The most influential families in the world: the Rothschilds, Schiffs, Warburgs, Morgans and Rockefellers. History and connections. Mayer Amschel Rothschild - Lord of Money Mayer Amschel Rothschild biography

Mayer Rothschild is a man who, thanks to his ability to make useful connections and think two moves ahead, managed to turn from a poor boy into a founder major dynasty bankers.

early years

The real name of the future founder of a large dynasty of bankers is Bauer. The family lived in a Jewish ghetto in the town of Frankfurt am Main, and its head worked as a money changer in a small office under a red sign. It was this piece of wood that later became distinctive feature all family. In German, "red sign" sounds like "Rot Schild".

At the age of twelve, Mayer was sent to Hanover to study banking from a certain Oppenheimer. Young Bauer approached his studies responsibly: after a little time he easily distinguishes counterfeits from real coins, he knows financial matters by heart, and also what exchange rate is profitable today, and when it is better to wait to exchange money.

This knowledge was very useful to him already at the age of 16. After the death of both parents, in 1760, he returned to Frankfurt to take over his father's business: selling and trading medals and coins. Therefore, it very quickly begins to circulate among antique lovers and collectors.

Antique shops and the first bank

Not missing this opportunity, Mayer opened a shop where he sold antiques and also exchanged money from various German principalities, because then almost everyone had their own currency.

It was during this time that he founded his first bank. Rothschild Bank.

In addition to the fact that Mayer knows how to buy and sell very profitably, he has an equally important quality - establishing connections with the right people. The antique shop more than contributed to this. His old client, a lover of valuable coins, General von Estorff, once introduced Rothschild to the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Wilhelm IX. When an aristocrat is forced to flee to Prague due to political differences, Rothschild takes charge of his capital. And he not only keeps it intact, but also manages to increase his multimillion-dollar capital.

The future banker’s business sense did not let him down either. When he realized that transporting currency was both dangerous and expensive, he found another way out of the situation: he simply bought cotton and wool in England at lower prices, and then sold them in other European countries at higher prices. This way you could not be afraid of attacks from robbers, and at the same time earn many times more.

Prince and banker

And here William IX appears again. Since 1764, Rothschild has supplied coins and gold to his house. And five years later, the prince invites Mayer to become his personal supplier and banker. The duties of the court supplier - the gof factor - were to fully supply the court with everything necessary, in addition, he had to monitor the treasury and do everything possible to ensure that the money multiplied. If the factor coped with everything successfully, he was respected at court, and if not, then almost his entire family could be judged.

Despite the risks, Rothschild agreed to such a position. And he was right, because Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel was one of the richest German princes at that time: he was engaged in the trade of soldiers, so he never denied himself anything.

But even when his business was not very good, Rothschild still patronized his capital. When Wilhelm fled in 1806 to escape Napoleon, Rothschild still continued to extort money from his debtors and again pulled off his trick: he managed to increase the fugitive’s capital even during the war.

But he also had moments of accidental benefits: once he withdrew William’s money from an English bank and used it to pay for goods. Since he paid in cash, they gave him big discount. Thus, Rothschild did not have to take money to England and then return it to Frankfurt. Instead, Mayer brought his goods, sold them at an excellent price, then returned the money lent by the count and even received a profit. It also played a role that the British had the pound as their currency, and Wilhelm needed to return the thalers - thus Rothschild made money on the difference in exchange rates.

Families and children

In 1771, Mayer married the daughter of a local moneylender, Gutle Schnapper. She was 10 years younger than him. In this marriage they had ten children: five boys and five girls: Jeanette (1771), Amschel (1773), Solomon (1774), Nathan (1777), Isabella (1781), Babette (1784), Karl (Kalman) ( 1788), Julie (1790), Henrietta (1791) and James (1792).

Rothschild called his five sons the five fingers of one hand - they successfully continued the work of his whole life.

On September 27, 1810, he founded Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Sons. Having almost all of Wilhelm's capital in his hands, Rothschild used it to lend money to various states. The entire increase remained with the family of the banker Rothschild, and the returned funds were then regularly given to the count’s heirs.

Death and continuation of the dynasty

Mayer Rothschild died at the age of 68 in his hometown of Frankfurt. By the end of his life, the family's capital was twice as large as the assets of the French bank.

Mayer's four sons left for different countries, where each founded his own bank: in London, Paris, Vienna and Naples. In Frankfurt, the eldest son Amschel remained in charge.

