German diplomatic passport 1911 of a court lady
What you see here is the diplomatic passport of court lady Countess Grote, who joined the journey of Emperor Wilhelm II and crown princess Augusta Victoria to Russia—signed by the Imperial Chancellor or his deputy in 1911. German diplomatic passport lady
In the past, I have seen similar documents, but this one is special as it was issued for a court lady, which is a significant position in a royal household. Even we can’t see the wording “diplomatic,” it is such a type of document. Why? Firstly, the document format is enormous. The standard passport then was a small passport booklet with sixteen pages. Secondly, the travel document was issued directly by the German Foreign Office on the “highest special order of the Emperor,” as we can see at the lower margin at the document.
The diplomatic passport has the number 234 and was valid for one year, which was standard at this time. Passport numbers of such documents starting each year again with the number one. German diplomatic passport lady
On the back, we see a Russian visa, issued at the Russian consulate general in Berlin. A pretty nice example of an old German Empire passport. German diplomatic passport lady
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein VA (Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny; 22 October 1858 – 11 April 1921) was the last German empress and queen of Prussia by marriage to Wilhelm II, German Emperor.
Wilhelm II or William II (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 1859 – 4 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and King of Prussia. He reigned from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918 shortly before Germany’s defeat in World War I.
The eldest grandchild of Queen Victoria, Wilhelm’s first cousins included King George V of the United Kingdom and many princesses who, along with Wilhelm’s sister Sophia, became European consorts. For most of his life before becoming emperor, he was second in line to succeed his grandfather Wilhelm I on the German and Prussian thrones after his father, Crown Prince Frederick. His grandfather and father both died in 1888, the Year of Three Emperors, making Wilhelm emperor and king. He dismissed the country’s longtime chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, in 1890.
Tom Topol | Passport Historian & Author
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