Conrad Bussow
Encyclopedia
Conrad Bussow was a German mercenary
from Lower Saxony
who lived in Riga
in 1590s and in Muscovy in 1600–1611. In 1614–1617 Bussow compiled The Disturbed State of the Russian Realm, an eye-witness history of the Time of Troubles
. An early manuscript of his book was plagiarized
by Peter Petreius
in his History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy.
near Hanover
), in a family of a Lutheran
pastor; his writing as a mature man suggests that he received a decent education at home, especially in Latin language and literature. He joined the military at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Details of his early service are unknown, but he eventually appeared in the troops of Stephen Báthory of Poland, engaged in the Livonian War
. When Russia was forced out of this conflict, the Polish-Swedish coalition fell apart; Bussow changed sides and joined the Swedish service. In 1590s he lived in Riga
; little is known of his family life except that two of his sons born in this period reached mature age and were alive in 1610s. His exact position in Swedish forces remains unclear; Bussow names himself Inspector and Intendant of the lands conquered in Livonia by Duke Karl of Södermanland
.
Swedish hold of Livonia eroded in late 1590s, the Poles were preparing to take it over and in 1599 Bussow changed sides again, deserting the weakened Swedish force for Muscovy. According to the version of Bussow' nemesis, Swedish envoy Peter Petreius
, in 1599 agents of Boris Godunov
recruited Bussow in Narva
; Bussow agreed to hand the city over to Russians and secure neutrality of the German troops in his command. The plot was discovered and Bussow fled to Muscovy.
Bussow's treason was rewarded with lands in Russia and a small, unimportant military command. His subsequent service to Godunov, False Dmitriy I
and Vasily Shuysky was unremarkable; Bussow stayed away from the political conflicts. In 1606 he somehow dissatisfied tsar Vasily Shuysky who relieved Bussow of his command and ordered him to retire in his Kaluga
estate. There, he was caught in the middle of Ivan Bolotnikov
's revolt. Bussow's son, also Conrad Bussow, joined the revolt; he was later caught, sentenced to exile in Siberia but returned safely after the fall of Shuysky. Bussow (senior) followed Bolotnikov's troops but did not engage in any decisive combat. Later, he would likewise follow the camps of Jan Piotr Sapieha
and False Dmitry II
. In 1611 Bussow realized that the Poles ultimately lost their war in Muscovy; he retired to Polish-occupied Riga and settled on writing a book of memoirs on the Time of Troubles. Perhaps he was motivated by the financial success of a book published by Jacques Margeret
, a fellow mercenary in Muscovite service.
Bussow prepared two versions of his book. The first, compiled with the help of his son-in-law Martin Beer, was sent in 1613 to Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
, master of the Wolfenbüttel Library. The Duke did not reply, either due to his internal problems, or due to Bussow's strained reputation as a deserter. This book never found its way to a printing press. Peter Petreius
, the man who made Bussow's desertion a common knowledge among European courts, obtained a copy of the manuscript and reused or plagiarized its content in his own book issued in Swedish in 1615 and in German in 1620. The second manuscript, written by Bussow alone, was ready for publication in 1617. Bussow made a deal with a printer in Lübeck
shortly before his death and the publication was cancelled. Petreius could now proceed with his plagiarism without remorse.
, Nikolay Karamzin, Nikolai Rumyantsev) considered Beer, not Bussow, to be the primary author. Bussow was restored in his own right in 1849 by Arist Kunik and in 1858 by Sergey Solovyov
.
Bussow's German text now exists in different manuscript copies, of which Wolfenbüttel II is probably the most authentic; the complete English translation (printed 1994) was based on 1961 Smirnov edition with cross-checking against the manuscripts.
Bussow as an author is remarkable in two aspects. On the upside, he "seems to have had all the instincts of an investigative reporter. He always seemed to be where the action was." He personally knew the driving leaders of most of warring factions and was personally present at the crucial events of the war. Knowing spoken Russian well, Bussow could retell his Russian sources directly, without resorting to interpreters.
