Mémoires de Frédérique Sophie Wilhelmine de Prusse, margrave de Bareith. Tome 1

(2 User reviews)   3537
By Rebecca King Posted on Dec 22, 2025
In Category - Theology
Wilhelmine, Margravine, consort of Friedrich, Margrave of Bayreuth, 1709-1758 Wilhelmine, Margravine, consort of Friedrich, Margrave of Bayreuth, 1709-1758
French
Ever wonder what it was really like to be a princess in the 1700s? Forget the fairy tales. This is the real, unvarnished diary of Wilhelmine of Prussia, sister to Frederick the Great. Her life wasn't just balls and palaces—it was a constant, high-stakes chess game where her father, the 'Soldier King,' saw his children as pawns. She was forced into a political marriage, watched her brother be imprisoned and nearly executed, and navigated a world where one wrong move could mean disaster. Her voice, witty and sharp, pulls you right into the glittering, cutthroat heart of 18th-century royalty. It’s more dramatic than any novel.
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again gladly acknowledge the gracious and untiring services of my wife. The illustrations, which, it is hoped, add considerably to the interest of the book, have been collected from many sources. Many of the highly informational “restorations” included are from the monumental work of Jakob von Falke, _Hellas und Rom_, the English version whereof has long ceased to be available to American readers. W. S. D. THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxi Chapter I. The General Aspect of the City SECTION 1. The Prosperity of Rome in the Reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117–138) 1 2. Increasing Glory of the Imperial City 2 3. Population and Crowded Condition of Rome 3 4. The Country around Rome 5 5. The Tiber and Its Valley 6 6. A View over Rome from the Campus Martius 7 7. The Seven Hills of Rome 9 8. Building Materials Used in Rome 10 9. The Great Use of Concrete 11 10. Greek Architectural Forms Plus the Arch and Vault 12 Chapter II. Streets and Street Life 11. The Regions of Rome: Fashionable and Plebeian Quarters 15 12. A Typical Short Street, “Mercury Street” 16 13. The House and Shop Fronts 18 14. Street Shrines and Fountains 20 15. Typical Street Crowds 21 16. Frequent Use of Greek in Rome 22 17. Clamor and Thronging in the Streets 23 18. The Processions Attending Great Nobles 24 19. A Great Lady Traveling 25 20. Public Salutations: the Kissing Habit 26 21. The Swarms of Idlers and Parasites 27 22. Public Placards and Notices 28 23. Wall Scribblings 30 24. The Streets Dark and Dangerous at Night 32 25. Discomforts of Life in Rome 33 Chapter III. The Homes of the Lowly and of the Mighty 26. The Great _Insulæ_--Tenement Blocks 34 27. A Typical Insula 35 28. The Flats in an Insula 36 29. The Cheap Attic Tenements and Their Poor Occupants 37 30. A Senatorial “Mansion” (_Domus_) 39 31. The Plan of a Large Residence 40 32. Entrance to the Residence 42 33. The Atrium and the View across It 42 34. The Rooms in the Rear and the _Peristylium_ 44 35. The Dining Room (_Triclinium_) and the Chapel 45 36. The Garden and the Slaves’ Quarters 47 37. The Floors and Windows 49 38. Frescos, Beautiful and Innumerable 50 39. The Profusion of Statues and Art Objects 51 40. Family Portrait Busts 52 41. Death Masks (_Imagines_) 54 42. Couches, Their General Use 54 43. Elegant Chairs and Costly Tables 55 44. Chests, Cabinets, Water Clocks, and Curios 57 45. Spurious Antiques 58 46. Pet Animals 58 Chapter IV. Roman Women and Roman Marriages 47. Honorable Status of Roman Women 60 48. Men Reluctant to Marry 61 49. Rights and Privileges of Married Women 61 50. Selection of Husbands for Young Girls 63 51. A Marriage Treaty among Noble-Folk 64 52. A Betrothal in Wealthy Circles 65 53. Adjusting the Dowry 66 54. Dressing the Bride 66 55. The Marriage Ceremonies 67 56. The Wedding Procession 69 57. At the Bridegroom’s House 70 58. Honors and Liberties of a Matron 71 59. Unhappy Marriages and Frivolous Women 72 60. Divorces, Easy and Frequent 74 61. Celibacy Common: Old Families Dying Out 75 62. Nobler Types of Women 75 63. Famous and Devoted Wives 76 64. The Story of Turia 78 Chapter V. Costume and Personal Adornment 65. The Type of Roman Garments 80 66. The Toga, the National Latin Garment 81 67. Varieties of Togas 83 68. Draping the Toga 83 69. The Tunica 84 70. Capes, Cloaks, and Gala Garments...

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This isn't a dry history book; it's a front-row seat to a royal family's most private dramas, written by the woman who lived them. Wilhelmine, the favorite sister of the future Frederick the Great, starts her story in the rigid, oppressive court of her father, King Frederick William I of Prussia. Known as the 'Soldier King,' he's a tyrant at home, obsessed with his army and deeply suspicious of his intelligent, artistic children.

The Story

The plot is her life, and the central conflict is survival. We see her childhood, where she and her brother Frederick form an unbreakable bond over their shared love of music and philosophy, a direct rebellion against their father's brutish world. The tension explodes when young Frederick attempts to flee the country. He's caught, imprisoned, and forced to watch his best friend be executed. Wilhelmine, powerless and terrified, becomes a political bargaining chip. Her memoir follows her journey from a trapped princess to the Margravine of Bayreuth, a role she shapes with cleverness and grit, all while documenting the rise of her extraordinary brother.

Why You Should Read It

Wilhelmine's voice is what makes this special. She's funny, sarcastic, and brutally honest. She doesn't paint herself as a saint—she's a product of her time, navigating it with the tools she has. Reading her feels like getting a secret letter from the past. You get the gossip, the pettiness, the genuine fear, and the fierce love for her brother. It completely shatters the polished, distant image we often have of historical figures.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves character-driven historical dramas like The Favourite or Hilary Mantel's novels, but wants the real, unfiltered account. It’s for readers curious about the human beings behind the powdered wigs and palace walls. If you think royal memoirs are stuffy, this one will change your mind. It's a gripping, personal story of family, power, and resilience.



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Lucas Gonzalez
1 year ago

Solid story.

Donna Moore
5 months ago

I started reading out of curiosity and the flow of the text seems very fluid. A valuable addition to my collection.

3.5
3.5 out of 5 (2 User reviews )

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