Electorate of Hesse, Holy Roman Empire
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Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Rotenburg an der Fulda, Electorate of Hesse, Holy Roman Empire
Archival Overview
German Imperial Chancellor and Bavarian Prime Minister whose statesmanship united southern Germany with the German Empire and codified German Civil Law (BGB).
Biographical Record
Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1819–1901) was a German statesman who served as Minister-President of Bavaria (1866–1870), German Ambassador to France (1874–1885), Governor of Alsace-Lorraine, and the third Chancellor of the German Empire from 1894 to 1900. Born into a high-ranking Catholic princely dynasty, he was a moderate liberal and staunch champion of German national unity.
As Bavarian Minister-President following the Austro-Prussian War, Hohenlohe brought southern German states into alignment with the North German Confederation, paving the way for the 1871 founding of the German Empire. Serving as Chancellor under Kaiser Wilhelm II, he exercised diplomatic caution against imperial extremism, successfully guiding the codification of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB), Germany's monumental unified civil code that took effect on January 1, 1900.
Key Life Milestones
Bavarian Defense Treaties
Concluded secret defensive alliances between Bavaria and Prussia, securing German unity ahead of the Franco-Prussian War.
Passage of the BGB (Civil Code)
Enacted the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) through the Reichstag, creating the unified civil law code that remains Germany's legal foundation.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialSchillingsfürst (Bavaria), Germany