So do Danish kids learn about the queen in school,
since it's supposed to be a real story? Or is it fiction?
shareI don't know if it is taught in school - I'm not Danish - but the film was based on a real story.
There was Johann Friedrich Struensee, the German doctor who became the physician of King Christian. He fell in love with the queen, had great influence and ruled the country for quite some time. He's allegedly the father of Carolina's daughter and he was beheaded in the end (in RL his execution was far more cruel, he had his right hand chopped off, then was beheaded, drawn, and quatered)
Like the director and his lead actor said in interviews we can't know what was said or done behind doors but the main story is not fiction.
http://www.reference.com/browse/johann+friedrich+struensee
http://www.executedtoday.com/2009/04/28/1772-johann-friedrich-struense e-the-doctor-who-ran-denmark/
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/struensee-johann-friedri ch.html
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
It's mentioned in something like 8th grade. It's not really a that important part of the curriculum. Danish history is mostly centered around the late iron age (aka Vikings), and then mostly glossed over later. What was a nice love story is probably the center of a lesson or two. It could have been the Danish equivalent of Henry VIII's romance with Anne Boleyn, but it is, sadly, not that widely taught. Then the curriculum skips to the 19th century about the constitution, the 1st and 2nd wars of Schleswig, and so forth.
There was Johann Friedrich Struensee, the German doctor who became the physician of King Christian. He fell in love with the queen, had great influence and ruled the country for quite some time. He's allegedly the father of Carolina's daughter and he was beheaded in the end (in RL his execution was far more cruel, he had his right hand chopped off, then was beheaded, drawn, and quartered)
Struensee only ruled for about a year. At that time he was a de-facto dictator and nothing could touch him. Or so he thought. The movie goes over the parts (although not explicitly) that he was immensely bad at keeping the friends he had, because, he thought he was the de-facto king. He was also the victim of his own laws, as freedom of speech only led to him being the subject of a smear campaign. And it is not hard to smear a person who is sleeping with the queen.
He is not only the "allegedly" father of Carolina, he is almost certainly her daughter. At that time, the court knew when the king would "visit the queen's chambers", and the timeline doesn't fit for anyone else but Struensee.
All in all, Johann Friedrich Struensee most likely fits the profile of an intelligent and charismatic man, but not a wise one. Whether he actually wanted to bring progress to the backwater nation of Denmark, or he just wanted power, is still unknown. Denmark was still at that time the playground of smart German nobles, and he might just have thought that he could slip in.
You are very right about his execution; he first "lost the right to his right hand" and then he was beheaded. After he was first beheaded, and then hung, drawn and quartered. He was only lucky that he was not " radbrækket". "Radbrækket" meant that ever bone in your body had to be broken. If you were lucky, you would be "radbrækket" from the head, and thus would die rather quickly. The unlucky ones were "radbrækket" from the toes (I'm sorry, I don't know the English term for "radbrækket"). Just to put things in perspective, this method of execution was probably not used after 1700, and it was only reserved for the worst of crimes, only a few people a century suffered this gruesome death. But sleeping with the queen was among the worst of the crimes, and the method could very likely had been revived just for him.
The worst thing for "us" about this story, is that large parts of Struensee's and Mathilde's romances took place not on Christiansborg in Copenhagen (where the rebuilt Palace is now the place of Parliament), nor in Schleswig, as the film tells, but at Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace. The palace was known as the "Versailles of the North", and while it likely did not rival Versailles in size, it was most likely a fantastic piece of art, possibly one of the most beautiful palaces in all of Europe. After the affair, the Palace was mostly razed to the ground, as no one wanted anything to do with it. Today, only a small chapel still stands, and archaeleologists can only find its foundation. share
Thanks for your detailed post!
Struensee only ruled for about a year.
I didn't know the exact timeline but a year was long actually. He put many bills through.
He is not only the "allegedly" father of Carolina, he is almost certainly her daughter. At that time, the court knew when the king would "visit the queen's chambers", and the timeline doesn't fit for anyone else but Struensee.
I believe he was the father of Louise Augusta but can't prove it. Therefore I wrote allegedly. I know it's widely accepted that she was in fact Struensee's daughter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Louise_Auguste_of_Denmark
All in all, Johann Friedrich Struensee most likely fits the profile of an intelligent and charismatic man, but not a wise one.
Absolutely.
You are very right about his execution; he first "lost the right to his right hand" and then he was beheaded. After he was first beheaded, and then hung, drawn and quartered. He was only lucky that he was not " radbrækket". "Radbrækket" meant that ever bone in your body had to be broken. If you were lucky, you would be "radbrækket" from the head, and thus would die rather quickly. The unlucky ones were "radbrækket" from the toes (I'm sorry, I don't know the English term for "radbrækket"). Just to put things in perspective, this method of execution was probably not used after 1700, and it was only reserved for the worst of crimes, only a few people a century suffered this gruesome death. But sleeping with the queen was among the worst of the crimes, and the method could very likely had been revived just for him.
To break on a wheel. Really cruel. It's horrible what humans come up with to torture fellow humans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_wheel
The worst thing for "us" about this story, is that large parts of Struensee's and Mathilde's romances took place not on Christiansborg in Copenhagen (where the rebuilt Palace is now the place of Parliament), nor in Schleswig, as the film tells, but at Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace.
If that's the worst part the film makers did a fine job in my eyes.
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
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To break on a wheel. Really cruel. It's horrible what humans come up with to torture fellow humans.
It's close. But "Radbrækning" is done with a club. And yes, cruelty like that requires some special kind of immagination.
If that's the worst part the film makers did a fine job in my eyes.
I didn't actually mean this as part of the film, but more what "we" as a culture lost from this affair. The film did a fantastic job of using the backgrounds. share
But "Radbrækning" is done with a club
The wheel was typically a large wooden wagon wheel with many radial spokes, but a wheel was not always used. In some cases the condemned were lashed to the wheel and their limbs were beaten with a club or iron cudgel, with the gaps in the wheel allowing the limbs to give way
Anyways, wouldn't want to break any rules to get punished like this. *shudders*
I didn't actually mean this as part of the film, but more what "we" as a culture lost from this affair. The film did a fantastic job of using the backgrounds.
Now I'm really confused. What did you lose as a culture by that affair? Caroline's and Struensee's affair?
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
share
Google Translate says "aching in every joint"
That's just when it's used as an expression, one you might use after a hard day of sport for example.
Now I'm really confused. What did you lose as a culture by that affair? Caroline's and Struensee's affair?
I probably wasn't clear enough in the first post. What I meant that this affair did cost Denmark, what would today be a tremendous piece cultural heritage, as Hirchsholm Palace was razed to the ground after the affair.. It wasn't specifically a comment on the movie itself. share
I probably wasn't clear enough in the first post. What I meant that this affair did cost Denmark, what would today be a tremendous piece cultural heritage, as Hirchsholm Palace was razed to the ground after the affair.. It wasn't specifically a comment on the movie itself.
So they destroyed the palace because of the affair? What a stupid move. *sigh*
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
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They didn't immediately destroy it, it was basically abandoned at first. Then after some 40 years, they decided to remove it and parts of it were used to rebuild Amalienborg Palace.
I'm guessing it's a combination of not caring much since they had enough palaces and residences already + financial costs.
I just stumbled across these 2013-comments and thought I'd add a little trivia
You can often find the origins of a word by knowing other languages. In this case "Radbraekket" can be traced directly back to the german language - which was also the spoken language among Danish royalty/nobility centuries ago, so it makes sense too.
("Radbraekket" should actually be "hjulbraekket" if directly translated to modern danish). Below translated into respectively danish/german/english:
Hjul = RAD = Wheel
Braekket = GEBROCHEN = broken
Today most Danes don't know the history behind this word, so when using the expression "Jeg foeler mig totalt radbraekket" - meaning: I feel totally busted in my bones/joints - many tend to think it refers only to the spine or back since it's called "rygRAD" in danish (ryg = back). But in fact it refers to the entire body and we're are actually walking around saying: "I feel totally wheelbroken!"
