Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part I

[Prince_Lieven]

Well, Sophie was sometimes called 'Sossie'. And the shortlived Sigismund and Waldemar were 'Sigi' and 'Waldy' respectively.

[Eric_Lowe]

I tend to believe Willy assigned Dona to the role...

Willy was livid that his mother's papers were out of his reach. He only was able to write the prefix when the letters were published in Germany. 

[grandduchessella]

Henry was sometimes called Harry.

[jfkhaos]

I think it's strange how Willy underestimated his mother in the respect of her letters....considering he couldn't find his father's should have given him some kind of clue as to even finding one thing of his mother's, but he only had himself to blame.  Vicky may have had her faults but I think active cooperation and respect from her son could have improved Germany's lot.

[jfkhaos]

I know this topic hasn't been active in a while, but since Friedrichshof is now a hotel, is Vicky's suite identified as such, and are guests allowed to stay in it?  I would love to see some of the state rooms, if they can be called as such!

[HerrKaiser]

Vicky's main bedroom is not, at least when I was there, rented as a guest room. However, there was discussion indicating this might change. easy to find out by emailing the hotel.

Also, Vicky had a special suite prepared for Willy so that whenever he arrived, his room was ready. It is in much the same state as 110 years ago; a very modern bathroom for the time, etc. His private desk remains in the room as a fabulous relic.

[Eric_Lowe]

Wonder if photos survive ? 

[jfkhaos]

We can only hope that it is....I will email the hotel to see if this has been accomplished, in lack of a better term, "inaugurated".  I have to say a few words on my own behalf.  I have been reading royal history since I was about 13, and never in my life (in the 15 years I have been devouring royal history) have I had so much more information and knowledge that I have gained as from these message boards.  Thank you to all that continue to respond to my queries.  Although I don't post as much as I would like, I can't tell you how  much I appreciate all of your responses.  Sometimes I feel like you are the only people who share my continuous  search for more royal information.  I consider each of you my true friends and without you I would be unable to obtain as much information as I do.  My hat's off to you alll!!!!!!!!  I love these message boards.

[Eric_Lowe]

I think Vicky was much smarter than Willy (being trained by her intellectual father Prince Albert) and knew what was going on. She was right to mistrust him believing correctly that he had been poisoned by Bismark against them (she & Frtiz). However Vicky had a temper and quick to judge and that did not endear him to Willy. In then end. Vicky was forced to shut up and play the contented grandmother in order to get along with her son. It was quite remarkable that Vicky viewed Willy's dropping of Bismark to be a disaster, even though the iron chancellor had been anything but her friend. The last time they met, Bismark probably was sorry that he underestimated both Vicky's clear political eyesight and her loyalty to Prussia ( he had always suspected her to be an English spy). Vicky simply told him that she cannot help him since he had personally destroy any influrence she had with him. 

[Eric_Lowe]

Indeed ! I enjoy this sharing of information too...it is why I particpated. To know more as there are much more information out there. I had the previledge of staying in Hotel Kronberg twice. It was very expensive, but I greatly enjoyed the Vicky connection. When I walked in the garden, and would wonder what she was thinking planning the whole site. 

[Johnny]

Here in Berlin I live a short walking distance from the old Berlin's most prestigeous street, Unter den Linden, a gorgeous wide boulevard which has the stunning Brandenburg Gate at one end and the impressive Berlin Cathedral and the site of the old Royal Palace at the other end. The street is the site of many important and beautiful historical as well as more recent buildings which include the State Opera, the Russian embassey, Humboldt university, Kronprinzenpalais and many others.
The Kronpinzenpalais, apparently one of Vicky's main residences was damaged during the war, but was rebuild since, although the interiors were completely redone. In fact only the outer shell of the building was preserved. The inside looked like a pretty unimaginative communist-style building. Recently they had a long-running exhibit on Einstein, which apparently generated a lot of money. After that the building was closed off, and now they are redoing the interiors, but I doubt they would be trying to recreate the old rooms. The current trend in Germany is modern, modern, modern. They will probably turn it into something that in 30-40 years from name will have later generations scratching their heads thinking what on earth were these people thinking when they did this? The aweful communist-style People's Palace which looked like a huge ugly department store and had replaced the original Royal Palace has now, after years of dispute, finally been dismanteled. Beleive it or not, there are many, many people who wanted to keep that eye sore, saying that it is part of our history and matches with Berlin's eccentric character. I personally am delighted that it's gone for good. Now, if the city can get their finances together, they will eventually rebuild the original royal palace. But be warned! It is once again going to be the exteriors. I suspect, they would also try to rebuild some of the inside rooms, etc. according to the original plans, as a tourist attraction. But I think, the rest would be completely new and modern design to accomodate practical needs.

