Wilhelm von Bismarck

Count Wilhelm Otto Albrecht von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1 August 1852 – 30 May 1901) was a German counselor, civil servant and politician, who served as a member of the Reichstag from 1880 to 1881 and president of the Regency of Hanover from 1889 to 1890. The youngest son of Otto von Bismarck, he and his brother Herbert von Bismarck both resigned their posts after the elder Bismarck was dismissed as Chancellor of Germany in 1890. Wilhelm subsequently accepted an appointment as Oberpräsident (governor) of East Prussia in 1894. Mount Wilhelm (German: Wilhelmsberg, or in Kuman: Enduwa Kombuglu, or Kombugl'o Dimbin) the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft), part of the Bismarck Range, was named after him by Hugo Zöller.

Biography Wilhelm von Bismarck was born at Frankfurt am Main, the youngest of three children born to Otto von Bismarck and his wife Johanna, née von Puttkamer. He had an older sister, Marie (b. 1847), and brother, Herbert (b. 1849), the latter serving as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890.

Though Herbert was considered next in line as Prince of Bismarck, and head of the princely House of Bismarck, Wilhelm von Bismarck was considered "the more popular of the two brothers". He was a noted athlete and sportsman in college and, like his father, participated in dueling. On at least one of these occasions, he nearly lost his life and initially was not expected to live more than a month. Wilhelm's likeness to his father was considered "remarkable", having "the same haughty demeanor, the same shape of head, and even the same gestures".

Personal life He was married to his first cousin, Sybilla Malwine von Arnim-Kröchlendorff (1864-1945), younger daughter of Oskar von Arnim (1813-1903) and his wife, Malwine von Bismarck (1827-1907), who was also Wilhelm's paternal aunt. They had: Countess Herta (b. 1886-1954) Countess Irene (1888-1982), m. 1) Herbert Count von Einsiedel; 2) Horst von Petersdorff Countess Dorothee (1892-1975), m. 1) Reinhold Count von Rehbinder; 2) Wilhelm Friedrich von Löwenfeld Count Nikolaus von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1896-1940), m. 1) Brigitte von Eickstedt-Peterswaldt; 2) Elisabeth Countess von Faber-Castell Count Rule von Bismarck-Schönhausen (b. 1920), m. Olga Huneeus Cox Countess Beatrix (1921-2006), m. Christian Heinrich Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Orders and decorations He received the following orders and decorations: