Hans Hermann von Katte

German military officer

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June 30, 2026

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Hans Hermann von Katte was a Prussian lieutenant who was executed in 1730 for his involvement in a failed escape plan by Crown Prince Frederick (later Frederick the Great). The Crown Prince, who was in conflict with his father, King Frederick William I, due to their differing interests, planned to flee Prussia. Katte was his accomplice in this plan.1

When the escape attempt was discovered, Frederick William I imprisoned his son and ordered the execution of Katte in Frederick's presence. This event deeply affected the young prince, influencing his later life and reign.1

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Frederick II
Early life
Lieutenant Hans Hermann von Katte, the young officer who had been his accomplice in the plan, was executed in Frederick’s presence, and there was for a short time a real possibility that the prince might share his fate. During the next year or more Frederick, as…
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Lieutenant Hans Hermann von Katte, the young officer who had been his accomplice in the plan, was executed in Frederick’s presence, and there was for a short time a real possibility that the prince might share his fate. During the next year or more Frederick, as…
Read More