Duke Emanuel von Croÿ (1718 - 1784) came from an old noble family of French-German origin. He was a landowner, a high-ranking military officer, an observer and chronicler of his time, and had a particular interest in literature, architecture, and theater. He was not only a prolific author of essays and pamphlets but also an obsessive diary writer, with thousands of pages of his journal preserved since 1740. Hans Pleschinski has translated and published the journal for the first time in a selection for the German audience: a colorful and vivid, at times unique treasure trove regarding political and social, private and courtly life in 18th century France and Germany up to the French Revolution. Encounters with Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin, the Montgolfier brothers, portraits of Madame de Pompadour.