Botho zu Eulenburg

Botho Wendt August Graf[lower-alpha 1] zu Eulenburg (31 July 1831 – 5 February 1912) was a Prussian statesman.

Count Botho zu Eulenburg
Minister-President of Prussia
In office
22 March 1892 – 26 October 1894
MonarchWilhelm II
Preceded byCount Leo von Caprivi
Succeeded byPrince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Personal details
Born(1831-07-31)31 July 1831
Wicken, Province of Prussia
Died5 February 1912(1912-02-05) (aged 80)
Berlin, Imperial Germany
SpouseElisabeth von Alvensleben
ChildrenBotho zu Eulenburg (1879–1881)
RelativesAugust zu Eulenburg (brother)
Philipp zu Eulenburg (second cousin)
OccupationJurist

Early life and career

Eulenburg was born in Wicken (now in Pravdinsky District)[1] to Botho Heinrich zu Eulenburg (1804–1879) and Therese née von Dönhoff (1806–1882).[2] He studied law at the universities of Königsberg and Bonn.

Eulenburg worked in high positions of the Prussian and German administration in Wiesbaden (1869–1872), Metz (president of the Département de la Lorraine; 1872–1873) and upper president of the Province of Hanover (1873–1878). In March 1878 Eulenburg succeeded his first cousin once removed Friedrich Albrecht zu Eulenburg as Minister of the Interior, serving under Bismarck. He implemented a series of repressive anti-socialist measures. From 1881 to 1892 he was the president of the province of Hesse-Nassau.[2]

Prime Minister of Prussia

In 1892, he was appointed Prime Minister of Prussia in succession to Leo von Caprivi, who however remained Chancellor of Germany.

Though Caprivi had recommended the experienced administrator Eulenburg for this appointment, the new prime minister soon made life difficult for Caprivi, and often thought of pressing for his removal. Both Caprivi and Eulenburg were eventually dismissed by Wilhelm II following the renewal of anti-Socialist moves (and an anti-subversion bill) in 1894. Eulenburg often thought of himself as the only possible successor to Caprivi, and he was extremely unhappy to be dismissed at what he regarded as the moment of his destiny.

From 1899 until his death, Eulenburg was a member of the Prussian House of Lords. He died in Berlin in 1912 and is buried in No. I cemetery of Trinity Church, Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Personal life and family

Eulenburg was the older brother of August zu Eulenburg, Marshal of the Prussian royal court, and a second cousin of Prince Philip of Eulenburg, a close friend of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and an instrumental figure behind the scenes of German politics.

On 25 October 1875 he married at Neustadt, West Prussia Elisabeth von Alvensleben (22 September 1834 in Brandenburg/Havel – 5 September 1919 in Neustadt), by whom he had an only son, Botho (15 February 1879 in Berlin – 30 May 1881 in Berlin).

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:[3]

Notes
  1. Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as Count, not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, it has formed part of family names since 1919.

References
  1. Biography Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine at University of Oldenburg
  2. Biography at Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German)
  3. Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat fur das jahr 1908, p. 57
  4. Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1903) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1903 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1903] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. pp. 11–12. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via da:DIS Danmark.
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