[HerrKaiser]

Thanks for the update for everyone, Johnny, on the status of beloved Unter den Linden and the area surrounding. While I personally agree that the modernist architecture is a less appealing choice for renovated and new buildings in a classic city such a Berin, modernism did get its beginnings in Berlin and hence does seem to have a notable place in the city's past, present, and future.

My hope is that a sizeable percentage of new building and renovation is completed in the "old style" such as the newly completed Bode Museum along with plans for other buildings on museum island. I am also holding out great hope that the Stadt Schloss will, in fact, be rebuilt at least with its originally designed exteriors to provide an external city scape view that engages the past. Vicky never lived there (I believe her 90 days as Empress were spent mostly at Charlottenburg palace and Neues Palais), but she would support its rebuild! The plan for a high end hotel and conferencing centers for the interior may end up being a reasonable compromise. I do hope, nonetheless, that the planners at least rebuild the grand staircase and the white hall, both of which were immensely important architectural and design uniquenesses that future generations should have an opportunity to enjoy.

While it is difficult to accept for those of us who would love to have much of the pre WWII landscape and city scapes in tact, it is an impossible task. Some notable reconstructions exist and will continue to be planned (such as Die Frauenkirche in Dresden), but wars not only bring and end to a certain time and government, but the future is changed forever. Many in Germany prefer the modernist, limited reconstruction position in order to continue the distancing from all things German in history, which so many non-German peoples seem to endorse as well. I wonder if Vicky would have sided with the reconstructionists or the group that wants to wipe the slate clean?

[Johnny]

Dear HK,

Sorry to disappoint you, but with the notable exception of the Royal Palace which is supposed to be rebuilt looking like the original (I believe it when I see it), practically all other new buildings in Berlin, unless the historical building was still somehow standing, in which case it would be renovated, albeit with lots of modern additions to it, are glass and steel or huge blocks of concrete in the most futuristic designs. As much as I like modern architecture, I think it simply doesn't work in a city like Berlin. I have even wept after seeing a prewar photograph of a certain section of Berlin and realizing what they have done to it. As much as I regret it, I can still accept and understand the buildings built before the reunification. But, I don't think there's any excuse for what they have done since. Just picture the ugliest shopping mall made of green glass and steel right in the middle of the wonderous Cathedral Square in Magdeburg, the capital of the Sachsen-Anhalt federal state, right next to one of the most famous and important midieval cathedrals in Europe. And as if that wasn't enough, they also built a colorful Hundredwasser building right next to it. By the way, when I say they built it in the middle of the square, I mean it literally. They practically destroyed the huge ancient space by building the mall in the middle of it.

One of these days when I have the time I will take some photos of Berlin and post them for all to see.

[Eric_Lowe]

I would love to see interiors of Vicky's palace in Berlin (Kronprinz palais)...

[Johnny]

I would love to see interiors of Vicky's palace in Berlin (Kronprinz palais)...

Sorry to inform you that there is nothing left to see. Just imagine a communist style plain staircase from the 50s leading into various square rooms with white walls. Whether they will recreate the old rooms, now that the building is under rennovation we will have to wait and see. I wouldn't hold my breath, though. Chances are they will turn it into a really modern thing, with lots of glass and minimalistic decorations.