Former German Chancellor dead at 82

July 6, 1901

Former German chancellor Chlodwig Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey, died today in Ragatz, Switzerland, according to the New York Times. The prince was 82 years old and his death was "unexpected." He left Berlin for Switzerland several weeks ago, and was in "apparently good health," but he arrived in Ragatz in an "extremely weakened condition."
No plans have been announced for a funeral or burial, although it is expected that the prince will be buried with his wife at the family home in Schillingsfürst, Bavaria.
Kaiser Wilhelm II is expected to visit Norway, but his plans are expected to change in order to attend the funeral.
German newspaper editorials largely lauded the former statesman. "The grateful reverence felt for the able statesman, brave German and honorable man will survive the grief felt on his demise."
Officials at the US embassy in Berlin have expressed regret at the death of the former chancellor, as he was always "fair and conciliatory in regard to German-American relations."
Prince Clodwig was born on March 31, 1819 at Rothenburg, Bavaria. When he was 27, he succeeded as Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst "by virtue of a contract," with his elder brother, Viktor who had been created as Duke of Ratibor. Now in possession of the family seat in Bavaria, the prince gave up his Prussia service and, and due to his position, he became a member of the Bavarian House of Peers. The prince "showed evidence of marked ability almost immediately," and after serving as Ambassador in several posts, he became Prime Minister of Bavaria in 1867.
He was strongly opposed to Bismarck's scheme for merging German's Federal states into one empire. In 1894, the prince reached the pinnacle of his career, when he was named as German Chancellor although he was "little more than a cipher, bowing to the will of the Kaiser in almost everything."
In October, Prince Hohenlohe resigned at the Kaiser's request. It was later learned that the prince strongly disapproved of Germany's current China policy. He did, however, maintain cordial relations with Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The official reason for his resignation was his "increasing infirmities."
The Prince married in 1847 to Princess Marie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, by whom he had two daughters and three sons. Princess Marie died in 1897.
His eldest son, Philipp Ernst, succeeds as the new Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.