Otto Christian Archibald, Fürst von Bismarck
Encyclopedia
Otto Christian Archibald, Prince von Bismarck (25 September 1897, Schönhausen
, Brandenburg
– 24 December 1975) was a German politician and diplomat, and the Prince of Bismarck
from 1904 to his death.
He was the elder son of Herbert von Bismarck
, as well as the grandson of the famous Otto von Bismarck
and elder brother of Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen
. A lawyer, he became the owner of the family estate in Schönhausen
, and joined the diplomatic service in 1927, serving in Stockholm
(1927–28), London
(1928–37), with the Foreign Ministry in Berlin (1937–40), as Envoy
to Rome
(Kingdom of Italy) (1940–43), and finally as head of the Italian section of the Foreign Ministry (1943–44).
He was a member of the DNVP
(the conservative party) in the Weimar Republic
, and served as a Member of Parliament
from 1924 to 1928. In 1933 he joined the Nazi Party and in 1935 he became a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship
. In the 1950s he considered becoming a member of the FDP (the liberal party), which offered him a nomination for Parliament, but eventually joined the conservative CDU
instead. He served as a Member of Parliament
for the constituency of Herzogtum Lauenburg (Duchy of Lauenburg, his grandfather held the title Duke of Lauenburg) from 1953 to 1965, and as a member of the foreign affairs committee. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
, and served as its Vice President from 1959 to 1960 and from 1961 to 1966. He was also chairman of the Deutsche Parlamentarische Gesellschaft from 1957 to 1961. He received the Great Cross of Merit
in 1965.
Bismarck married Ann-Mari Tengbom (1907–1999), a native of Sweden
, on 18 April 1928, and they had six children, including the current head of the princely House of Bismarck, Ferdinand von Bismarck
, and the philanthropist Gunilla von Bismarck. His grandson Carl-Eduard von Bismarck
served as a Member of Parliament, representing the CDU
for the constituency Herzogtum Lauenburg, from 2005 to 2007.
Schönhausen
Schönhausen is a municipality in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, located 70 km north of the state capital of Magdeburg. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Elbe-Havel-Land.- History :...
, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
– 24 December 1975) was a German politician and diplomat, and the Prince of Bismarck
Fürst von Bismarck
The great German statesman and diplomat Otto von Bismarck received several noble titles during the course of his career.Born into a Junker family as simply Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, he was created Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen in 1865, following the Prussian victory over Denmark in the...
from 1904 to his death.
He was the elder son of Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert, Prince of Bismarck was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father's dismissal...
, as well as the grandson of the famous Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
and elder brother of Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen
Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen
Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was a German politician and German Resistance figure.Born in Berlin, he was a grandson of the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. He was a member of the Nazi Party and in 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag as a Nazi member...
. A lawyer, he became the owner of the family estate in Schönhausen
Schönhausen
Schönhausen is a municipality in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, located 70 km north of the state capital of Magdeburg. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Elbe-Havel-Land.- History :...
, and joined the diplomatic service in 1927, serving in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1927–28), London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1928–37), with the Foreign Ministry in Berlin (1937–40), as Envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(Kingdom of Italy) (1940–43), and finally as head of the Italian section of the Foreign Ministry (1943–44).
He was a member of the DNVP
German National People's Party
The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and...
(the conservative party) in the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, and served as a Member of Parliament
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
from 1924 to 1928. In 1933 he joined the Nazi Party and in 1935 he became a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship
Anglo-German Fellowship
The Anglo-German Fellowship was a group which existed from 1935 to 1939 and aimed to build up friendship between the United Kingdom and Germany; it was widely perceived as being allied to Nazism...
. In the 1950s he considered becoming a member of the FDP (the liberal party), which offered him a nomination for Parliament, but eventually joined the conservative CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
instead. He served as a Member of Parliament
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
for the constituency of Herzogtum Lauenburg (Duchy of Lauenburg, his grandfather held the title Duke of Lauenburg) from 1953 to 1965, and as a member of the foreign affairs committee. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
, and served as its Vice President from 1959 to 1960 and from 1961 to 1966. He was also chairman of the Deutsche Parlamentarische Gesellschaft from 1957 to 1961. He received the Great Cross of Merit
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
in 1965.
Bismarck married Ann-Mari Tengbom (1907–1999), a native of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, on 18 April 1928, and they had six children, including the current head of the princely House of Bismarck, Ferdinand von Bismarck
Ferdinand von Bismarck
Ferdinand, Prince von Bismarck is a German politician and the Prince of Bismarck since 1975.The son of politician and diplomat Otto Christian Archibald von Bismarck and great-grandson of statesman Otto von Bismarck, the founder of modern Germany, he grew up in London, Rome and Sweden, and went to...
, and the philanthropist Gunilla von Bismarck. His grandson Carl-Eduard von Bismarck
Carl-Eduard von Bismarck
Count Carl-Eduard Otto Wolfgang Jayme Anders von Bismarck-Schönhausen is a German politician .-Background and education:...
served as a Member of Parliament, representing the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
for the constituency Herzogtum Lauenburg, from 2005 to 2007.
See also
- Bismarck familyBismarck familyThe House of Bismarck is a German noble family that rose to great prominence with 19th century statesman Otto von Bismarck, who was conferred the hereditary title of Prince of Bismarck in 1871, and additionally a hereditary comital title in 1865 and a ducal title, Duke of Lauenburg, held only for...