Abstract

This facsimile shows the last state document ever signed by Kaiser Wilhelm I. It was signed on March 8, 1888, and the Kaiser died the following day. The document authorized Bismarck to conclude the current legislative session of the Reichstag.

Kaiser Wilhelm I’s Last Official Signature (March 8, 1888)

Source

Source: Authorization for the Reich Chancellor (Bismarck) to conclude the Reichstag session (March 5, 1888). This was the last signature that Kaiser Wilhelm I made before his death. Geheimes Staatsarchiv, Berlin.
bpk-Bildagentur, image number 30012822. For rights inquiries, please contact Art Resource at requests@artres.com (North America) or bpk-Bildagentur at kontakt@bpk-bildagentur.de (for all other countries).

Recommended Citation

Kaiser Wilhelm I’s Last Official Signature (March 8, 1888), published in: German History in Documents and Images, <https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/forging-an-empire-bismarckian-germany-1866-1890/ghdi:image-1475> [December 22, 2024].

Related Sources

Kaiser Wilhelm I’s Last Public Appearance (March 3, 1888)

Kaiser Wilhelm I’s Royal Proclamation on Public Health Insurance (November 17, 1881)

Anton von Werner, “Kaiser Wilhelm I on His Deathbed” (1888)

European Royalty Meets in Homburg (1883)

Bismarck’s Handwritten Letter of Resignation (March 18, 1890)