At the same time, "it is amazing that someone could live for ten years in a country without acquiring the slightest insight into, or empathy to, the local culture." Bussow was as ignorant in matters of Orthodox Christianity
and popular culture as he was competent in military tactics. However, the numbers provided in his generally credible descriptions of military actions are regarded as exaggerated.
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
from Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
who lived in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in 1590s and in Muscovy in 1600–1611. In 1614–1617 Bussow compiled The Disturbed State of the Russian Realm, an eye-witness history of the Time of Troubles
Time of Troubles
The Time of Troubles was a period of Russian history comprising the years of interregnum between the death of the last Russian Tsar of the Rurik Dynasty, Feodor Ivanovich, in 1598, and the establishment of the Romanov Dynasty in 1613. In 1601-1603, Russia suffered a famine that killed one-third...
. An early manuscript of his book was plagiarized
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
by Peter Petreius
Peter Petreius
Peer Peersson of Erlesunda, also known as Per Erlesund and by his Latinized pen name Peter Petreius was a Swedish diplomat, envoy to Muscovy and author of the History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy that attempted to present a complete history of Russia from the foundation of Kievan Rus to the end...
in his History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy.
Biography
Conrad Bussow was born in the township of Ilten (part of present-day SehndeSehnde
Sehnde is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located approx. 15 kilometres southeast of Hanover.-History:Sehnde was formed in 1974 by combining fifteen autonomous villages which belonged to three different districts: Bilm, Bolzum, Dolgen, Evern, Gretenberg, Haimar, Hoever, Ilten, Klein Lobke,...
near Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
), in a family of a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
pastor; his writing as a mature man suggests that he received a decent education at home, especially in Latin language and literature. He joined the military at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Details of his early service are unknown, but he eventually appeared in the troops of Stephen Báthory of Poland, engaged in the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
. When Russia was forced out of this conflict, the Polish-Swedish coalition fell apart; Bussow changed sides and joined the Swedish service. In 1590s he lived in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
; little is known of his family life except that two of his sons born in this period reached mature age and were alive in 1610s. His exact position in Swedish forces remains unclear; Bussow names himself Inspector and Intendant of the lands conquered in Livonia by Duke Karl of Södermanland
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
.
Swedish hold of Livonia eroded in late 1590s, the Poles were preparing to take it over and in 1599 Bussow changed sides again, deserting the weakened Swedish force for Muscovy. According to the version of Bussow' nemesis, Swedish envoy Peter Petreius
Peter Petreius
Peer Peersson of Erlesunda, also known as Per Erlesund and by his Latinized pen name Peter Petreius was a Swedish diplomat, envoy to Muscovy and author of the History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy that attempted to present a complete history of Russia from the foundation of Kievan Rus to the end...
, in 1599 agents of Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
recruited Bussow in Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
; Bussow agreed to hand the city over to Russians and secure neutrality of the German troops in his command. The plot was discovered and Bussow fled to Muscovy.
Bussow's treason was rewarded with lands in Russia and a small, unimportant military command. His subsequent service to Godunov, False Dmitriy I
False Dmitriy I
False Dmitriy I was the Tsar of Russia from 21 July 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dimitriy Ioannovich . He is sometimes referred to under the usurped title of Dmitriy II...
and Vasily Shuysky was unremarkable; Bussow stayed away from the political conflicts. In 1606 he somehow dissatisfied tsar Vasily Shuysky who relieved Bussow of his command and ordered him to retire in his Kaluga
Kaluga
Kaluga is a city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Population: It is served by Grabtsevo Airport.-History:...
estate. There, he was caught in the middle of Ivan Bolotnikov
Ivan Bolotnikov
Ivan Isayevich Bolotnikov was the leader of a popular uprising in Russia in 1606–1607 known as the Bolotnikov rebellion . The uprising was part of the Time of Troubles in Russia.-Biography:...
's revolt. Bussow's son, also Conrad Bussow, joined the revolt; he was later caught, sentenced to exile in Siberia but returned safely after the fall of Shuysky. Bussow (senior) followed Bolotnikov's troops but did not engage in any decisive combat. Later, he would likewise follow the camps of Jan Piotr Sapieha
Jan Piotr Sapieha
Jan Piotr Sapieha was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman . Starosta uświacki, pułkownik królewski, son of Paweł Sapieha and Anna Chodkiewiczowna , married to Zofia Weiher, father of Paweł Jan Sapieha...
and False Dmitry II
False Dmitry II
False Dmitry II , also called the rebel of Tushino, was the second of three pretenders to the Russian throne who claimed to be Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible...
. In 1611 Bussow realized that the Poles ultimately lost their war in Muscovy; he retired to Polish-occupied Riga and settled on writing a book of memoirs on the Time of Troubles. Perhaps he was motivated by the financial success of a book published by Jacques Margeret
Jacques Margeret
Jacques Margeret was a French mercenary captain who, in 1607, wrote the first printed French travel account of Muscovy, entitled, "Estate de l’Empire de Russie et de Grand Duché de Moscovie".-Birth and early life in France:...
, a fellow mercenary in Muscovite service.
Bussow prepared two versions of his book. The first, compiled with the help of his son-in-law Martin Beer, was sent in 1613 to Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick Ulrich , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1613 until his death....
, master of the Wolfenbüttel Library. The Duke did not reply, either due to his internal problems, or due to Bussow's strained reputation as a deserter. This book never found its way to a printing press. Peter Petreius
Peter Petreius
Peer Peersson of Erlesunda, also known as Per Erlesund and by his Latinized pen name Peter Petreius was a Swedish diplomat, envoy to Muscovy and author of the History of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy that attempted to present a complete history of Russia from the foundation of Kievan Rus to the end...
, the man who made Bussow's desertion a common knowledge among European courts, obtained a copy of the manuscript and reused or plagiarized its content in his own book issued in Swedish in 1615 and in German in 1620. The second manuscript, written by Bussow alone, was ready for publication in 1617. Bussow made a deal with a printer in Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
shortly before his death and the publication was cancelled. Petreius could now proceed with his plagiarism without remorse.
Critical assessment
Although the manuscripts were not printed in the 17th century, their placement in the Wolfenbüttel Library made them accessible to scholars. In 1690s Christian Kelch used both Bussow and Petreius as independent sources. In the first half of 19th century the relationship between Martin Beer, Conrad Bussow and Peter Petreius was not clearly understood; German and Russian scholars (notably Friedrich von AdelungFriedrich von Adelung
Friedrich von Adelung , was a German-Russian linguist, historian and bibliographer. His best known works are in the fields of bibliography of Sanskrit language and the European accounts of the Time of Troubles in Russia....
, Nikolay Karamzin, Nikolai Rumyantsev) considered Beer, not Bussow, to be the primary author. Bussow was restored in his own right in 1849 by Arist Kunik and in 1858 by Sergey Solovyov
Sergey Solovyov
Sergey Mikhaylovich Solovyov was one of the greatest Russian historians whose influence on the next generation of Russian historians was paramount. His son Vladimir Solovyov was one of the most influential Russian philosophers...
.
Bussow's German text now exists in different manuscript copies, of which Wolfenbüttel II is probably the most authentic; the complete English translation (printed 1994) was based on 1961 Smirnov edition with cross-checking against the manuscripts.
Bussow as an author is remarkable in two aspects. On the upside, he "seems to have had all the instincts of an investigative reporter. He always seemed to be where the action was." He personally knew the driving leaders of most of warring factions and was personally present at the crucial events of the war. Knowing spoken Russian well, Bussow could retell his Russian sources directly, without resorting to interpreters.
At the same time, "it is amazing that someone could live for ten years in a country without acquiring the slightest insight into, or empathy to, the local culture." Bussow was as ignorant in matters of Orthodox Christianity
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
and popular culture as he was competent in military tactics. However, the numbers provided in his generally credible descriptions of military actions are regarded as exaggerated.