Overview
Clemens August Freiherr von Ketteler (22 November 1853 – 20 June 1900) was a German career diplomat. He was killed during the Boxer Rebellion.
Early life and career
Ketteler was born at Münster in western Germany on 22 November 1853 into a noble Münsterland family. He was the son of Cäcilie von Luck und Witten (1822–1908) and August Joseph von Ketteler (1808–1853), who died shortly before his birth.
His uncle, Wilhelm Emmanuel Freiherr von Ketteler, was a theologian and Zentrum politician who served as Bishop of Mainz. His nephew, the diplomat Wilhelm Freiherr von Ketteler, was murdered by the Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers SS (SD) in Vienna in 1938 for his opposition to Hitler. Another relative was the French marshal Louis Franchet d'Espèrey. A cousin, Marguerite Watson, was married to Prince Charles Philippe, Duke of Nemours (son of Prince Emmanuel, Duke of Vendôme).
Following his graduation in Münster and Coesfeld in 1873, Ketteler entered the Prussian Army and served in it until he was appointed to join the Imperial German diplomatic corps in 1882.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).