Despite the fact that the five brothers lived at a considerable distance from each other, they always kept in touch. And not just friendly. They suggested when which exchange rate would be more profitable, and sometimes even started false rumors in their country in order to then turn out a profitable business.

• As a child, Mayer dreamed of becoming a rabbi.
• Of the dynasty's 58 marriages, exactly half were between cousins ​​and second cousins ​​- in order to preserve capital within the same family. This is what Mayer Rothschild taught.
• Rothschild bequeathed not to tell anyone and under any circumstances about the amount of money the family owned. Not in court, not in the police. Envy was what he feared most.
• The Rothschild family coat of arms depicts five arrows tied with a ribbon - a symbol of the five sons of the founder of the dynasty. Their motto was “Concordia, Integritas, Industria” (Concord, Unity, Diligence).
• Actor Jack Huston is one of the descendants of the founder of the banking dynasty.

The Rothschilds are the most powerful and wealthy financial dynasty in the world. The author of this book, Heinrich Schnee, studied in detail the activities of the Rothschilds, from their financing of German princely houses to their worldwide role in the twentieth century. He came to the conclusion that the Rothschilds helped maintain and overthrow thrones, they removed ministers and appointed new ones who pleased them. With the help of money they ruled parliaments and newspapers, and eliminated competing banks. Among the largest “business projects” of the dynasty are the financing of the wars against Napoleon, the acquisition of shares in the Suez Canal, the monopolization of the extraction of the most sought-after minerals, and the lending to political regimes beneficial to the Rothschilds in Europe before and after the Second World War. In connection with the “Rothschild case,” the reader will see such “sharks of capitalism” as Krupp, Benz-Daimler, Siemens and others.

A series: Secret power

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by liters company.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild - founder of the dynasty

The Free City of Frankfurt am Main has attracted Jews since the early Middle Ages due to its location in the center of bustling trade. Trade and financial transactions have been successful here over the last millennium. Before the French Revolution, Frankfurt had 35 thousand inhabitants, one tenth of them were Jews. Since 1462, they were allocated a special Jewish quarter.

Many centuries ago, in one of these cramped ghettos, only 12 meters wide, between the city wall and the moat, “sandwiched as if in a cage,” the ancestors of the House of Rothschild lived. This was the Khan family, which later formed one of the branches of the dynasty. They moved to Frankfurt in the 16th century. Their Frankfurt name comes from the "house with the red sign" in which the family lived. But it should be noted that the surname Rothschild is often found in Jewish communities. In 1585, Isaac Elhanan first received the nickname "at the red sign", while his father's grave only says Elhanan. Almost a hundred years later, the family moved to another house, “Hinterpfann,” but the Rothschild name remained. The Rothschild family, like other Israelis, derived their livelihood from trade, since before the 18th century there were no other financial banking operations. Their fortune was insignificant, their lifestyle was modest. From 1567 to 1580, Isaac Elhanan paid a tax on a fortune of 2 thousand 700 guilders, and his great-grandson Kalman, who died in 1707, in 1690 had a fortune of 6 thousand florins. In 1733–1735, Kalman's son had in his hands a bill of exchange from a famous Württemberg court factor for 38 thousand florins, which suggests the presence of large monetary transactions. But Amschel Moses, the father of our Mayer Amschel, had a fortune of only 1 thousand 375 florins. All these are very insignificant amounts when compared with the income and fortune of the major court factors in Berlin and Vienna, where almost all court financiers were millionaires.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, like most court factors, came from the lower strata of the Israelis, and at first he did not stand out much among his co-religionists. In constant pursuit of his cherished goal, he was able to lay the foundations for the subsequent greatness of his house, although his trading activities are significantly overestimated. Reflections of the glory of his sons also fell on the founder of the dynasty. Myer's father intended him to become a rabbi. But after several years of study in Fürth, the young Rothschild quickly realized that he was interested in a completely different matter, he was attracted to the practical activities of a merchant and money changer. He entered the Hanoverian bank of Oppenheimer and studied with that family, which in the age of absolutism attracted a large number of court financiers to its side. Rothschild especially liked the practical activities of the court factor. His career began with the prince. The rise was greatly facilitated by the fact that the house of the Hessian Elector was considered one of the richest at that time.

In 1755, when Mayer Amschel was only twenty years old, he lost his father and mother and was forced to get on his own feet. Returning from Hanover, he opened his own business related to the trade in antiques and medals, like his father. His rapid progress towards becoming a famous banker is based on three significant points:

1. Rothschild had a close and trusting relationship with Crown Prince Wilhelm, who became William IX Landgrave and Hessian Elector Wilhelm I. His fortune was estimated at 20–60 million thalers, which was equal to the previous 60–180 million marks. This fortune laid the foundation for the development of the House of Rothschild.

