Liebenberg circle

Phillip zu Eilenburg . 1905

Liebenberg Circle ( Liebenberg Feast , German Liebenberger Kreis, Liebenberger Tafelrunde ) - designation of a narrow circle of high-ranking friends of the German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1886-1907. Liebenberg - the name of the estate to the north of Berlin , which was owned by Count Philipp zu Eilenburg .

Wilhelm II became close to the diplomat, Count Philip zu Eilenburg, while still a prince. In Eilenburg, which was 12 years older, Wilhelm found a suitable companion for intellectual entertainment, and in his company he found the warmth of the soul, which he was deprived of at the Prussian royal court. Since 1886, Wilhelm annually officially went to Liebenberg to hunt, but above all in order to find himself in a pleasant emotional environment for him, which the earl created for him, and since 1900 Prince Eilenburg.

The Liebenberg circle included the politician Prince Richard zu Dona-Schlobitten, diplomat Prince Philip zu Eilenburg, quartermaster general of the Prussian court theater Georg von Hulsen-Heseler, adjutant and commandant of the city of Berlin Cuno von Moltke , sculptor Emlry background von Moltke background figure background von Moltke background von Molze von von Moltke background von Moltke background. Bundesrat Baron Axel Farnbühler. Bernhard von Bülow was also associated with the Liebenberg Circle and owed his appointment as Reich Chancellor Eileburg.

The atmosphere of a purely male company was permeated by homoerotic feelings. The homosexual orientation of some members of the Liebenberg Feast, in particular, Eilenburg, is currently beyond doubt. The Liebenberg circle also became the center of political influence, although it remained informal: the majority of the members of the circle occupied important government posts, and Eilen, who set the tone, did not have political weight.

The Liebenberg meetings were distinguished by the refinement of taste, since Prince Eileburg himself sang well, played the piano and composed music. However, often guests Liebenberg fell into vulgarity. For example, in a letter in the fall of 1892, Georg von Hulzen proposed to Count Görz to arrange for his Majesty a costumed musical performance, disguised as a shorn poodle on a leash in tight leotard with pronounced anatomical details. ^[one]

The Liebenberg Circle disintegrated after the trial of Eileburg, held in 1907. Eilenburg's place among the closest friends of Emperor Wilhelm was taken by Prince Max Egon zu Fürstenberg .

Thanks to the case of Gardena-Eulenburg of 1907-1908, during the consideration of which the accusations of homosexuality of the diplomat Eilenburg who had left by that time acquired a political character, the Liebenberg circle lost public trust. Maximilian Garden in 1906 came to the conclusion that the diplomatic efforts of the empire in the Tangier crisis of 1905 failed because the Liebenberg circle did not advise the Kaiser to take the risk of war with France. For Gardena, this served as a pretext for starting a campaign against the Liebenberg circle and accusing Eulenburg and Moltke de jure of homosexuality, which was pursued by criminal law at that time, and de facto disgracing the accused in the eyes of the public. Moltke, in turn, accused Garden of defamation, and Eilenburg was convicted of perjury based on the testimony of his former lover. The criminal case was successfully postponed due to Eilenburg’s disease, Moltke and Garden entered into a settlement, the charges of homosexuality were not officially confirmed, however, the Kaiser, himself suspected of homosexual transgressions, was forced to sacrifice his friends. In political circles, both conservatives and liberals, he was known as a “wimp”, “William the Peace-loving”, who abandoned Bismarck’s mature course and avoided the risk of an imminent war, thereby calling into question the power and international image of Germany. The case of the Liebenberg circle attracted public attention to issues of homosexuality, which, despite the silence, was widespread in the highest circles of patriarchal Prussian society and, in particular, in the officer corps. ^[2]