Prussia, Kingdom of / Friedrich Wilhelm II. (King Frederick William II)

Prussia, Kingdom of - Friedrich Wilhelm II. (King Frederick William II) (17 August 1786 - 16 November 1797)

Frederick William II (German: Friedrich Wilhelm II.) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-elector of Brandenburg and (via the Orange-Nassau inheritance of his grandfather) sovereign prince of the Canton of Neuchâtel. Pleasure-loving and indolent, he is seen as the antithesis to his predecessor, Frederick II. Under his reign, Prussia was weakened internally and externally, and he failed to deal adequately with the challenges to the existing order posed by the French Revolution. His religious policies were directed against the Enlightenment and aimed at restoring a traditional Protestantism. However, he was a patron of the arts and responsible for the construction of some notable buildings, among them the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

On 16 November 1797, Frederick William II died in Potsdam. He was succeeded by his son, Frederick William III, who had resented his father's lifestyle and acted swiftly to deal with what he considered the immoral state of the court. Frederick William II is buried in the Berliner Dom.

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Friedrich Wilhelm II. (King Frederick William II): Details
CountryPrussia, Kingdom of
From17 August 1786
To16 November 1797
Personal Information King Frederick William II of Prussia
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Country Details
NamePrussia, Kingdom of
From1701
To1918
WikiSee Wikipedia page
FlagFlag of Prussia, Kingdom of