Journaal beginnende met de 24 Juny / 12 Juny 1812 van de Passage over de Niemen tot aan de Retraite van Polotsk eindigende met de 18 October / 6 October 1812. 1 Deel 1812

This is the cover of a handwritten journal by C.J. baron Krayenhoff from 1812. Its title translates to: "Journal beginning with the 24th of June / 12th of June 1812 of the Passage over the Niemen until the Retreat from Polotsk ending with the 18th of October / 6th of October 1812. 1 Part." Krayenhoff, born in 1788, lived through a period of major upheaval in Europe, shaped by the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. It is intriguing to consider the baron as an individual navigating this tumultuous time; how might he have sought to understand or control his narrative within such grand historical events? The choice to keep a personal journal may be related to a need for control. Journals were often used to record personal reflections and observations, a space for processing experiences that might otherwise be lost or forgotten. What were Krayenhoff’s fears, hopes, and reflections amidst the chaos of war? This journal offers a rare glimpse into the intimate thoughts of someone living through a pivotal moment in history.