Oswald von Richthofen

Oswald von Richthofen
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 23 October 1900 – 17 January 1906
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Chancellor	Bernhard von Bülow
Preceded by	Bernhard von Bülow
Succeeded by	Heinrich von Tschirschky
German General-Consul in Cairo
In office 1885–1896
Monarchs	Wilhelm I Frederick III Wilhelm II
Preceded by	Otto L. Schmidt-Leda
Succeeded by	Maximilian von Loehr
Personal details
Born	(1847-10-13)13 October 1847 Iași, Principality of Moldavia
Died	17 January 1907(1907-01-17) (aged 59) Berlin, German Empire
Occupation	Diplomat

Oswald Samuel Konstantin Freiherr^[1] von Richthofen (13 October 1847 – 17 January 1906), a German diplomat and politician, served as Foreign Secretary and head of the Foreign Office from 23 October 1900 to 17 January 1906.

The son of diplomat Emil von Richthofen (1810–1895), he was born in Iaşi, where his father was Consul General. He joined the foreign service in 1875 and served in the Franco-Prussian War 1870–1871. From 1885 to 1896, he was stationed in Cairo. He served as Director of Colonial Affairs at the Foreign Office from 15 October 1896 to 31 March 1898. During his term as Director, the railway from Swakopmund to Windhoek in German South-West Africa was completed. A post office in the colony is named in his honour.^{[2][failed verification]}

He was appointed Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs in December 1897.

Richthofen became Secretary on 23 October 1900, when he succeeded Bernhard von Bülow, who at the same time became Chancellor of Germany. He served as Secretary until his death in Berlin on 17 January 1906. He was also appointed Privy Councillor in 1901 and Minister of State of Prussia in 1905. On 24 January 1906, he was succeeded as Secretary by Heinrich Leonhard von Tschirschky und Bögendorff.

He received the following orders and decorations:^[3]

German orders and decorations

Foreign orders and decorations