«Gross is lost»: on the Brunswick Diplomat Who in 1741 Stayed Behind in Russia; [«ГРОСС ПОТЕРЯН»: О ЗАДЕРЖАВШЕМСЯ В 1741 г. В РОССИИ БРАУНШВЕЙГСКОМ ДИПЛОМАТЕ]

Abstract

This article is dedicated to Christian Friedrich Gross (1696?-1742), a scholar, private secretary to count A.I. Osterman and member of the Brunswick diplomatic mission at the Russian court. Of all persons accused of treason after the palace coup of 25 November 1741, the counsellor of legation was the only one who actually paid with his life. On New Year's Day 1742, unable to endure the ordeal of interrogations, he shot himself in Osterman's house, where he had lived since 1727. Due to close communication with this influential official in the reign of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740) the former professor who resigned from the Academy of Sciences in order to join the Brunswick diplomatic mission was considered a carrier of confidential knowledge. Subsequently historians assumed to find in his correspondence key information to the Vice Chancellor's controversial plans concerning the regulation of the succession to the Russian throne. However, thorough analysis of the original documents, kept at the State Archive of Lower Saxony, revealed that the obvious does not necessarily match reality. Gross` letters practically do not mention the turbulent events at the eve of the coup d`etat of November 1741. Against expectations, Gross occurred not to be the „Man who knew too much”, but merely the one who remained behind. Possibly, against his will, for various reasons and motives. The latter ones will be discussed in this article. © 2024 Aquilo. All rights reserved.