demoralizing abuses as perquisites, and of "lackey-ism", the appointment of powerful men's domestic staff to lucrative public posts.
Critics of Struensee thought that he did not respect native Danish and Norwegian customs, seeing them as prejudices and wanting to eliminate them in favor of abstract principles. He also did not speak Danish, conducting his business in German. To ensure obedience, he dismissed entire staffs of public departments, without pensions or compensation, and substituted with nominees of his own. These new officials were in many cases inexperienced men who knew little or nothing of the country they were supposed to govern.
While initially the Danish people favored his reforms, they began to turn against him. When Struensee abolished all censorship of the press, it mostly resulted in a flood of anti-Struensee pamphlets.
During the initial months of his rule, middle class opinion was in his favor. What incensed the people most against him was the way in which he put the king completely on one side; and this feeling was all the stronger as, outside a very narrow court circle, nobody seems to have believed that Christian VII was really mad, but only that his will had been weakened by habitual ill usage; and this opinion was confirmed by the publication of the cabinet order of 14 July 1771, appointing Struensee "gehejme kabinetsminister" or "Geheimekabinetsminister", with authority to issue cabinet orders which were to have the force of royal ordinances, even if unprovided with the royal sign-manual.
Struensee's relations with the queen were offensive to a nation which had a traditional veneration for the royal
House of Oldenburg, while Caroline Matilda's conduct in public scandalized the populace. The society which daily gathered round the king and queen excited the derision of the foreign ambassadors. The unhappy king was little more than the butt of his environment, but occasionally the king would put up a show of obstinacy and refuse to carry out Brandt's or Struensee's orders. Once, when he threatened his keeper, Brandt, with a flogging for some impertinence, Brandt ended up in a struggle with the King, and in the course of this he struck the King in the face.
Arrest and execution
![Christian VII - Portraits of Struensee and Brandt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Christian_VII_-_Portraits_of_Struensee_and_Brandt.jpg)
Struensee's dismissal of many government officials and officers brought him many political enemies. On 30 November 1771, he declared himself and Brandt
counts
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...
. These actions stirred feelings of unease and dissatisfaction in the populace of Denmark and Norway.
Christian VII along with his queen, Struensee, Brandt, and members of the royal court, spent the summer of 1771 at
Hirschholm Palace
Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace, was a royal palace located in present-day Hørsholm municipality just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 1740s and, one of the finest buildings of its time, it ...
north of Copenhagen. They stayed there until late in the autumn. On 7 July, the queen gave birth to a daughter,
Louise Augusta
Princess Louise Augusta of Denmark and Norway (7 July 1771 – 13 January 1843) was the daughter of the Queen of Denmark-Norway, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain. Though officially regarded as the daughter of King Christian VII, it is widely ac ...
. The court moved to
Frederiksberg Palace just west of Copenhagen on 19 November.
The general ill will against Struensee, which had been smouldering all through the autumn of 1771, found expression in a conspiracy against him, headed by
Schack Carl Rantzau and others, in the name of the
Queen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear ...
Juliana Maria, to wrest power away from the king, and secure her and her son's positions of power.
The court returned to
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
on 8 January 1772. The season's first masquerade ball was held at the Court Theatre on 16 January.
A
palace coup
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whic ...
took place in the early morning of 17 January 1772, Struensee, Brandt and Queen Caroline Matilda were arrested in their respective bedrooms, and the perceived liberation of the king, who was driven round Copenhagen by his deliverers in a gold carriage, was received with universal rejoicing. The chief charge against Struensee was that he had usurped the royal authority in contravention of the Royal Law (''Kongelov''). He defended himself with considerable ability and, at first, confident that the prosecution would not dare to lay hands on the queen, he denied that their liaison had ever been criminal. The queen was taken as prisoner of state to
Kronborg Castle.
On 27 April/28 April, Struensee and Brandt were condemned first to lose their right hands and then to be beheaded; their bodies were afterwards to be
drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the reign of King Henry III ( ...
. The ''Kongelov'' had no provisions for a mentally ill ruler who was unfit to govern. However, as a commoner who had imposed himself in the circles of nobility, Struensee was condemned as being guilty of ''
lèse majesté'' and usurpation of the royal authority, both capital offences according to paragraphs 2 and 26 of the ''Kongelov''.
Struensee awaited his execution at
Kastellet, Copenhagen. The sentences were carried out on 28 April 1772 with Brandt being executed first.
[
The king himself considered Struensee a great man, even after his death. Written in German on a drawing the king made in 1775, three years after Struensee’s execution, was the following: "''Ich hätte gern beide gerettet''" ("I would have liked to have saved them both"), referring to Struensee and Brandt.
]
Cultural depictions
Struensee, his affair with the queen and his relation with the king, has featured in many artistic works:
Literature
* 1773
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The hymn that becomes known as ''Amazing Grace'', at this time titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17", is first used to accompany a sermon led by curate John Newton in the town of Olney, Bucking ...
: ''A faithful narrative of the conversion and death of Count Struensee, late Prime Minister of Denmark'' (1773) by Balthasar Münter (translated Jørgen Hee)
* 1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
: ''Die Gefangene von Celle'' – a 1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
novel by Else von Hollander-Lossow
* 1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
: ''The Favourite of the Queen'' (german: Struensee: Doktor, Diktator, und armer Sünder; later ''Der der Königin'') – a 1935 novel by Robert Neumann
* 1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
: ''The Queen's Physician'' – a 1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by Edgar Maass
* 1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
: ''Converse at Night in Copenhagen'' ( da, Samtale om natten i København) – a 1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
novel by Karen Blixen
Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 April 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote works in Danish and English. She is also known under her pen names Isak Dinesen, used in English-speaking countrie ...
* 1955
Events January
* January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama.
* January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut.
* January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
: ''Caroline Matilda, princess of Great Britain and queen of Denmark'' – a 1955
Events January
* January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama.
* January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut.
* January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
novel by Geoffrey Vaughan Blackstone
* 1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
: ''The Lost Queen'' – a 1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
historical novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
by Norah Lofts
Norah Lofts, ''née'' Norah Ethel Robinson, (27 August 190410 September 1983) was a 20th-century British writer. She also wrote under the pen names Peter Curtis and Juliet Astley. She wrote more than fifty books specialising in historical fict ...
* 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
: ''Letter from Celle'' – a 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
dramatic poem by Edward Lowbury
* 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
: ''The Visit of the Royal Physician
''The Visit of the Royal Physician'' ( sv, Livläkarens besök) is a 1999 novel by the Swedish writer Per Olov Enquist. It is known as ''The Royal Physician's Visit'' in the United States, translated into English by Tiina Nunnally. Against the bac ...
'' ( sv, Livläkarens besök) – a 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by Per Olov Enquist
* 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
: ''Prinsesse af Blodet - en roman om Caroline Mathilde'' – a 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
novel by Bodil Steensen-Leth
Bodil Steensen-Leth, née Heide-Jørgensen (born 12 January 1945, Svendborg) is a Danish writer.
She is the daughter of Henning Heide-Jørgensen and graduated from the Svendborg Gymnasium in 1963. After studying at the University of Oregon (1963-1 ...
* 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
: '' There's a mad king in Denmark'' ( it, C'è un re pazzo in Danimarca) – a 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
biographical novel
The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person's life. Like other forms of biographical fiction, details are often trimmed or reimagined to meet the artistic needs of the fiction ...
by Dario Fo
Stage
* 1827
Events
January–March
* January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart.
* January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...
: ''Struensee'' – an 1827 drama by Michael Beer with stage music by his brother Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Robert le di ...
(Stuttgart and Tübingen: Cotta 1829, premiered in Munich in 1828). The play was originally forbidden under the rule of the Prussian King Frederick William III, and finally allowed by his more liberal successor Frederick William IV
Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...
and premiered in Berlin in 1856.
* 1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
: '' Caroline Mathilde'' – a 1991 two-act ballet staged by the Royal Danish Ballet and choreographed
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
by Flemming Flindt
Flemming Flindt (30 June 1936 – 3 March 2009) was a Denmark, Danish choreographer born in Copenhagen. He studied at the Royal Danish Ballet and Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris, Paris Opera Ballet schools, joined the Royal Danish Ballet and ...
to music by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
* 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
: ''The Visit of the Royal Physician
''The Visit of the Royal Physician'' ( sv, Livläkarens besök) is a 1999 novel by the Swedish writer Per Olov Enquist. It is known as ''The Royal Physician's Visit'' in the United States, translated into English by Tiina Nunnally. Against the bac ...
'' ( da, Livlægens besøg) – a 2008 opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
staged by the Royal Danish Opera
The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first ser ...
and composed by Bo Holten
Bo Holten (born 22 October 1948) is a Danish composer and conductor.
