Letter Oldenstadt (Uelzen) Um 1860, From Sophie Plato , Born Witzendorff

You are bidding on oneletter around 1860 out of Oldenstadt (Uelzen).

Written by Sophie von Plato, b. von Witzendorff (1809-1889), mother of the lawyer and Württemberg chamberlain Detlev von Plato (1846-1917), who is a close confidanthe from King William II. of Württemberg (1848-1921).

Her husband Karl von Plato (1802-1884) was employed in Oldenstadt from 1850 to 1867 (first assessor in the Oldenstadt office, from 1852 tit. bailiff, 1853 bailiff and 1867 senior bailiff); The letter must therefore come from this time.

DatedOldenstadt, 27. July (no year specified).

Aimed at a Marie, di Possibly. Marie Lichtenstein (1817-1890), friend of Clara Schumann, daughter of the zoologist Hinrich Lichtenstein (1780-1857) and godmother of Composer, music educator and conservationist Ernst Rudorff (1840-1916), from whose estate the letter comes.

Excerpts:"Thank you very much for the lines you received yesterday, my dear Marie & an immediate reply; I think it would be better for you to receive an answer straight away & excuse the fleeting nature of it?! Your visit should be very welcome on Wednesday evening & I would like to ask you to make arrangements so that you stay until Saturday. If at all possible, our car should be at the station; Which in any case works very well, as long as official matters {???\ or the like don't get in the way. I am very pleased with your visit! [...] The head is so very heavy & fatal that you can only be lenient for the brevity of these words. [...] Elisabeth sends her best regards and looks forward to renewing our acquaintance. [...] yours S. v. Plato."

Scope: Sheet written on both sides (20.3 x 13.5 cm); without envelope.

Condition: Letter folded, paper slightly stained. bPlease also note the pictures!

Internal note: Corner 23-08

About her son (source: wikipedia):

Detlev Wilhelm August (Baron since 1885) by Plato (*18. November 1846 in Bleckede; † 29. March 1917 in Charlottenburg) was a lawyer and chamberlain in Württemberg from Wendland in Hanover, who was mainly known through his friendship with the Württemberg King Wilhelm II. became known, in whose service he served as court marshal and chief hunter.

Ancestry: Detlev von Plato came from the old Lower Saxon noble family of Plato. He was the son of the royal Hanoverian mayor Karl von Plato (1802–1884), who had been married to Sophie nee von Witzendorff (1809–1889) since 1838. Detlev von Plato had an older sister Charlotte, who was a canon of the Ebstorf monastery, and an older brother Bodo. Detlev von Plato's uncle Friedrich von Plato (1797–1866) was the royal Hanoverian chief forester and great-grandfather of the Bundeswehr Lieutenant General Anton-Detlev von Plato.

Life: Detlev von Plato attended schools in Lüneburg and Celle. While studying law at the University of Göttingen, Detlev von Plato met the Württemberg Prince Wilhelm in the fall of 1866, who, like himself, was a member of the Bremensia Corps. During this time, a lifelong friendship developed that did not end even after Wilhelm's accession to the throne as King of Württemberg. In times of spatial separation there was a constant exchange of letters. It is documented in the numerous surviving letters that William of Württemberg addressed his intimate friend Detlev von Plato by the nickname “Topf”.

During the study period, the German War occurred, which led to the annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover by Prussia. Since Plato's family had served the annexed Hanover state with civil servants and officers for many generations, this led to Detlev von Plato's deep-seated aversion to everything Prussian. After taking part in the Franco-Prussian War, he began his civil service career in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg.

In 1876, Detlev von Plato accompanied Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg on his trip to Italy and also in 1877 on his honeymoon with Princess Marie to Waldeck and Pyrmont.

In 1882, Detlev was appointed court marshal by Plato in the small residential town of Arolsen, the capital of the Principality of Waldeck. He achieved this position based on a recommendation from his friend, Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg. After three years there was a serious dispute with the princely von Waldeck family, so that Detlev von Plato had to end his service there.

Instead, in 1885 he became court marshal to Prince Wilhelm and royal chamberlain in Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart. At the intercession of his royal friend, King Charles of Württemberg elevated him to the hereditary status of baron in the same year and gave him an improved coat of arms. Also in 1885, Detlev von Plato married the divorced Anna (Anny) von Bülow, née von Byern. In Württemberg, the new court marshal and chamberlain was therefore met with great skepticism. Rumors arose about his wife that she was also Prince Wilhelm's mistress. These rumors spread so widely that Prime Minister Hermann von Mittnacht felt compelled to announce on January 2nd. In July 1886, a circular was issued to the Württemberg ministers, in which they were urged to resolutely counter rumors about Prince Wilhelm's allegedly problematic relationship with his second wife Charlotte and his rumored relationship with the wife of his friend Detlev von Plato.