2. The Rothschild family was associated with the Minister of Finance, Sovereign Karl Friedrich Buderus. He was born in 1759 in the family of a teacher in Büdingen, was the manager of the property of the Elector, the Hessian president of the tax chamber in Hanau, a privy councilor, elevated to the nobility under the name of Buderus von Karlshausen. He was a very capable financier; he immediately recognized Rothschild’s natural talent and contributed to his promotion at court. His equally influential brother was the founder of the Wetzlar metallurgical plant.

3. Rothschild had exceptional business skills. In a stubborn struggle, he managed to eliminate any competition and achieve a monopoly position with the sovereign.

There is no other example in the history of the institution of German court factors when one single financier could have such unlimited influence over the prince. For comparison, one could name Jud Süß in Württemberg. But his activity lasted only a few years, while the Rothschilds were in the service of the princely court for more than a hundred years.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild began his career as a money supplier and precious metals and became a court factor, and then the main court agent. His sons Amschel Mayer and Solomon were appointed military treasurers. Mayer Amschel has been a supplier of money and precious metals since 1764. On September 21, 1769, he became court factor of the princely house of Hesse-Hanau, on September 24, 1803, he was appointed chief court agent in Kassel, and in 1802 his sons became treasurers. The Rothschilds' service at court began in 1764, and thus the activities of the financial dynasty exceeded two centuries.

In 1764, Crown Prince Wilhelm accepted independent rule of the County of Hanau, granted to him under an insurance deed of 1754 by his grandfather William VIII, who wanted to remove him from his Catholic-minded father Frederick. Crown Prince Wilhelm was a great lover, collector and connoisseur of coins and medals. And it was the coin trade that brought the then twenty-year-old Rothschild closer to his future princely patron. It took Rothschild decades until he achieved the full favor and favor of the Landgrave, since he was by nature a very suspicious person, fearing any deception in financial matters.

Rothschild was greatly helped by the fact that the prince had no prejudices against Jews. This can be seen from the fact that there were a significant number of Jews at the court in Kassel. In addition, the prince was a business man; he himself could become a banker. Of decisive importance for the banking house in Frankfurt was the fact that Rothschild finally managed to win the full trust of the prince, who entrusted him with all financial affairs. The existence of any bank depends entirely on how it manages to attract reputable clients and retain them. Rothschild provided his high-ranking client with various services: conducting all affairs in the free city of Frankfurt, attracting reliable and politically neutral banking connections in the leading financial market of London.

Crown Prince Wilhelm began collecting his coin collection in 1763, a year before his ceremonial entry into Hanau. In June 1765, Rothschild delivered the first coins to him, for which he received a reward of 38 guilders 80 kreuzers. Such were the humble beginnings of the greatest court banker of all time. One trade book from 1778 mentions him as a dealer in "antique medals and coins." There is no doubt that in his younger years Rothschild was a skillful, resourceful coin dealer, he was able to adapt to the taste of the prince and use his preferences in a businesslike manner. A few years later, he even dared to apply for some kind of court title, since any title gave the Jewish merchant respect in court society, which elevated him above his fellow believers.

“I had the special grace to make various supplies to Your Princely Serene Highness, which gave Your Serene Highness great pleasure. I will use all my strength and capabilities to continue to always be ready to provide various services to Your Princely Serene Highness. It would be a particularly strong encouragement for me if Your Princely Serene Highness would grant me the rank of Your Serene Highness's court factor.

I ask Your Princely Serene Highness with greater confidence also because I in no way want to bother you. Thanks to my rank and taking into account my trading business, as well as other circumstances, I could create my happiness here in the city of Frankfurt.”

The rank of court factor was a reward for the supply of coins and medals, which continued until 1806. After the death of the elder Mayer Amschel, the House of Rothschild sold the medals to the Elector twice more, in 1813 and 1814.

After his appointment as a court factor, Rothschild became even more active in financial affairs. Along with this, his five sons continued to trade in goods. Both Landgrave Frederick II's father and the Crown Prince had issued bills of exchange from London since 1776 to hire soldiers for England. When implementing such a bill, Rothschild still had to work in Hanau. In his subsequent statement to the Landgrave, he reports that “in Hanau, according to English letters, he received a higher price with a benefit for the master’s treasury.” Since 1798, Rothschild was the most preferred supplier to the princely treasury.

