Events from the year 1873 in Germany.
Incumbents
National level
Kaiser – William I
Chancellor – Otto von Bismarck
State level
Kingdoms
King of Bavaria – Ludwig II
King of Prussia – William I
King of Saxony – John to 29 October, then Albert
King of Württemberg – Charles
Grand Duchies
Grand Duke of Baden – Frederick I
Grand Duke of Hesse – Louis III
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Frederick Francis II
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Frederick William
Grand Duke of Oldenburg – Peter II
Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Charles Alexander
Principalities
Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt – George Albert, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Principality of Lippe – Leopold III, Prince of Lippe Reuss Elder Line – Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz Reuss Younger Line – Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line Waldeck and Pyrmont – George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Duchies
Duke of Anhalt – Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
Duke of Brunswick – William, Duke of Brunswick
Duke of Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Events
16 September – German troops leave France upon completion of payment of indemnity for the Franco-Prussian War. 22 October – Bismarck negotiates the League of the Three Emperors, ensuring an alliance between Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire. Kattowitz is created as a district of Prussia.
Undated
German company Hochtief is founded.
Architecture
2 September – Berlin Victory Column inaugurated to celebrate the Second Schleswig War.
Arts
Music
Johannes Brahms premieres his String Quartet No. 1, Variations on a Theme by Haydn.
Commerce
The Baden gulden, the Bavarian gulden, the Bremen thaler, the Hamburg mark, the Hesse-Kassel vereinsthaler, the Mecklenburg vereinsthaler, the Prussian vereinsthaler, the Saxon vereinsthaler, the South German gulden and the Württemberg gulden are all abolished and replaced with the new single currency of the German Empire, the German gold mark.
Education
Establishment of the University of the Arts Bremen. German language university, the Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule, is established in Cairo, Egypt. Verein für Socialpolitik is established.
Science
Hermann von Helmholtz is awarded the Copley Medal "for his researches in physics and physiology". 31 May – Priam's Treasure was discovered by classical archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
Transport
Frankfurt South station is opened. The armoured frigate SMS Preußen is launched.
Births
January
6 January – Karl Straube, German organist (died 1950) 13 January – Walther Bensemann, Jewish-German association football pioneer (died 1934) 24 January – Hermann Haupt, German entomologist (died 1959) 31 January – Melitta Bentz, German entrepreneur (died 1950)
February
2 February – Konstantin von Neurath, German diplomat and Nazi party chancellor (died 1956) 26 February – Rudolf Kanzler, German politician and paramilitary leader (died 1956)
March
10 March
Walter Friedländer, German art historian (died 1966) Jakob Wassermann, Jewish-German novelist (died 1934) 17 March – Wilhelm Kreis, German architect (died 1955) 19 March – Max Reger, German composer, pianist, conductor, writer and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory (died 1916) 23 March – Richard Kolkwitz, German botanist (died 1956)
April
7 April – Friedrich von Oppeln-Bronikowski, German writer (died 1936) 27 April – Robert Wiene, German filmmaker (died 1938)
May
3 May – Richard von Kühlmann, German diplomat (died 1948) 14 May – Theodor von der Pfordten, Nazi paramilitary (died 1923) 21 May – Hans Berger, German neurologist (died 1941) 23 May – Leo Baeck, German rabbi (died 1956) 26 May – Hans Ludendorff, German astronomer (died 1941)