Frederick the Great's Sexuality – New Avenues of Approach

Abstract

Frederick the Great's sexual orientation provides an interesting case study; one that dissects the nature of power, temporality, and sexuality within the confines of elite Prussian eighteenth-century society. Analysis of this subject is significantly complicated by a deep web of adolescent repression which culminated in a level of prudence that still leaves modern scholars without a conclusive definition of Frederick's sexuality.¹ The sexuality of any human forms an important portion of their personality. Ignoring this facet for the sake of a convenient narrative is detrimental to understanding historical characters and the decisions they make.² Examining how Frederick expressed his sexuality and the inferences this renders about his character will generate a more nuanced understanding without being confined in a broad categorisation as a homosexual. For Frederick, this aspect has been neglected in no small part due to methods he undertook to hide portions of his nature from contemporaries and his legacy. A thorough investigation of the sexuality of Frederick the Great and its interrelations with his personality is therefore long overdue.