Friedrich Freiherr von der Trenck (February 1726– 25 July 1794) was a Prussian officer, adventurer, and author. Von der Trenck was born in Haldensleben, which is north of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Prussia on 16 February 1727. His parents were Major-General Baron Christopher Ehrenreich von der Trenck and Marie Charlotte von Derschau. His father was transferred to Konigsberg in 1729. Friedrich's grandfather was Albrecht Frederick von Derschau, who was President of the Royal Law Court in Konigsberg. Documents show that Friedrich was a law student in 1741 at the University of Konigsberg. In November of 1742 he became a cadet in Frederick "the Great's garde-du-corps" and six weeks later was given the commission of Cornet. In August of 1744 during the Silesian Wars Friedrich was sent to Silesia and became an orderly officer of King Frederick II of Prussia. Unfortunately for Friedrich, his first cousin Franz Freiherr von der Trenck, who was on the side of Austria, nearly captured Frederick II "The Great" and returned his cousin's horses that had been taken by the Austrian officer. Rumors were spread that Friedrich was a Austrian spy and after it was learned that young Friedrich was to be Franz von Trenck sole heir, the rumors were impossible to silence. Friedrich was imprisoned one year later, in 1745, at Glatz under the guard of Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué. In 1746, von der Trenck escaped from the fortress of Glatz (Kłodzko). Then, in 1749, he obtained an employment as Rittmeister of an imperial cuirassier regiment in Hungary. He traveled to Russia where he, or so he claimed, became gentleman of the bed chamber in Tsarina Elizabeth of Russias court. He fell in love with a married woman, whose name he never revealed. In 1753, he went to Danzig for the funeral of his mother, but was again captured on the orders of Frederick II and was sent to the "Sternschanze" (literally: Star-shaped Redoubt) in Magdeburg. To prevent him from attempting to escape, they fastened his hands, feet, and body with heavy chains and manacles. In 1763, he was released through the intervention of Empress Maria Theresa. During the next ten years, von der Trenck led an active life. He busied himself in writing literature, running a wine trading business, and travelling to England and France. His autobiography Friedrichs Freyherrn von der Trenck merkwürdige Lebensgeschichte (1787, first English translation 1788 with the title Memoirs of Frederick Baron Trenck, Written by himself. Translated from the German original, by an officer of the Royal Artillery) became popular reading in the late 18th century. In December of 1765 he married Maria Elisabeth de Broe zu Dipenbendt and they had fourteen children. In August of 1787, the Prussian King Frederick Wilhelm II granted Friedrich a yearly pension as well as his wife. The Austrians, also, granted him a pension. By the order of Austria, von der Trenck was sent, as an observer of the events of the French Revolution, to Paris, where he was accused as a spy and executed by the guillotine on 25 July 1794, two days before the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Terror. The son of Friedrich von der Trenck, the Austrian Lieutenant Field Marschall Karl Albrecht's von der Trenck, inherited the title of Count, a title which the King of Prussia had awarded his father after his father's death. When Karl died the title was inherited by his brother's son Leopold von der Trenck. roles were played by Ben Becker and Alexandra Maria Lara.[2]. Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a title, translated as Baron, not a first or middle name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin.