Around the World in Another 80 Gays : Part 32) Prussian Blues

Previously on “Another 80 Gays” : 64) Richard Püller von Hohenberg (d.1482) was burned at the stake on the orders of the Mayor of Zurich, whose current successor, 65) Corine Mauch (b.1960), has been nominated as World Mayor, an award for which Hamburg’s 66) Ole von Beust (b.1955) has previously been nominated, and who was Guest of Honour at a parade named after 67) Baron Friedrich von Steuben (1730-1794).

Von Steuben Day is a celebration of German heritage in the USA, notably in New York where the annual parade rivals the larger St. Patrick’s Day parade celebrating Irish heritage. Von Steuben Day was founded in 1957 by members of the German community in New York. The centrepiece is the parade through the streets. In 2006 66) Ole von Beust, First Mayor of Hamburg, was invited to be Guest of Honour at the New York parade.

67) Baron Friedrich von Steuben’s place as a hero of the American Revolution rests on his failure to overcome his debts and accusations of homosexuality in Europe. He wouldn’t have gone to America otherwise, and he had just the right amount of military experience the American army was looking for at the time.

Von Steuben had a glittering military career in the Prussian army. He rose to the rank of Captain and was twice wounded in action. He later became aide-de-camp to the king (more of whom later). At the end of the Seven Year’s War in 1763 the Prussian army was reorganised and von Steuben found himself out of a job, partly due to reports of his homosexuality. Looking around for another military position he settled on the position of Marshal to the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.

Facing mounting debts and threats to imprison him for his homosexuality von Steuben decided his best chance to improve his lot would be to go to America to join the revolutionaries against the British. Having learnt that Benjamin Franklin was in Paris he went to see him and offer his services. Franklin accepted and von Steuben arrived in America in 1777.

Remembering the USA’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military regarding homosexuality it may surprise you to learn that Benjamin Franklin was aware of von Steuben’s sexuality and informed George Washington. In fact, Franklin was aware that von Steuben was about to be arrested for it and made sure the Prussian general was got out of Europe and into the US as soon as possible.

The revolutionary Continental Army under George Washington was a bit of a shambles. There was little overall strategy and soldiers were largely unaware of the full potential of their weapons. Von Steuben transformed them into a formidable fighting force. He reorganised training practices and introduced standard drills and equipment. He imposed stricter discipline and wrote the definitive manual on military regulations that was still being used twenty years after his death. While serving with the Continental Army von Steuben wore the uniform based on the colours of the British Whig party.

The newly established USA was without a real constitution and permanent government. The question of what kind of head of state they wanted was undecided for a long time. It’s likely that Baron von Steuben came up with the idea of a monarchy. As I mentioned in “Gameof Gay Thrones” von Steuben suggested offering the throne to an old friend of his, 68) Prince Heinrich von Hohenzollern of Prussia (1726-1802).

Prince Heinrich wasn’t entirely convinced a monarchy was appropriate for the USA, or that he was the fight person. No definite offer was made to him and the USA decided to go on the path of an elected president instead (I wouldn’t dare comment on whether this was a better choice or not, but most European monarchies approved of lgbt rights and equality before a certain republic on the other side of the Atlantic).

Whether Prince Heinrich was disappointed or not by not being offered the American crown isn’t known but that didn’t dampen his determination to obtain a throne elsewhere. However, all of his dreams of a throne were dashed. He tried to negotiate the creation of a sovereign principality for himself, which failed. He entered the Polish-Lithuanian election for their throne twice, the same throne that 59) Prince Louis II de Bourbon, Duke of Condé, had also twice failed to secure. Even Empress Catherine the Great of Russia thought about creating the kingdom of Wallachia (in present day Romania) for Heinrich, but this was vetoed by his own brother, 69) King Friedrich II von Hohenzollern “the Great” of Prussia (1712-1786).

Just like Baron von Steuben and Prince Heinrich, King Friedrich was partial to young military officers. His first real love when he was 18 years old was Hans von Katte. Friedrich’s father, King Friedrich Wilhelm I, would none of this kind of behaviour in his family and arrested them both. Hans was executed outside Friedrich’s prison window.

Hans von Katte was one of Friedrich’s many cultured and artistic friends who nurtured the future king’s love of learning during the Enlightenment of the 18th century. He met and corresponded with many philosophers and Enlightenment thinkers, particularly the Frenchman Voltaire.

After he became king Friedrich built a palace called Sans Souci specifically dedicated for the meeting of cultured men (no women were allowed) and Voltaire eventually went to live there. It became the king’s favourite residence. Among the many writers and thinkers who gathered at Sans Souci was 70) Count Francesco Algarotti ( 1712-1764).


Next time : We untangle the affair of the duke’s daughter, the Swan of Padua and macaroni, with a nod to a Roman emperor’s male lover.