Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild

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Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild
Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild image
Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild (1882–1955), the last great exponent of the Viennese branch of the Rothschild family.
Born
Ludwig Nathaniel Freiherr von Rothschild

(1882-03-05)5 March 1882
Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died15 January 1955(1955-01-15) (aged 72)
Montego Bay, Jamaica
NationalityAustrian
OccupationBanker
Spouse
Countess Hildegard Karoline Johanna Maria von Auersperg
​
​
(m. 1946)​
Parent(s)Albert Salomon von Rothschild and Bettina Caroline de Rothschild

Louis Nathaniel, Baron von Schwartz de Rothschild (German: Ludwig Nathaniel, Freiherr von Rothschild[1]) was an Austrian Baron from the famous Rothschild family.

He was born in Vienna on 5 March 1882 and died of heart failure while swimming in Montego Bay, Jamaica on 15 January 1955.[2]

Early life

He was the son of Baron Albert Salomon Anselm von Rothschild and his wife, Bettina Caroline de Rothschild (1858–1892). He owned numerous spectacular palaces in Vienna, the Palais Rothschild, that housed exquisite art collections and antiques.

Banker

After the death of his father, Albert Rothschild, in 1911, he took over the management of the Creditanstalt bank and industrial companies owned by the Austrian branch of the Rothschilds.[3][4]

Held for ransom by Nazis

After the

Anschluß of Austria to Nazi Germany in March 1938, he was arrested at the airport at Aspern[5] and held by the Nazis.[6] He was released only after lengthy negotiations between the family and the Nazis and upon payment of $21,000,000, believed to have been the largest bail bond in history for any individual.[7]

While imprisoned he was visited by

the Netherlands
.

Finally allowed to leave Austria, Louis survived the

Second World War
.

Aryanisations and seizures

All of the Rothschild possessions were plundered and subsequently "Aryanised".[12] The city-palace of the family was destroyed after the war. The baron never received most of his former belongings back, since most of the paintings were taken over by the Austrian state, which did not allow the paintings to leave the country. In 1998, over 200 art works were returned to the Rothschild heirs by the Austrian Government, and were placed at Christie's in London for auction in 1999.[13]

Personal life

In 1946 he married the Countess Hildegarde Karoline Johanna Maria von

Auersperg
(1895–1981), the only daughter of Count Anton von Auersperg (1858-1924) and his wife, Valerie Schenk von Lédecz (1875-1931). They lived in East Barnard, Vermont (United States) and England. He died childless in 1955.

Postwar

In 2020, in one of the largest ever restitution claims filed, Rothschild heirs sued Vienna over a trust seized by Nazis.[14]

See also

Notes

  1. Freiin
    .
  2. ^ "Baron Louis de Rothschild Dies; Freed by Nazis for $21. Million; Former Vienna Banker Held Prisoner in '38- 39 During Ransom Negotiations". New York Times. 16 January 1955.
  3. ^ Preskar, Peter (2021-10-28). "How the Nazis Demanded Enormous Ransom for the Heir of the Rothschild Dynasty". Medium. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  4. ^ "Bettina Looram". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  5. ^ MacDonogh, G. (2009). 1938: Hitler's Gamble. New York: Basic Books. p. 61.
  6. ^ "Baron Louis De Rothschild Dead: Paid $21,000,000 bond to Nazis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1955-01-17. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  7. ^ "Baron Louis De Rothschild Dead: Paid $21,000,000 Ransom to Nazis | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". www.jta.org. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  8. ^ MacDonogh 2009, p. 61.
  9. ^ MacDonogh 2009, p. 69,71.
  10. ^ MacDonogh 2009, p. 137.
  11. ^ F. Somary, Erinnerungen, Manesses Verlag, 1959
  12. ^ MAKRIS, Sophie. "Rothschild lawsuit draws attention to family's Vienna past". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  13. New York Times
    . July 9, 1999.
  14. ^ Jones, Sam (2020-01-24). "Rothschild heirs sue Vienna over trust seized by Nazis". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2021-11-13.

External links

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