Karl von Spreti
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Karl Graf von Spreti (May 21, 1907-April 5, 1970) was a German architect, politician and diplomat. He is best known as the German ambassador to Guatemala from 1968 until his assassination in 1970. The story of his assassination by Guatemalan guerillas was pictured in a 1970 book Why Karl Von Spreti Died by Ryszard Kapuściński.
He was born in the Kapfing Castle near Landshut to a German aristocratic family (his direct ancestor was Leo von Klenze). Like his forefather, Karl von Spreti studied architecture. He also joined the Bavarian People's Party. After his service in the World War II Nazi forces and a short period in Allied captivity he settled in Lindau, where he continued his career as an architect and as a local politician for the Christian Social Union of Bavaria.
In 1956 Karl von Spreti became German ambassador to Luxembourg and held that post until 1960, when he became the ambassador to Cuba (until 1963) and then Dominican Republic (between 1966 and 1968). Finally he was dispatched to Guatemala during the turbulent times of the Guatemalan Civil War. On March 31, 1970 he was kidnapped by one of the guerillas and was murdered on April 5 of the same year.
