Frederick William IV

Frederick William IV

Frederick William IV was King of Prussia from 1840 until his death in 1861. He was called the "romanticist on the throne" because of his strong religious beliefs and his belief that he ruled by divine right. He was careful about changes and did not want revolutions.

At first, Frederick William IV tried to be more open. He made some rules less strict, let some political prisoners go, and tried to get along better with Catholic people. But when big changes began in Germany from 1848 to 1849, he had to deal with people who wanted new ideas for how the country should be run. Some people asked him to become Emperor of the Germans, but he said no because he did not think they had the right to ask him that.

Frederick William IV loved art and building beautiful things. He helped make many important places even more wonderful, like the buildings in Berlin-Potsdam, Museum Island, and Cologne Cathedral—all of which are now important places protected by UNESCO. Sadly, from 1857 until he died in 1861, he had several strokes that made him unable to rule. During that time, his brother William helped lead the kingdom.

Crown Prince

Frederick William was born to Frederick William III and Queen Louise. After his mother died when he was 14, he believed it was a sign from God. He thought leading a good life would help him move forward.

During his childhood, Europe went through big changes from the French Revolution. Frederick William grew up valuing tradition and history. He joined the fights against Napoleon, seeing it as a battle for faith. He loved art and architecture and married Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria in 1823. Though they had a happy marriage, they did not have any children.

Early reign

Frederick William became king of Prussia in 1840 after his father passed away. During his early years as king, he supported many building projects. These included the first Berlin Zoo and important museums in Berlin. He also created an award for science and arts called the Pour le Merite.

He began his rule by easing some strict rules and freeing people who were in prison for political reasons. However, Frederick William believed strongly that he ruled by divine right. He wanted a state based on Christian traditions rather than modern constitutional ideas. He thought his role was to guide his people with a sacred duty from God.

The Revolution of 1848/1849

Main articles: German revolutions of 1848–1849 and Revolutions of 1848

In 1848, many changes happened across Europe, beginning with a revolution in France. King Frederick William IV of Prussia wanted to help his people feel better. He called a meeting of German states in Dresden and promised to support a united Germany. He wore the colors black, red, and gold to show he understood the people's wishes.

Later, he let the Prussian National Assembly meet so people could talk about new laws. But the king still believed he ruled by divine right and wanted to keep much of the power for himself. This made it difficult to agree on how Prussia and the rest of Germany should be governed.

Counter-revolution

Main articles: Constitution of Prussia (1848) and Constitution of Prussia (1850)

King Frederick William IV of Prussia faced challenges from people who wanted big changes in how the country was run. In 1848, a group called the Prussian National Assembly tried to create a new set of rules, called a constitution, for how Prussia should be governed. They made changes that upset the king.

The king decided to take action. He appointed a new leader from the military who agreed with him, and later moved the Assembly away from Berlin. When the Assembly refused to leave, soldiers were sent in to make them stop meeting. The king then dissolved the Assembly and put in place a new constitution in 1848. This constitution was changed a bit in 1850. It created a Parliament with two groups — one for wealthy people and another for others — and kept many powers with the king.

Main article: Erfurt Union

Later, the king was asked to become the leader of all of Germany, but he turned it down. He didn’t want to take a crown offered by ordinary people, and he worried it would cause problems with Austria, another powerful country nearby. He also wanted Germany to be united under a system that included Austria.

When troubles broke out in Dresden, a city in Saxony, the king sent soldiers to help control the situation. This showed Prussia’s strength. Prussia tried to bring together some German states under its leadership, but not all agreed, and the plan lost support over time. Austria, which wanted to keep an older group of German states together, opposed Prussia’s plans. Eventually, Prussia agreed to go back to the older system that included Austria.

Other political events

During the reign of Frederick William IV, several important political events happened.

The Rhine Crisis began in 1840 when the French Prime Minister wanted the Rhine River to be France's border. This caused tension, but ended when the leader resigned.

Other events included the First Schleswig War in 1848. In this war, Prussia fought Denmark over land but had to withdraw. Prussia also added the Province of Hohenzollern to its lands in 1850. In 1853, Prussia bought land on the North Sea and built the city of Wilhelmshaven. Finally, the Neuchâtel Crisis of 1856–1857 solved a problem about a small area in Switzerland.

Later years

In his final years, King Frederick William IV had serious health problems. Doctors thought he had a mental illness, but we now know he had a disease affecting his brain blood vessels. This made it difficult for him to perform his duties as king.

In 1857, the king's health got worse, and he could not speak well. By 1858, he could no longer rule properly, so he asked his brother, Prince William, to help as regent. This brought a new time in Prussia called the New Era, with fresh leaders replacing the old government.

Death and burial

King Frederick William IV died in January 1861 after facing more health issues. He was buried in the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, just as he had wished many years before.

Honours

Frederick William IV received many honors from different countries for his role as King of Prussia. Some of the notable German decorations he received include:

• Prussia: Knight of the Black Eagle and Iron Cross, 2nd Class.
• Ascanian duchies: Grand Cross of Albert the Bear.
• Baden: Grand Cross of the House Order of Fidelity and the Zähringer Lion.
• Bavaria: Knight of St. Hubert.
• Brunswick: Grand Cross of Henry the Lion.

He also earned honors from foreign nations, such as:

• Austrian Empire: Grand Cross of St. Stephen.
• Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold.
• Denmark: Knight of the Elephant.
• France: Knight of the Holy Spirit, Knight of St. Michael, and Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.
• Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer.
• Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Military William Order and the Netherlands Lion.
• Russian Empire: Knight of St. Andrew and St. George, 4th Class.
• Spain: Knight of the Golden Fleece.
• Sweden: Knight of the Seraphim.
• United Kingdom: Knight of the Garter.

Ancestry

Frederick William IV was born into the House of Hohenzollern. This family had ruled parts of Germany for many years. His father was Frederick William III of Prussia, and his mother was Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His noble background shaped his life and his later role as King of Prussia.