Negocjacje brandenbursko-polsko-saskie w trakcie wizyty Augusta II w Gdańsku wiosną 1698 roku

Polish King Augustus II’s stay in Gdańsk in 1698 provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen his existing friendly relations with Elector Frederick III. To this end, representatives of the Elector of Brandenburg, Gottfried Werner and Adam Bogislav Rubach, the former staying in Gdańsk temporarily and the latter residing there permanently, established a network with key members of the Saxon-Polish court. During the talks, a number of issues were addressed, not only those that arose in Brandenburg-Prussian-Polish, but also Brandenburg-Saxon relations. These included the Courland issue, the sale of Saxon estates, issues with postal organization, and above all, arranging the meeting of the two aforementioned rulers. Although the latter was not successfully concluded (something that Augustus II particularly cared about), intensified contacts between the monarchs resulted in a meeting in June 1698 in Pisz. In addition, the Elector’s representatives took to Berlin information relating to matters of internal importance to August II at the time, such as the campaign against the Ottoman state and the conflict in Lithuania, as well as the course of action in the Sejmiks before the April Sejm. A detailed insight into the negotiations between the diplomats is possible thanks to a careful analysis of the correspondence between the deputies and Frederick III, which is kept at the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin-Dahlem.