The fratricide

A murder that took place over 300 years ago and still raises questions today is that of Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau, who was assassinated on November 10, 1721, allegedly on the orders of his younger brother Wilhelm Adolf. After the death of his father, Christian Detlev zu Rantzau returned from France to take over the Free Imperial County of Rantzau. But soon the Imperial Count found himself in fierce conflict with the king and his subjects. When, at the age of 27, he left the sweet life in France behind, the new Imperial Count Christian Detlef quickly fell out with the Danish King Christian V and King Frederick IV, as he refused to marry the latter’s daughter, despite his father’s agreement with the Norwegian Viceroy Ulrich Friedrich Güldenlöwe, he refused to marry the viceroy’s daughter and also refused to pay the penalty of 30,000 Reichstalers for breach of contract. For this reason, Frederick IV stripped him of all his honors and offices, as well as the income from the Danish territory. During the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721 and was fought for supremacy in the Baltic Sea region, the county of Rantzau remained neutral. However, the subjects of Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau became increasingly dissatisfied as he exploited the common people financially. This led to social unrest and uprisings. In order to get the situation under control, Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau sought help from Baron von Schlitz, better known as Görtz. He was the guardian of the underage Duke Carl Friedrich of Gottorf. At the request of the Imperial Count, Görtz sent 60 dragoons to the Imperial County at the beginning of December 1705. After they had suppressed the uprising, they offered the Imperial Count 201,000 Reichstaler for his territory. But the Imperial Count refused. As a result, in April, not only did officials from Schleswig take possession of the Imperial County, but the subjects also paid homage to the Duke of Gottorf. Although there were strong objections from the Danish king and the German emperor, it was not until the destruction of the Swedes, who supported Gottorf, in the Great Northern War in 1713 that the disputes were put on hold. After the nerve-wracking turmoil, Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau wanted to recuperate in Berlin, which is why he traveled to his cousin, the Countess von Cosel, in 1715. However, in Berlin he was arrested on suspicion of sodomy and imprisoned in Spandau. The regency of the imperial county was taken over by his brother, who was 17 years his junior and, in contrast to his quarrelsome and exploitative brother, was extremely popular with the people due to his modesty and good economic management. However, in 1720, Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau was released from prison and hired 50 men in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, with whom he returned to the county. He successfully regained his position as Imperial Count and ousted his brother from his place. From then on, he once again exploited his subjects to the bone in order to finance his extravagant lifestyle. On November 10, the Imperial Count went snipe hunting with an acquaintance in the Voßloch Forest near Rantzau Castle, where he was fatally shot by a bullet fired from the undergrowth. His companion was only slightly injured. His brother Wilhelm Adolf quickly came under suspicion of having ordered the murder of his despotic brother. He was arrested on May 31, 1722, and taken to Rendsburg, where he and his accomplices were put on trial. In June 1725, Lieutenant Detlev Prätorius was sentenced to death and beheaded as the murderer of Imperial Count Christian Detlev zu Rantzau. The alleged accomplices were whipped and branded. On April 9, 1726, the instigator of the fratricide, Wilhelm Adolf zu Rantzau, was sentenced by a criminal commission in Rendsburg to life imprisonment and a payment of 20,000 Reichstalers. Immediately after the verdict, he was transferred to the Akerhus Fortress in Oslo. Since the testamentary contract of 1669 between Imperial Count Christian zu Rantzau, the father of Christian Detlev and Wilhelm Adolf, and Frederick III, King of Denmark and Duke of Holstein, stipulated that the imperial county should fall to the duke if there were no more male heirs in the House of Rantzau, the county and the estates of Drage, Breitenburg, and Rantzau were confiscated by the Danish king and Duke of Holstein. Thus, the imperial county of Rantzau became history. Only a mischievous person would think ill of this. A memorial stone at the scene of the crime in the Voßloch Forest commemorates the murder of Imperial Count Christian Detlev Rantzau.