Karl Heinrich von Boetticher


Karl Heinrich von Boetticher was a German conservative statesman. He served as Secretary of the Interior, and Vice Chancellor of Germany.

Biography

Born in Stettin in Pomerania, the son of a judge, Boetticher studied law in the University of Würzburg and the University of Berlin. He was governor of Schleswig in 1876. In 1878 he became a member of the Reichstag for the Free Conservative Party. In 1879, he was lieutenant general of the province of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1880 he succeeded Karl von Hofmann as Secretary of the Interior of the German Empire. In 1881, he also became vice chancellor in Bismarck's cabinet. He held both positions until 1897.
As the representative of Chancellor Bismarck, Boetticher introduced numerous social reforms, and the enactment of the invalid and old-age insurance laws in 1889 was due principally to his energy and executive ability.