 ernst freiherr von weizsÃ¤cker (25 may 1882&nbsp;&ndash; 4 august 1951) was a german diplomat and politician. he served as state secretary at the foreign office of nazi germany from 1938 to 1943, and as its ambassador to the holy see from 1943 to 1945. he was a member of the prominent weizsÃ¤cker family, and the father of german president richard von weizsÃ¤cker and physicist and philosopher carl friedrich von weizsÃ¤cker. == early life and active naval career == weizsÃ¤cker was born in stuttgart to karl hugo von weizsÃ¤cker, who would become minister president (prime minister) of the kingdom of wÃ¼rttemberg and raised to personal nobility in 1897, and paula von meibom. in 1911 he married marianne von graevenitz, who belonged to the old nobility. in 1916 he became a freiherr (baron), as his father and his family were raised to the inheritable nobility, less than two years before the fall of the local monarchy. in 1900, weizsÃ¤cker joined the kaiserliche marine (imperial german navy) to become an officer, serving mainly in berlin. in 1916, he served as flag lieutenant to admiral reinhard scheer aboard the german flagship friedrich der grosse during the battle of jutland. in 1917, during the latter portion of world war&nbsp;i he earned the iron cross (both classes) and was promoted to korvettenkapitÃ¤n (equivalent to u.k and u.s. naval officer grades of lieutenant commander) the following year. he was a member of the naval staff led by admiral reinhard scheer from august 1918. from june 1919 to april 1920, he served as naval attachÃ© to the hague. == diplomatic career == weizsÃ¤cker joined the german foreign service in 1920. he was appointed as consul to basel in 1921, as councillor in copenhagen in 1924 and was stationed in geneva from 1927. he became head of the department for disarmament in 1928, and was appointed as envoy to oslo in 1931 and to bern in 1933. in 1936 as ambassador to bern, weizsÃ¤cke
1882_births 1951_deaths Ambassadors_of_Germany_to_the_Holy_See Barons_of_Germany Grand_Crosses_of_the_Order_of_St._Sava Imperial_German_Navy_personnel Knights_1st_class_of_the_Friedrich_Order Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Order_of_St._Olav Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Italy Knights_of_the_Military_Merit_Order_(WA 1/4 rttemberg) Nazis_who_served_in_World_War_I People_convicted_by_the_United_States_Nuremberg_Military_Tribunals People_from_Stuttgart People_from_the_Kingdom_of_WA 1/4 rttemberg Recipients_of_the_Gallipoli_Star_(Ottoman_Empire) Recipients_of_the_House_Order_of_Hohenzollern Recipients_of_the_Iron_Cross_(1914),_1st_class Recipients_of_the_Order_of_the_Crown_(Prussia),_4th_class Recipients_of_the_Order_of_the_German_Eagle Recipients_of_the_Order_of_the_Red_Eagle,_4th_class Recipients_of_the_SS_Honour_Ring Recipients_of_the_Sword_of_Honour_of_the_ReichsfA 1/4 hrer-SS SS-BrigadefA 1/4 hrer WeizsA$?cker_family