Botho zu Eulenburg

Botho zu Eulenburg
Botho Graf zu Eulenburg
Interior Minister of Prussia
In office 1878–1881
In office 1892–1894
Prime Minister of Prussia
In office 1892–1894
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Personal details
Born	(1831-07-31)31 July 1831 Wicken/Bartenstein, East Prussia
Died	5 February 1912(1912-02-05) (aged 80) Berlin, Imperial Germany
Spouse(s)	Elisabeth von Alvensleben
Children	Botho zu Eulenburg (1879–1881)
Occupation	Jurist
Religion	Lutheran

Botho Graf zu Eulenburg (31 July 1831 – 5 February 1912) was a Prussian statesman.

Biography

Eulenburg was born in Wicken near Bartenstein^[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]

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. He died in Berlin.

Eulenburg was 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).

Notes

Regarding personal names: Graf was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Count. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Gräfin.

References

Interior Ministers of Prussia Count Alexander von Dohna-Schlobitten Count Karl August von Hardenberg Count Friedrich von Schuckmann Baron Wilhelm von Humboldt Count Friedrich von Schuckman Baron Gustav von Brenn Gustav Adolf Rochus von Rochow Adolf Heinrich von Arnim-Boitzenburg Ernst von Bodelschwingh-Velmede Alfred von Auerswald Friedrich von Kühlwetter Franz August Eichmann Baron Otto Theodor von Manteuffel Ferdinand Otto Wilhelm Henning von Westphalen Eduard von Flottwell Count Maximilian von Schwerin-Putzar Gustav Wilhelm von Jagow Count Friedrich Albrecht zu Eulenburg Count Botho zu Eulenburg Robert von Puttkammer Ludwig Herrfurt Count Botho zu Eulenburg Ernst von Koeller Baron Eberhard Recke von der Horst Baron Georg von Rheinbaben Baron Hans von Hammerstein-Loxten Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Friedrich von Moltke Johann von Dallwitz Friedrich Wilhelm von Loebell Bill Drews Paul Hirsch vacant Carl Severing Albert Grzesinski Heinrich Waentig Carl Severing Franz Bracht Hermann Göring

Ministers President of Prussia Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918) Office established 1848 Arnim-Boitzenburg Camphausen Auerswald Pfuel Brandenburg Ladenberg Manteuffel Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Bismarck Roon Bismarck Caprivi Eulenburg Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Bülow Bethmann Hollweg Michaelis Hertling Baden Free State of Prussia in the Weimar Republic (1918–1933) Ebert Hirsch Braun Stegerwald Braun Marx Braun Reichskommisars Papen Schleicher Free State of Prussia in the Third Reich (1933–1945) Papen Göring