But winning a monopoly position was decisive for its advancement. In this he was helped by the military adviser Buderus, appointed in 1802 as director of the main military treasury. From that time on, the House of Rothschild quickly began to outstrip all competitors at the court of Kassel. First of all, Moses Joseph Büding, Michel Simon, Hertz Mayer, Solomon Abraham, Sussman Abraham were excluded.

In 1802, Rothschild opened a branch in Kassel to remain in close contact with the court and palace officials. By a resolution dated September 16, 1802, that is, quite late, he was exempted from paying taxes that were imposed on all Jewish merchants. It is surprising that the court Jew Rothschild had to wait a long time to obtain the benefits usually immediately granted to court financiers.

From 1801 to 1806, Rothschild issued five loans worth almost 5 million guilders.

His close relations with the court of Hesse strengthened, and he truly generously used the method used by all court factors of that era. To gain the favor of influential courtiers and government officials, they often resorted to gifts and bribes. Rothschild interested Hessian officials in inviting them to cooperate in financial matters. When Buderus was the chief tax collector for the land treasury of Hanau, Rothschild became his representative in Frankfurt. After his patron became an authoritative adviser to the Landgrave, Rothschild constantly received lucrative orders in Kassel.

Many court Jews had good relations with the court in Kassel. These are the Christian companies of Rüppel and Garnier, the Bethmann brothers, Preye and Jordis, Gebgard and Gauck in Frankfurt. In Kaosel there was a credit office of Wittgenstein, in Amsterdam the company of Van Noten and Goll and Co. But they had no permanent connections with Buderus. This was especially true of the influential house of Rüppel and Garnier, which managed to maintain its dominant position at the Kassel court only until 1803, precisely until Buderus became director of the military treasury. Officials already earned money on every transaction, since in all contracts they were entitled to one percent of the amount issued as a side income.

In 1805–1806, Rothschild was already significantly ahead of his competitors. When the prince, fleeing Napoleon, was forced to flee and long years lived in exile, the main court agent Rothschild managed to achieve a monopoly position in financing the Landgrave, of course, not without the support of his patron, who by this time had already become a secret military adviser under the name of Buderus von Karlshausen. He managed to surpass military adviser Lenier, friend of Ruppel and Garnier, and become the sole manager of affairs. By putting Rüppel and Garnier at a disadvantage, he tried to emphasize everywhere the selflessness of the House of Rothschild.

Rothschild was with Wilhelm in his emigration. During these years, he faithfully served his prince and especially distinguished himself by saving part of the Hessian fortune. Of course, such relations between the prince and the court factor also had a beneficial effect on the financial affairs of the latter, since even in emigration, William IX remained the largest capitalist among the German princes. In 1808, Rothschild had already become so advanced that all the Elector's surplus and incidental money was regularly sent to the bank of the House of Rothschild.

The collaboration between the Rothschilds and Buderus eventually resulted in the text of a document dated February 17, 1809, which read:

“The following agreement was concluded today between the secret military adviser Buderus von Karlshausen and the Trading House Mayer Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt.

I. Buderus transferred capital of 20 thousand guilders 24 florin feet to the Mayer Amschel Rothschild bank and promised, with the best intentions, to assist the Trading House in all trading matters and, if possible, to be useful to it.

II. In turn, the Trading House Mayer Amschel Rothschild promises to faithfully transfer to Buderus the profit from trading operations due on the invested capital of 20 thousand guilders, and allows him to check all books at any time to be more convincing in the correctness of the calculations.”

Thus, Buderus became an invisible participant in the House of Rothschild, so he was personally interested in Mayer Amschel Rothschild receiving a monopoly on the financial affairs of the Elector.

This agreement, the only one of its kind in the history of the German institution of court factors, corresponded to the interests of all its participants. The land prince's capital continued to increase, the inconspicuous court servant became a rich man, and the Frankfurt banker and merchant laid the foundation for the prosperity of his company. It would be wrong to evaluate this treaty from the point of view of modern morality. According to the ideas of that time, there was nothing offensive in the custom of giving and accepting gifts, and, as can be concluded from surviving memoirs, this was also the custom in the 19th century.

