Friedrich II - Friedrichs des Grossen in Prosa - 1837

FEDERICO THE GREAT: MEMOIRS AND WRITINGS OF THE PRUSSIAN KING OF PHILOSOPHY – 19TH CENTURY
Important nineteenth-century collection of the prose works of Frederick II the Great, king of Prussia.
Monumental edition in a single volume of the historical, political, military, and philosophical writings of the celebrated Enlightenment sovereign. Published in Berlin and edited and translated into German by the historian Isaak Markus Jost.
Enriched by an elegant engraved portrait of Frederick the Great, with a facsimile of his signature. An interesting testimony of European political culture, preserved in an old binding that is heavily worn.

ABSTRACT
Frederick II of Prussia, Gesammelte Werke Friedrichs des Grossen in Prosa, Berlin, Lewent's Verlags-Buchhandlung, 19th century, bibliographically referenced to 1837, but with a date not entirely legible in the exemplar. The digit 7 of the year of publication seems to have been erased or altered, making it impossible to confirm the date printed on the title page with absolute certainty. Important collection of Frederick the Great’s (1712–1786) prose works, one of the most significant political, military, and intellectual figures of 18th-century Europe. Published in a single volume and edited and translated by Isaak Markus Jost (1793–1860), the work brings together a wide selection of the sovereign’s writings, originally composed largely in French. The texts address the history of the Prussian monarchy, military campaigns, European politics, state administration, philosophy, religion, and the principles of government. Frederick II emerges not only as a great strategist but also as an Enlightenment intellectual and interlocutor of Voltaire. The volume is enhanced by a refined engraved portrait of the sovereign and by an ornamental title page, while the antique binding shows significant damage and losses to the cover.

WHY TO BUY
A work of notable historical interest, devoted to one of the most influential figures in European political and military history. Frederick II transformed Prussia into a great power and contributed to defining the continent’s political balances in the 18th century. His writings constitute a primary source for the study of the Silesian Wars, the Seven Years’ War, diplomacy, enlightened absolutism, and the relations between monarchy and philosophy. The collection advantages from gathering in a single volume a significant portion of the sovereign’s prose production, making it accessible to German-speaking audiences. Of particular interest is the engraved portrait on the frontispiece, with the signature facsimile, in addition to the richly decorated title page. The figure of the editor Isaak Markus Jost, an important German Jewish historian and intellectual, adds further interest to the edition. Despite the compromised condition of the binding, the book retains significant documentary and historical value, making it suitable for collections on military history, Prussian history, and Enlightenment philosophy.

MARKET VALUE
Frederick the Great’s works constitute a well-established market sector for antiquarian books, with particular interest in historical editions and nineteenth-century collections. For this specific collection, antiquarian offers are documented in the range of a few hundred euros, though referring to copies with different characteristics and conditions. In the case of the photographed volume, a prudent indicative estimate could be between 200 and 300 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Antique half-leather binding in brown with stiff boards and a decorated spine with gold lines, floral friezes, and geometric motifs. The cover shows abrasions and losses.
Berlin, Lewent's Verlags-Buchhandlung, 19th century, presumably 1837. The digit 7 of the publication date seems to have been erased.
Engraved portrait of Frederick II on the antiporta, depicted half-length in military uniform with tricorne hat and decoration of the Black Eagle Order, accompanied by the signature facsimile. The protective tissue is present. Original frontispiece within an ornamental frame. The pages show natural browning, physiological foxing, light stains, and signs of use. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI renderings. Please refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp. (2); 4nn; 976; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Friedrich II., König von Preußen.
Gesammelte Werke Friedrichs des Grossen in Prosa.
Berlin, Druck und Verlag von Lewent. 183[7].

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Frederick II of Prussia represents one of the central figures of 18th-century Europe, a sovereign who managed to harmonize extraordinary military ability with a deep interest in philosophy, literature, and the arts. Ascending the throne in 1740, he pursued a policy of territorial expansion that transformed Prussia into a great power, especially through the Silesian Wars and the Seven Years’ War. At the same time he promoted administrative, legal, and economic reforms, aligning with the tradition of Enlightened absolutism. Frederick was also a prolific author: he produced historical works, political memoirs, military treatises, philosophical essays, and polemical writings, predominantly in French. His correspondence and intellectual relationship with Voltaire attest to the Prussian court’s role in spreading Enlightenment ideas. The sovereign’s writings provide a historically important source, allowing direct observation of how Frederick interpreted power, war, diplomacy, and the relationship between reason and governance. The nineteenth-century collection edited by Jost also reflects the growing interest in Prussian historical and cultural memory.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Frederick II of Hohenzollern, called Frederick the Great (1712–1786), was born in Berlin and became King of Prussia in 1740. Son of Frederick William I, he received a strictly military education but developed from an early age a deep interest in music, literature, philosophy, and French culture. His reign featured important military campaigns, the conquest and defense of Silesia, and the assertion of Prussia as a European power. During the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) he managed to preserve the independence of his state against a large coalition of enemies. Domestically, he promoted administrative reforms, economic interventions, and relative religious tolerance, while maintaining a strongly centralized concept of monarchical power. A musician and composer, he was a patron of the arts and maintained relations with some of the principal Enlightenment thinkers. He died at Potsdam in 1786, leaving a profound political, military, and cultural legacy. His literary production remains a fundamental document for the study of political thought in the Age of Enlightenment.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Frederick the Great’s writings began to circulate during his lifetime, predominantly in French, through official publications, private editions, and collections intended for educated European circles. After the sovereign’s death in 1786, numerous editorial ventures were undertaken to collect, organize, and disseminate his literary production. The Berlin edition edited and translated by Isaak Markus Jost is bibliographically recorded in 1837, in a single volume of 976 pages numerated. In the present exemplar, however, the digit 7 of the year appears to have been erased or altered, a circumstance that prevents confirming the date directly from the title page. The attribution to 1837 thus derives from comparison with known bibliographic records. This publication is part of the nineteenth-century rediscovery of Frederick II’s political and intellectual legacy, when the sovereign became a central figure in Prussian historical memory. The edition’s print run is not documented with certainty, and a precise number of copies cannot be assigned.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Library of Congress, Franz Lieber Collection, bibliographic record of Gesammelte Werke Friedrichs des Grossen in Prosa, Berlin, 1837, with attribution to Frederick II and Isaak Markus Jost. National Institute of Informatics, CiNii Books, record BA82066106, Berlin edition of 1837, 976 pages and one plate out of text. Bibliographies of Frederick II’s works, records of the edition edited and translated by J. M. Jost, Berlin, 1837. K. T. Dechant, Alte Bücher, Lüchow, antiquarian card for the 1837 edition. Neue Deutsche Biographie, entry on Isaak Markus Jost, for the role of the editor in nineteenth-century German historiography. Johann David Erdmann Preuss, Œuvres de Frédéric le Grand, Berlin, 1846–1857, historical-critical edition and standard reference for the sovereign’s literary corpus.