At Christmas 1888, Detlev von Plato donated an album, which over the years developed into a comprehensive chronicle of the famous hunting lodge in Schönbuch. The decorative binding with gold trim bears the title His high hunting master Wilhelm Prince of Württemberg for the hunting lodge in Schönbuch, donated by Court Marshal Baron von Plato at Christmas 1888 and is in the archives of the House of Württemberg. In which until the death of King Wilhelm II. The album, which was continued in 1921, documents numerous politically significant encounters.

Even in his role as court marshal to Prince Wilhelm, von Plato was often offended by his clever but consistently arrogant manner and was therefore feared. William II made him king. In 1891 he was appointed chief hunter, which von Plato held in addition to his role as chamberlain until the end of 1904. This meant that von Plato was able to continue to be regularly close to the king, who often went hunting in Schönbuch with his wife Charlotte.

In 1893, Kaiser Wilhelm II visited. in the Schönbuch, where Detlev von Plato was also present. This event was also documented in the hunting lodge chronicle. On the occasion of the imperial visit, on January 1st The “Bebenhäuser Convention”, which came into force in December 1893, provided for an alignment of military orientation and a regular exchange of officers in the Prussian and Württemberg armies.

As royal chief hunter, von Plato often spent the summer months with his family in the monastery mill in Bebenhausen near Tübingen. He also accompanied the king on his travels. There are corresponding entries in the guest books of the places where we stayed, for example on the occasion of a stay in Neubeuern Castle on December 9th. December 1895, the home of a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Württemberg. He signed “Baron von Plato, Chief Hunter of His Majesty the King of Württemberg.”

The close friendship between King Wilhelm II and his chief hunter von Plato were viewed with great suspicion by the Württemberg government. It was feared that Plato could also exert political influence on the king. The behavior of the chief hunter, often described as unseemly and tactless, led to constant simmering anger until King Wilhelm II finally became involved. seemed intolerable. Several occasions arose that enabled the king to justify the early dismissal of his chief hunter because of various violations in office. However, he hadn't expected that.

After his on the 26th After his early retirement in December 1904, Detlev von Plato moved to Charlottenburg near Berlin in 1905. There he drew attention to himself through often very irresponsible talk and boasts over the years at the Württemberg court. He died in Charlottenburg in 1917, before the defeat in the First World War and the November Revolution in 1918, which also led to the loss of the throne of his once close friend, the King of Württemberg , led.

Family: On the 14th November 1885, Detlev von Plato married Anna (Anny) Luise Emilie von Bülow, née von Byern (* 25. July 1847 in Parchen; † 6. July 1931 in Heiligenstadt, Eichsfeld). Anny von Bülow, who divorced her first husband, the Royal Prussian Captain Bernhard von Bülow (1838–1889), in May 1885, was the mother of a daughter and a son von Bülow from her first marriage. In her second marriage, Plato's daughter Erica was born in 1887. Plato's couple were seen at the Stuttgart court on many festive occasions from 1885 to 1904, close to the heir to the Württemberg throne and later king or the royal couple.

Orders and honors

Honors received before taking up service in Württemberg:

Imperial German war memorial coin for combatants and non-combatants

Cross of Honor of the Lippe House Order, 1st Class

Grand Ducal Mecklenburg Military Merit Cross 2nd Class of 1870

Grand Officer of the Grand Ducal Luxembourg Order of the Oak Crown

Royal Prussian Crown Order 2nd Class

1870 Iron Cross 2nd Class

Prussian Landwehr service award 2. Class

Princely Hohenzollern Cross of Honor 1. Class

Princely Waldeck Military Merit Cross 2nd Class

Honors earned after starting service in Württemberg since 1885:

1889 Silver Jubilee Medal for the 25th Reign anniversary of King Charles of Württemberg

1890 Commander of the Order of the Württemberg Crown

1891 Grand Cross of the Württemberg Order of Frederick

Grand Cross of the Baden Order of the Zähringer Löwen

Bavarian Order of Merit of Saint Michael 1st Class

Commander of the Civilian Order of Merit of the Netherlands Lion

Commander of the Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order

Grand Officer of the Persian Order of the Sun and Lion

Prussian Crown Order, 1st Class

Grand Cross of the Saxon Order of Albrecht

Princely Waldeck Order of Merit 1st Class