▁von ▁Beth mann - H oll weg , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁prominent ▁law ▁scholar , ▁president ▁of ▁Frederick ▁William ▁University ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁and ▁Pr uss ian ▁Minister ▁of ▁Culture . ▁His ▁great - grand father ▁was ▁Johann ▁Jakob ▁H oll weg , ▁who ▁had ▁married ▁a ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁wealth y ▁Frankfurt ▁am ▁Main ▁bank ing ▁family ▁of ▁Beth mann , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 8 . ▁ ▁Cos ima ▁Wagner ▁was ▁a ▁relative ▁on ▁the ▁Beth mann ▁side , ▁and ▁his ▁mother , ▁Isabel la ▁de ▁R oug em ont , ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁Swiss . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁board ing ▁school ▁of ▁Schul p fort a ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁Univers ities ▁of ▁Str as bourg , ▁Leipzig ▁and ▁Berlin . ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁administrative ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁rose ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁Brandenburg ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁He ▁married ▁Mar tha ▁von ▁Pf uel , ▁the ▁nie ce ▁of ▁Ernst ▁von ▁Pf uel , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Pr uss ia . ▁From ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁served ▁as ▁Pr uss ian ▁Minister ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁and ▁then ▁as ▁Imperial ▁State ▁Secretary ▁for ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁On ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Chan