kessler grew up in france, england and germany. kessler was educated first in paris and then, from 1880, in st. george's school, ascot, an english boarding school. following his father's wishes he enrolled in 1882 at the gelehrtenschule des johanneums in hamburg, where he completed his "abitur" (high-school education). afterwards he joined the 3rd garde-ulanen regiment in potsdam and earned the rank of an army officer. he studied law and art history in bonn and leipzig respectively. kessler was familiar with many cultures, travelled widely, was active as a german diplomat, and came to be known as a man of the world and patron of the arts. he considered himself part of european society. his homosexuality, which inevitably made him a psychological outsider, undoubtedly influenced his insight and critique of wilhelmian culture.