Meanwhile, Rothschild's sons grew up and could already help their father in all his affairs. On August 29, 1770, Mayer Amschel married the daughter of the merchant Wolf Solomon Schnapper, who lived near Rothschild’s house. The father-in-law's family belonged to the old Jewish families of Frankfurt. The bride's dowry amounted to 2 thousand 400 florins. Gutle Schnaper was a simple, modest and very economical woman. In a happy marriage, she gave her husband ten children: five sons and five daughters. Housekeeping and raising children took a lot of time. Throughout her life, she never left the Jewish quarter and until her death she remained to live in the same house where their family was destined to achieve its greatest prosperity.

The eldest son, Amschel Mayer, was born on June 12, 1773, and on November 16, 1793, he married Eva Hanau. In the documents, the names of father and son - Mayer Amschel and Amschel Mayer - were often confused. Only with closer and more detailed study was it possible to establish which of them was meant. Various spellings Mayer and Meyer are also often found. Amschel died on December 6, 1855.

Solomon Mayer, second son, born September 9, 1774. On November 26, 1800, he married Caroline Stern, and died the same year as his older brother, on July 27, 1855.

Nathan Mayer, the third son, who turned out to be the most talented of the Five Frankfurt Men, was born on September 16, 1777. He was married to Hanna Cohen from a family of southern Jews. But already on July 28, 1836 he died.

The fourth son, Karl Mayer, was born on April 24, 1788, and married Adelheid Hertz on September 16, 1818. He died on March 10, 1855. Of the five Frankfurters, three brothers died in the same year.

Jacob, or James, the youngest, was born May 15, 1792, and on July 11, 1824, he married his niece Betty Rothschild. Death overtook him on November 15, 1868.

What is remarkable about the Rothschild sons and daughters is their tendency to marry into prominent families belonging to the upper Israeli stratum, whose names were well known. And this policy, characteristic of court factors, contributed to the advancement of the House of Rothschild. The daughters married into the families of Worms, Sichel, Bayfus, and Montefiore.

When Mayer Amschel began to grow old and ill, his sons often replaced him on business trips. The secrets of all business transactions remained within the family circle. Already in their youth, both eldest sons were agents of the Hessian military treasury. But a special distinction for father and sons was the appointment as an imperial factor at the court of Franz II for the services that they, as suppliers of the army, had during the Napoleonic wars.

Court factors always sought to deal with supplies for the army. With some risk it was always a profitable enterprise, and most of the upper-class Jewish families in Germany laid the foundation of their fortunes precisely through supplies for the troops. The Napoleonic Wars, which lasted almost a quarter of a century, provided the Rothschilds with the opportunity to conduct various financial transactions at a high level and with great benefit for themselves.

Rothschild persistently sought the title of imperial court factor for himself and his sons in Vienna. On August 28, 1799, Mayer Amschel, as he signed then, and later Meyer, sent his request from Frankfurt to Vienna, pointing out in it the significant supplies that he carried out during the war against France, and his other merits. In response, Mayer Amschel Rothschild and his sons Amschel Mayer and Solomon Mayer received a patent for imperial court factors on March 7, March 8 and May 4. Each was issued a separate patent, which is surprising.

Following common practice, father and sons were to receive this title in one document.

Further, it should also be mentioned that the appointment of the Rothschilds as imperial court factors had to be notified in writing to Mainz, the Palatinate, Saxony, the archbishops of Würzburg and Bamberg, Darmstadt, the archbishop of Salzburg, the cities of Ravensburg, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Würzburg. In earlier years Habsburg had often given Jewish financiers the title of court factor, but nowhere was it noted that this appointment was so widely publicized as in the case of Rothschild and his sons.

When the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt was formed by the grace of Napoleon, the Rothschilds served the new Prince Dahlberg as financiers. For his financial support of the Frankfurt contingent fighting on the side of France in Spain in 1810, Meyer Amschel was appointed advisor to the department.

Amschel Mayer Rothschild was also an actual court factor of Prince Karl Friedrich Ludwig Moritz von Isenburg-Büdingen from July 15, 1803, and on December 29 of the same year he became a court factor of the Master of the Order of St. John, on January 4, 1804 he was assigned to the Prince of Thurn and Taxis.

How strongly the Rothschilds aspired to become court Jews is evidenced by their position in the house of Prince Isenburg-Birstein, where the chief financier was Treasury Advisor Wolf Breidenbach. Rothschild worked with him. His son Amschel became a court factor in Isenburg-Birstein on August 29, 1803. As a reward, he had to be content with free delivery of firewood to his apartment in Frankfurt. On November 7, 1803, the prince ordered the newly appointed court factor to deliver firewood throughout the year. Rothschild provided the debt-ridden Birstein house with a loan of 50 thousand guilders. For a small country this was a very large amount. In this case, Breidenbach was a mediator. He paid the due interest to his Frankfurt colleague. And in subsequent years, Rothschild and sons worked at the Isenburg-Birstein court.

