Baron Ladislaus Müller von Szentgyörgy

Ladislaus Freiherr Müller von Szentgyörgy (Hungarian: szentgyörgyi báró Müller László) (18 October 1855 – 14 March 1941) was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat of Hungarian origin serving as ambassador at Tokyo at the outbreak of World War I.

Ladislaus Freiherr Müller von Szentgyörgy
Austro-Hungarian Minister to Bulgaria
In office
14 February 1900 – 11 March 1904
Preceded byGuido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach
Succeeded byKarl Freiherr von Braun
Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Japan
In office
30 March 1912 – 25 August 1914
Preceded byGuido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach
Succeeded byNone
Personal details
Born(1855-10-18)18 October 1855
Budapest, Austria-Hungary (now Hungary)
Died(1941-03-14)March 14, 1941
Budapest, Hungary

Life

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Born on 18 October 1855 as son of a Budapest apothecary, he entered the Austro-Hungarian foreign service in 1884 through its consular service, which was a distinct branch separate from the diplomatic corps and the staff at the Foreign Ministry in Vienna.[1] Raised to the nobility in 1896 as Ladislaus Müller von Szentgyörgy, he subsequently served as consul general (with the rank of minister) at Sofia from 1900 to 1904.

In March 1904, Müller was appointed as Second Section Chief (equivalent to head of the Political Section) in the Imperial Foreign Ministry in Vienna succeeding Kajetan von Mérey who had been promoted to First Section Chief (equivalent to an Undersecretary). In January 1909, it was Müller's own turn to be promoted to First Section Chief. Elevated to the rank of a Baron in 1910, he was one of the few products of the 19th century nobility in the Austro-Hungarian diplomatic corps.[2]

On 30 March 1912, Baron Müller von Szentgyörgy was appointed as Ambassador to Japan but returned to Vienna following the Japanese declaration of war against Austria-Hungary on 25 August 1914. On 4 January 1917, as part of a larger shake-up of personnel at the Ballhausplatz, he was appointed to serve a second term as First Section Chief but was replaced already in June by Baron von Flotow. He died in Budapest on 14 March 1941 at the age of 85.

Notes

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Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as 'Baron'). In Germany since 1919, it forms part of family names. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.

References

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  1. ^ William D. Godsey, Aristocratic Redoubt: The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office on the Eve of the First World War, West Lafayette, Purdue University Press, 1999, p. 79.
  2. ^ Godsey, op. cit., p. 20.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Guido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach
Austro-Hungarian Minister to Bulgaria
1900–1904
Succeeded by
Karl Freiherr von Braun
Preceded by Second Section Chief in the Imperial Foreign Ministry
1904–1909
Succeeded by
Karl Freiherr von Macchio
Preceded by
Guido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach
First Section Chief in the Imperial Foreign Ministry
1909–1912
Succeeded by
Karl Freiherr von Macchio
Preceded by
Guido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach
Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Japan
1912–1914
Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Karl Freiherr von Macchio
First Section Chief in the Imperial Foreign Ministry
1917–1918
Succeeded by
Ludwig Freiherr von Flotow