Editing Hans von Bodeck (section)

==Biography==
Bodeck came from a prominent patrician family of [[Elbląg|Elbing]] (Elbląg) in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] province of [[Royal Prussia]].<ref>Robert Bideleux, Ian Jeffries, ''A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change'', Routledge, 1998, p. 124, {{ISBN|0-415-16112-6}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=IuW7T8wfNGAC&dq=%22Royal+prussia%22+Poland+1466+Elbl%C4%85g&pg=PA124 Google Books]</ref> His grandfather was the [[burgomaster]], while his father was a city councilman. His ancestor Johann III von Bodeck (1542–1595) received imperial status from Emperor [[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolf II]] and was allowed to improve the family's [[coat of arms]]. The family also held offices in [[Gdańsk|Danzig]] (Gdańsk).

In order to find a trading partner Bodeck was sent on a diplomatic mission from Elbing throughout Europe. During that time he wrote ''liber amicorum'', which is now studied by [[musicologist]]s. During his diplomatic tour Bodeck visited the [[Netherlands]], [[France]], [[Switzerland]], and [[England]], where he attended the Universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]]. He attended the funeral ceremony for Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]] and the coronation of the new English king, [[James I of England|James I]]. The council of Elbing had sent two delegates with dual missions:  firstly, to pay its respects to the new king and secondly to oppose the transfer of English trade from Elbing to nearby Danzig.

In 1604 Bodeck left for [[London]] and met [[John Dowland]], [[Philip Rosseter]], and [[Thomas Campion]]. All three composers of [[lute]] songs lived in the same district of London. Bodeck befriended them, and Campion wrote a song dedicated to Bodeck. Many people from England and Scotland came to live in Elbling.

Later that year Bodeck left for [[Paris]] and met Count [[Christopher von Dohna]], a nobleman of Prussia, who lived 15&nbsp;km from Elbing. Bodeck then became the chancellor to Elector [[Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg|Joachim Frederick]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]. He died in 1658 in [[Hamburg]].

A collection of pieces for lute was purchased by Dohna and kept at the Elbing library. In 1929 Hans Bauer wrote a full description of the register of Bodeck. During the capture of Elbing by the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]] in 1945 during [[World War II]] and the subsequent [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expulsion of the city's German populace]], the library was destroyed. Many Prussian documents and original manuscripts have since been discovered in [[Kraków]], leading music researchers to hope that some of Bodeck's works might resurface.