Greetings from a Dane who's lived in the US and Germany.
...Great movie btw.!!
when using the expression "Jeg foeler mig totalt radbraekket" - meaning: I feel totally busted in my bones/joints - many tend to think it refers only to the spine or back since it's called "rygRAD" in danish (ryg = back). But in fact it refers to the entire body and we're are actually walking around saying: "I feel totally wheelbroken!" []
It's the same in German. We say: Ich fühle mich total gerädert und meinen all the bones/ joints hurt.
I'm not sure if many know the origin behind it.
Will Graham: I don't find you that interesting.
Hannibal Lecter: You will.
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I guess the closest transliteration would be rod breaking. Or to break with a rod (a club as you say)
shareMy guess, and I'm willing to BET on it, that the Catholic church came up with this punishment as a torture for the various forms of HERESY they created during the Dark Ages -- yep, let ANY religion gain control, and they'll show you repeatedly why we don't ever want any of them to control a nation!
The Pope even pressured the King of France to force Jean-François Champollion, who solved the Rosetta Stone to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, to agree to NEVER PUBLISH any translation of hieroglyphs that would dispute the biblical claims of a "worldwide flood 4500 yrs ago" or anything else they want us to believe as literal -- amazing that they wouldn't simply change their own dating, and claim flood still took place, just years before they first thought.. anything to perpetuate their mythology rather than just admit "it's all allegorical and has a metaphysical meaning not a historically factual one" (Israeli scholars now admit they were NEVER captive in Egypt, the entire exodus story is also allegory - and for this admission they've received death threats! Apparently followers are still "captive in Egypt", which means "stuck in the material realm and can't attain spirituality until moving past identificaion with only the corporal universe"
My only regret in life is that I'm not someone else - Woody Allen
Here in the netherlands we use the word " geradbraakt" if we are really really tired with a big hangover and walked for miles and you have pain all over. So we still use the word, only in another context :) Rad means wheel in Dutch. Braakt means break. It is an old Dutch word from 1300-1350. You were laid on a wooden plank and your legs were broken with a wheel.if you look up the dutch word in google immages you can see the thing they used.
I am watching themovie right now and the ending is so sad. I thing i will stop watching before tbey kill him. Ok i did. It was on the bbc.
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shareI don't know the English term for "radbrækket"
Google Translate says "aching in every joint".
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share
Like kkaz54 said that's only the figuratively meaning of the word. Here radbrækket means someone gets his bones broken while lying on a wheel. Wikipedia describes it quite detailed and even mentions the figuratively meanings in several languages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_wheel
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
great post. Never knew the story about the palace. WOW.
share Nice. At the end he was a man thirsty of power like, well every human in the history xD
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.'
Excellent historical details!! As a fan of the film, and the terrific cast, this helps my interest in the historical aspects..
My only regret in life is that I'm not someone else - Woody Allen
A few additions to this terrific answer to the OP.
RE Struensee's execution: He also had his genitals hacked off (after he was beheaded, thanks for small favors!) because he had "violated the Queen's person." Then he and Brandt were quartered and their body parts displayed around.
Yes, Struensee was only in power a little over a year, two at the most, depending on when you date it. In that time he literally pushed through hundreds of new laws. I'm glad the Danish schools at least mention him as he paved the way for Caroline Matilda's son's reforms.
Arguments rage on about Louise Augusta's paternity. She was declared the legitimate daughter of the king in the divorce records and it has been argued that this was done to spare the queen from any chance of execution, which her brother George III of England was quietly readying the navy to prevent if necessary. War with Britain was not desirable immediately after a coup like that. But if you compare Louise Augusta's portrait to Caroline's, Christian's and Struensee's it seems pretty clear whose daughter she was. She still has living descendants today including the King of Spain, so Struensee's blood lives on.
It is ironic that Caroline Mathilde ended up in Celle; her great-grandmother Sophia Dorothea, the consort of George I of England and Hanover was exiled there as well after her own extramarital affair was ended by the murder of her lover and her divorce. Both women are buried there, forgotten Princesses who paid a huge price for falling in love.