Salomon Mayer von Rothschild
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Salomon Mayer von Rothschild | |
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Anselm von Rothschild Betty von Rothschild | |
Parent(s) | Mayer Amschel Rothschild Gutlé Schnapper |
Salomon Mayer Freiherr[1] von Rothschild (9 September 1774 – 28 July 1855) was a Frankfurt-born banker in the Austrian Empire and the founder of the Austrian branch of the prominent Rothschild family.
Family
Born as Salomon Mayer Rothschild in Frankfurt am Main, he was the third child and second son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812) and his wife, Gutlé Schnapper (1753–1849).
In 1800, he married Caroline Stern (1782–1854). They had the following children:
- Anselm von Rothschild(1803–1874), who married his cousin Charlotte Nathan Rothschild in 1826.
- Betty von Rothschild (1805–1886), who married her uncle James Mayer de Rothschild in 1824.
His father had built a hugely prosperous banking business in Germany. Wanting to expand the family business across Europe, the eldest Rothschild son remained in Frankfurt, while each of the other four sons were sent to different European cities to establish a banking branch. Salomon was made a shareholder of the
Endogamy was an essential part of the Rothschild family's strategy for future success in order to ensure that control of their businesses remained in family hands. Therefore, in 1824, Salomon's daughter Betty married her uncle James Mayer de Rothschild, head of the Paris bank.[citation needed]
Career
Trained in finance and with years of experience, Salomon was sent in 1820 to Austria to formalize the family's existing involvements in financing Austrian government projects. In the same year, 1820, he established
Under the direction of Salomon, the Viennese bank was highly successful, playing an integral role in the development of the Austrian economy. In recognition of his services, he was raised to the Austrian nobility in 1816 by Emperor Francis I, the patent being offered to all five brothers, although declined by Nathan Mayer Rothschild.[citation needed]
In 1822, Salomon
Salomon's personal wealth was enormous, and he acquired extensive properties and made investments in art and antiquities. Despite the fact that he made substantial contributions to philanthropic causes, the concentration of vast wealth by the few members of the Austrian elite resulted in a growing civil unrest in the country.[citation needed]
By the time of the
Under pressure, the 74-year-old handed over the reins of the bank to his son Anselm, but it was not without rancor. He left Vienna and retired to Paris, where he died in 1855. From his art collection, some of the
See also
- Rothschild banking family of England
- Rothschild banking family of France
- Rothschild banking family of Naples
References
Sources
- The Rothschilds; a Family Portrait by ISBN 978-1568362205(1998 reprint)
- The Rothschilds, a Family of Fortune by ISBN 978-0297765387
- Rothschild: The Wealth and Power of a Dynasty by ISBN 978-0684190181
- House of Rothschild : Money's Prophets: 1798-1848 by ISBN 978-0140240849
- The House of Rothschild (vol 2): The World's Banker: 1849-1999 by Niall Ferguson. ISBN 978-0670887941
External links
- International center in London for research into the history of the Rothschild family, rothschildarchive.org; accessed 15 June 2017.
- Objets d'Art donated to the Louvre, insecula.com; accessed 15 June 2017.