Background
Eulenburg was born in Wicken near Bartenstein to Botho Heinrich zu Eulenburg (1804–1879) and Therese née von Dönhoff (1806–1882).
Eulenburg was born in Wicken near Bartenstein to Botho Heinrich zu Eulenburg (1804–1879) and Therese née von Dönhoff (1806–1882).
He studied law at the universities of Königsberg and Bonn.
Eulenburg worked in high positions of the Prussian and German administration in Wiesbaden (1869–1872), Metz (president of the Département de la Lorraine. 1872–1873) and upper president of the Province of Hanover (1873–1878). From 1881 to 1892 he was the president of the province of Hesse-Nassau.
In 1892, he was appointed in succession to Leo von Caprivi, who however remained Chancellor of Germany.
Though Caprivi had recommended the experienced administrator Eulenburg for this appointment, the new prime minister soon made life difficult for Caprivi, and often thought of pressing for his removal. Eulenburg often thought of himself as the only possible successor to Caprivi, and he was extremely unhappy to be dismissed at what he regarded as the moment of his destiny.
He died in Berlin in 1912 and is buried in Number. I cemetery of Trinity Church, Berlin-Kreuzberg.
He implemented a series of repressive anti-socialist measures. Both Caprivi and Eulenburg were eventually dismissed by Wilhelm II following the renewal of anti-Socialist moves (and an anti-subversion bill) in 1894.
From 1899 until his death, Eulenburg was a member of the Prussian House of Lords.