Von Spiess was born in Austria and became a Romanian citizen after the Union of Transylvania with Romania, following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.

After 10 years of military studies, in August 1885 he became a lieutenant in the Transylvanian 64th Infantry stationed in the Orăştie-Sebeş-Alba Iulia area.

Von Spiess finished his military career after the end of World War I, and was appointed by King Ferdinand I of Romania as Director of the Royal Hunts from 1 July 1921.

Simultaneously, he was a member of the Commission for Protection of Nature and National Parks, alongside honorary memberships of many domestic and foreign societies and associations with similar interests.In 1926, Von Spiess and his daughter initiated a project to tag the birds of Snake Island, Romania.

He was a fine observer of nature, a connoisseur of game habits and a keen hunter, and gathered during his life a collection of over 1,000 hunting trophies.