born Jan. 13, 1809, Dresden, Saxony
died Oct. 24, 1886, Schloss Altenberg, near Vienna, Austria-Hungary
German statesman.
A career diplomat in Saxony from 1830, he served as its foreign minister (1849–53) and its interior minister (1853–66). Often opposed to Francis Joseph , then appointed him Austrian minister for foreign affairs (1866) and imperial chancellor (1867–71). As chancellor, Beust negotiated the Compromise of 1867 and helped restore the Habsburgs' international position. He later served as ambassador to England (1871–78) and France (1878–82).