Frederick William II 1744-97
King of Prussia

Born in Berlin, he was the nephew and successor in 1786 of Frederick II, the Great. The abolition of some of his predecessor's oppressive measures, including the coffee and tobacco duties, made him very popular, but he replaced them by increasing the excise duty on beer and sugar. He soon lost the regard of his subjects by his predilection for unworthy favourites, and his abrogation of the freedom of the press and religion (1788). He dissipated the fortune his uncle left in the treasury in a useless war with Holland. He acquired large areas of Polish Prussia and Silesia by the partitions of Poland (1793, 1795), and also Ansbach, Bayreuth and Danzig. He presided over a flourishing Berlin culture; he played the cello, and Mozart and Beethoven dedicated chamber music to him.