Jacques Duhan de Jandun
Encyclopedia
Jacques Egide Duhan de Jandun (1685-1746) was a Huguenot
soldier who served for twelve years as tutor to Frederick the Great
.
before emigrating to Brandenburg in 1687. He educated Jacques himself while preparing him for a career as a soldier. The exceptional bravery of Duhan during the 1715 Siege of Stralsund
caught the attention of Frederick William I
, who was looking for a soldier rather than an academic to serve as civil tutor to his eldest son, the Crown Prince Frederick
. Not knowing that Duhan was, in fact, a scholar well versed in ancient literature and modern philosophy, the King selected him as Frederick's tutor.
In spite of the king's orders, Duhan, over the twelve years of his service, continually scaled back the prince's religious education in favor of Greek, Roman, and French literature. He secretly secured for Frederick a private library of some three thousand volumes, housed at the Schlossfreiheit, and even went so far as to procure articles of French clothing for the young prince, items strictly forbidden by Frederick's francophobic father.
, arranged through the Austrian ambassador General Seckendorff to have Austria pay a secret pension to Duhan. Then, after his release, Frederick secured Duhan a librarian position in Brunswick.
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
soldier who served for twelve years as tutor to Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
.
Early life
Duhan's father was secretary to General TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
before emigrating to Brandenburg in 1687. He educated Jacques himself while preparing him for a career as a soldier. The exceptional bravery of Duhan during the 1715 Siege of Stralsund
Battle of Stralsund (1715)
The Siege of Stralsund was a battle during the Great Northern War. The Swedish Empire defended her Swedish Pomeranian port of Stralsund against a coalition of Denmark-Norway, the Electorate of Saxony and the Tsardom of Russia, which was joined by Brandenburg-Prussia during the siege.A first attempt...
caught the attention of Frederick William I
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
, who was looking for a soldier rather than an academic to serve as civil tutor to his eldest son, the Crown Prince Frederick
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
. Not knowing that Duhan was, in fact, a scholar well versed in ancient literature and modern philosophy, the King selected him as Frederick's tutor.
Tutor to Crown Prince Frederick
Frederick William drew up an elaborate schedule for the Prince's education, cutting out studies of poetry, philosophy, and ancient history in favor of an increased concentration on religion and modern political history.In spite of the king's orders, Duhan, over the twelve years of his service, continually scaled back the prince's religious education in favor of Greek, Roman, and French literature. He secretly secured for Frederick a private library of some three thousand volumes, housed at the Schlossfreiheit, and even went so far as to procure articles of French clothing for the young prince, items strictly forbidden by Frederick's francophobic father.
Banishment
After Frederick's failed attempt to flee Prussia, Duhan's role in acquiring a private library for Frederick was discovered and, combined with Frederick William's general desire to punish anybody closely associated with the crown prince, this resulted in the banishment of Duhan. He was exiled to a tower in the Baltic Coast city of Memel, without pension. Frederick, while imprisoned at KüstrinKüstrin
Before 1945 Küstrin was a town in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg in Germany, situated on both sides of the Oder river...
, arranged through the Austrian ambassador General Seckendorff to have Austria pay a secret pension to Duhan. Then, after his release, Frederick secured Duhan a librarian position in Brunswick.