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Feb. 11th, 2020 02:02 amIn this post, I've collated some of Katte's final words, written and spoken.
Wilhelmine records a passage he wrote on his prison window, before he was condemned to death:
“With time and patience we obtain a good conscience."—If you would know who has written this, the name of Katt will inform you; still cheered up by hope.
He whom curiosity may induce to read this writing, must know that the writer was put under arrest, by order of his majesty, on the 16th of August 1730. He still has faint hopes of recovering his liberty, although the manner in which he is guarded seems to prognosticate something fatal.
Immediately after receiving his death sentence, on November 2, 1730, Katte wrote to the King asking for a pardon. I took the letter from Waldie's Select Circulating Library, because I haven't found a better source yet.
( Letter to FW )
He also wrote to his grandfather, Field Marshal von Wartensleben. Wartensleben also wrote to the King asking for a pardon, but was refused. The following letter is taken from Wilhelmine's memoirs, who likely copied it from a pamphlet that began to circulate immediately after Katte's death. The letters in it, to his father, grandfather, and brother-in-law, appear to be genuine, and were circulating in Berlin already in November 1730.
( Letter to grandfather )
The following letter, to Katte's father, written the night of November 5 at Küstrin, only hours before his execution at 7 am on November 6, is taken from Fontane:
( Letter to father )
He also wrote an undated letter to Fritz, urging repentance. The German text is found in Preuss, and the translation in Waldie. It's referred to as the "Puncta" in an August 1731 letter from Wolden to FW.
( Letter to Fritz )
There are several variants on Katte's last words to Fritz, as he was led past his window on his way to his execution. All of the exchanges involve Fritz asking for pardon, often wishing he were in Katte's place, and Katte indicating that there's nothing to forgive.
( Katte's last words to Fritz )
We also had some thoughts on these documents. First, Katte's bullet-pointed last letter to Fritz.
( Who actually composed this letter? )
Then we had some thoughts on who leaked those letters to Katte's family so quickly that they were circulating in November 1730, and they were evidently never denied and are treated as genuine. (I haven't been able to find a copy of the brother-in-law letter reported by Wilhelmine.)
( Whistleblower )
Wilhelmine records a passage he wrote on his prison window, before he was condemned to death:
“With time and patience we obtain a good conscience."—If you would know who has written this, the name of Katt will inform you; still cheered up by hope.
He whom curiosity may induce to read this writing, must know that the writer was put under arrest, by order of his majesty, on the 16th of August 1730. He still has faint hopes of recovering his liberty, although the manner in which he is guarded seems to prognosticate something fatal.
Immediately after receiving his death sentence, on November 2, 1730, Katte wrote to the King asking for a pardon. I took the letter from Waldie's Select Circulating Library, because I haven't found a better source yet.
( Letter to FW )He also wrote to his grandfather, Field Marshal von Wartensleben. Wartensleben also wrote to the King asking for a pardon, but was refused. The following letter is taken from Wilhelmine's memoirs, who likely copied it from a pamphlet that began to circulate immediately after Katte's death. The letters in it, to his father, grandfather, and brother-in-law, appear to be genuine, and were circulating in Berlin already in November 1730.
( Letter to grandfather )The following letter, to Katte's father, written the night of November 5 at Küstrin, only hours before his execution at 7 am on November 6, is taken from Fontane:
( Letter to father )He also wrote an undated letter to Fritz, urging repentance. The German text is found in Preuss, and the translation in Waldie. It's referred to as the "Puncta" in an August 1731 letter from Wolden to FW.
( Letter to Fritz )There are several variants on Katte's last words to Fritz, as he was led past his window on his way to his execution. All of the exchanges involve Fritz asking for pardon, often wishing he were in Katte's place, and Katte indicating that there's nothing to forgive.
( Katte's last words to Fritz )We also had some thoughts on these documents. First, Katte's bullet-pointed last letter to Fritz.
( Who actually composed this letter? )Then we had some thoughts on who leaked those letters to Katte's family so quickly that they were circulating in November 1730, and they were evidently never denied and are treated as genuine. (I haven't been able to find a copy of the brother-in-law letter reported by Wilhelmine.)
( Whistleblower )
