On the Logic of Autocracy and the Plasticity of History: The Case of Frederick William I, King of Prussia

Acclaimed German historian Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, rector of the Institute of Advanced Study, Berlin, will give lectures in Oregon, Nevada, and California as part of our next Gerda Henkel Lecture Tour, generously funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, which brings German historians to the West Coast to present their research and engage in dialogue with their colleagues in North America. An expert in the constitutional, political, and cultural history of early modern Europe, Professor Stollberg-Rilinger will explore the fascinating contradictions of Frederick William I, the "Soldier King" of Prussia.Frederick William I (1688–1740), father of Frederick "the Great,"  is remembered for his state reforms, the vast expansion of his army, and the shocking fact that he nearly had his own son sentenced to death. Defying nearly all political, legal, moral, and aesthetic norms of his time, he humiliated elites, distrusted officials, avoided the company of women, and deeply traumatized his son. 

This lecture is part of the Gerda Henkel Lecture Series, organized by the Pacific Office of the German Historical Institute Washington in cooperation with the Gerda Henkel Foundation. The program brings German historians to the West Coast to present their research and engage in dialogue with their colleagues in the US and Canada.