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Frederick II of Prussia

Also known as Frederick the Great (epithet)

Berlin, 24 Jan 1712 – Potsdam, 17 Aug 1786

15 facts3 sources

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Facts and their sources

  • Born24 Jan 1712, Berlinnot verified1 source
  • MarriedElisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevernnot verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Electoror King of Prussia, 1740–1786 · Margrave of Brandenburg, 1740not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Prussia, 1740–1786or Margrave of Brandenburg, 1740 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • TitleMargrave of Brandenburg, 1740or King of Prussia, 1740–1786 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • EventReburial, 1991not verified1 source
  • Died17 Aug 1786, Potsdamnot verified1 source
  • FatherFriedrich Wilhelm I of Prussianot verified1 source
  • MotherSophia Dorothea of Hanovernot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 24 Jan 1712

    Born in Berlin

  2. 1740–1786

    King of Prussia

  3. 1740

    Margrave of Brandenburg

  4. 17 Aug 1786

    Dies in Potsdam, aged 74

  5. 1991

    Reburial

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Berlin.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1710s · Frederick II is born in Berlin

In the news1717

Christmas flood kills 11,000 people

A major storm surge on Christmas claimed over 11,000 lives along the German North Sea coast.

Getting around

River Travel by Ordinari Boats

Water transport was often more cost-effective; for example, the Ordinari boat from Regensburg to Vienna took at least a week to cover about 450 kilometers. Passengers often spent their nights on land during these boat journeys.

At the table

Simple meals of porridge, soup, and stew

Ordinary families commonly consumed grain-based porridges and soups for breakfast and dinner, while a hearty stew served as the main midday meal. Meat was expensive, so many households reserved it for special occasions like a Sunday roast.

War of the Spanish Succession. Europe’s powers fought for thirteen years over who would inherit the Spanish throne; a Bourbon kept it, and Britain gained Gibraltar.In Europe · 1701–1714

War of the Spanish Succession. Europe’s powers fought for thirteen years over who would inherit the Spanish throne; a Bourbon kept it, and Britain gained Gibraltar.

DavidDijkgraaf · CC0

What people wore

Sumptuary Laws Against Opulent Clothing

Authorities issued sumptuary laws to maintain social hierarchy, often banning lower classes from wearing gold, silver, pearls, silk, or costly furs, with violators risking fines or imprisonment.

Music

The cornett was a popular civic instrument

Town musicians used the versatile cornett, a wooden instrument with finger holes, for both church services and celebratory civic events.

Daily life

Simple and Frugal Home Interiors

Homes often had low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and floors made of stone or brick that were covered in sand. Rooms were sparsely furnished, and houses frequently lacked clocks, making time-keeping and domestic life simple and frugal.