- Hans von Bodeck
Hans von Bodeck (1582-1658) was a German
diplomat and chancellor of theHohenzollern Prince-elector s ofBrandenburg-Prussia .Bodeck came from a prominent patrician family of Elbing (Elbląg) in the Polish province of
Royal Prussia . His grandfather was theburgomaster , while his father was a city councilman. His ancestor Johann III von Bodeck (1542-1595) received imperial status from Emperor Rudolf II and was allowed to improve the family'scoat of arms . The family also held offices in Danzig (Gdańsk).In order to find a trading partner Bodeck was sent on a diplomatic mission from Elbing throughout Europe. During that time he wrote "liber amicorum", which is now studied by
musicologist s. During his diplomatic tour Bodeck visited theNetherlands ,France ,Switzerland , andEngland , where he attended the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He attended the funeral ceremony for QueenElizabeth I of England and the coronation of the new English king, James I. The council of Elbing had sent two delegates with dual missions: firstly, to pay its respects to the new king and secondly to oppose the transfer of English trade from Elbing to nearby Danzig.In 1604 Bodeck left for
London and metJohn Dowland ,Philip Rosseter , andThomas Campion . All three composers oflute songs lived in the same district of London. Bodeck befriended them, and Campion wrote a song dedicated to Bodeck. Many people from England and Scotland came to live in Elbing.Later that year Bodeck left for
Paris and met CountChristoph von Dohna Schlobitten , a nobleman of Prussia, who lived 15 km from Elbing. Bodeck then became the chancellor to Elector Joachim Frederick of Brandenburg. He died in 1658.A collection of pieces for lute was purchased by
Dohna Schlobitten and kept at the Elbing library. In 1929 Hans Bauer wrote a full description of the register of Bodeck. During the capture of Elbing by the SovietRed Army in 1945 duringWorld War II and the subsequent expulsion of the city's Germans, the library was destroyed. Many Prussian documents and original manuscripts have since been discovered inKraków , leading music researchers to hope that some of Bodeck's works might resurface.References
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