He has been the principal conductor for the vocal ensembles '' Ars Nova (Copenhagen)'' and '' Musica Ficta (Denmark)'', as well as guest-conductor for the ''BBC Singers''. He wa ...
to a libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
based on Enquist's 1999 novel.
In film
* 1923
Events
January–February
* January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory).
* January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...
: '' The Love of a Queen'' (german: Die Liebe einer Königin) – a 1923 German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
directed by Ludwig Wolff, in which Struensee is played by Harry Liedtke.
* 1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
: '' The Dictator'' – a 1935 British film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
directed by Victor Saville, in which Struensee was played by the English actor Clive Brook. The film depicts his relationship with Caroline Mathilde, who is played by Madeleine Carroll
Edith Madeleine Carroll (26 February 1906 – 2 October 1987) was an English actress, popular both in Britain and America in the 1930s and 1940s. At the peak of her success in 1938, she was the world's highest-paid actress.
Carroll is rememb ...
.
* 1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
: ''King in Shadow
''King in Shadow'' (german: Herrscher ohne Krone) is a 1957 Western German historical drama film directed by Harald Braun and starring O. W. Fischer, Odile Versois and Horst Buchholz.Klossner, Michael. ''The Europe of 1500–1815 on Film and Telev ...
'' (german: Herrscher ohne Krone) – a 1957 West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
directed by Harald Braun, and based on Neumann's 1935 novel, in which Struensee was portrayed by O.W. Fischer
Otto Wilhelm Fischer (german: O. W. Fischer, ; 1 April 1915 – 29 January 2004) was an Austrian film and theatre actor, a leading man of West German cinema during the ''Wirtschaftswunder'' era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Life
He was born in Klo ...
.
* 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
: '' A Royal Affair'' ( da, En kongelig affære) – an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-nominated Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
directed by Nikolaj Arcel, starring Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen, (; born 22 November 1965) is a Danish actor. Originally a gymnast and dancer, he rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the ''Pusher'' film trilogy (1996, 2004), Det ...
as Struensee.
References
Further reading
* Barton, H. Arnold. ''Scandinavia in the Revolutionary Era 1760–1815'', University of Minnesota Press, 1986. .
* Commager, Henry Steele. "Struensee and the Enlightenment," ''The search for a usable past, and other essays in historiography'' (1967) pp 349+.
* Dewey, Donald. "The Danish Rasputin" ''Scandinavian Review'' (2013) 100#
online
*Tilliyard, Stella. ''A Royal Affair: George III and his Scandalous Siblings''. Chatto & Windus, 2006.
In Danish, Swedish or German
*
*
*
* .
*
* Bech, Svend Cedergreen. ''Struensee og hans tid''. 2nd ed. Viborg. Forlaget Cicero, 1989.
* Lars Bisgaard, Claus Bjørn, Michael Bregnsbo, Merete Harding, Kurt Villads Jensen, Knud J. V. Jespersen, ''Danmarks Konger og Dronninger'' (Copenhagen, 2004)
* Bregnsbo, Michael. ''Caroline Mathilde – Magt og Skæbne''. Denmark. Aschehoug Dansk Forlag, 2007.
* Gether, Christian (editor), ''Kronprins og Menneskebarn'' (Sorø, 1988)
* Glebe-Møller. ''Struensees vej til skafottet – Fornuft og åbenbaring i oplysningstiden''. Copenhagen. Museum Tusculanums Forlag, 2007.
* Thiedecke, Johnny. ''For Folket. Oplysning, Magt og vanvid i Struensee-tidens Danmark''. Viborg. Forlaget Pantheon, 2004.
* Winkle, Stefan: ''Johann Friedrich Struensee. Arzt – Aufklärer – Staatsmann,'' Stuttgart: Fischer 1989 (2nd ed.)
Online excerpt (Ärztekammer Hamburg)
Primary sources
*
*
External links
Johann Friedrich Struensee
at the website of the Royal Danish Collection
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
at Rosenborg Castle
The Ancestry of Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737–1772)
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Struensee, Johann Friedrich
1737 births
1772 deaths
Court of Christian VII of Denmark
People from Halle (Saale)
Danish people of German descent
18th-century Danish politicians
18th-century Danish physicians
18th-century German physicians
Danish atheists
German atheism activists
People from the Duchy of Magdeburg
University of Halle alumni
German people executed abroad
Executed Danish people
People executed by Denmark by decapitation
18th-century executions by Denmark
Executed people from Saxony-Anhalt
Court physicians
Caroline Matilda of Great Britain
Danish royal favourites