In 1815, as intermediaries with Lord Wellington and Lord Castleruff, the Rothschilds sought a subsidy for Birstein in Paris and London, in order to be closer to their money. But here the mediation of Breidenbach and Rothschild was unsuccessful. The very fact that the Rothschilds in 1803, having by that time a decent fortune, were content with the delivery of firewood as a reward, testifies primarily to the desire to show the whole world that they are in the princely service.

In December 1812, Mayer Amschel Rothschild and his sons became court bankers of the Grand Duke of Frankfurt.

From recently discovered documents of the state archive of Würzburg it follows that, according to an order dated December 16, 1813, the court bankers of the Grand Duke of Frankfurt were given as an annual remuneration to the Prince of Aschaffenburg: 72 centners of hay, 72 malters of oats, 10 cartloads of straw, 30 fathoms of firewood for their service 1 January 1813. This payment in kind was granted to Rothschild and his sons for life for their varied service to the benefit of the Grand Duchy. In 1813, they were also given food from the Aschaffenburg wine cellar. Later, when, in the course of political changes, the Principality of Aschafenburg was annexed to the crown of Bavaria, on November 29, 1814, the Rothschilds asked to retain this payment, indicating that they had selflessly served Frankfurt, and therefore Aschafenburg, by readily providing significant loans. “At a time when the treasury was completely empty and the state was experiencing great difficulties, no one dared to offer such a loan. No money has yet been received, so such payment in kind could be considered as compensation due to us for the losses we incurred by lending out substantial capital.”

From the documents attached below it follows that in 1813 the House of Rothschild offered Prince Dalberg a loan of 200 thousand florins to cover the costs of paying the army. The Grand Duke accepted this money and, as a sign of gratitude, ordered him to be given food for the horses in addition to the firewood. All the efforts of the Rothschilds to continue to receive payment in kind, but now from Bavaria as the heir to Aschaffenburg, were not crowned with success. The word “for life” does not appear in subsequent documents. Negotiations ended with an act of 1817. It was believed that at this time the Rothschilds already owned millions, and their petitions testify to the great importance they attached to government salaries.

The collaboration between Dahlberg and Rothschild primarily benefited the Frankfurt co-religionists. Like all court factors, Mayer Amschel tried to ease the fate of the Israelis with his influence. At the same time, the Rothschilds act together with Jacob Baruch, the son of the famous Cologne court Jew Simon Baruch and the father of Ludwig Berne. Mayer Amschel gained Dahlberg's favor by offering him a loan of 80 thousand guilders at 5% for a trip to Paris, where the Grand Duke of Frankfurt wanted to swear allegiance to the new king of Rome. Out of a feeling of hostility towards Napoleon, the commercial world of Frankfurt refused him this amount. “Thanks to this service, he achieved the full confidence of the Grand Duke and managed to take advantage of this favor so much that since then the Duke has not refused anything to the Rothschilds,” was written in one of the French messages.

The Rothschilds also got along well with Herr von Itzstein, the chief of police of the Grand Duchy. Itzstein was the patron of Mayer Amschel and all the Jews of Frankfurt. Although Dahlberg issued a new decree with some benefits for 500 families in Frankfurt, this unsatisfactory decision was rejected by the influential Privy Councilor Israel Jacobson, a passionate fighter for the emancipation of the Jews.

Mayer Amschel and his co-religionist Gumprecht managed to persuade Dahlberg to release the Jews from the annual tax of 22 thousand florins and give them civil rights to make them equal to Christians. As payment for this, Dahlberg demanded a one-time payment of twenty times the amount. Mayer Amschel gave his co-religionists 100 thousand florins, almost a quarter of the amount. In addition, he obtained from Dahlberg that of these 440 thousand florins, 150 thousand were paid in cash, the rest - in 24 bonds au porteur (to bearer). The Senate, which was hostile towards the Jews, was dissatisfied with this deal. The aristocratic elite of the city believed that Dalberg personally received a “gift.” One of the Austrian police agents allegedly stated that the Grand Duke personally received 33 thousand Carolines for emancipation. Dahlberg was so pleased with the “skilfully completed business” that he presented the ministers who concluded the deal and their wives with 40 thousand francs each. Privy Councilor Itzstein received 10 thousand francs, the House of Rothschild also 10 thousand francs “for good assistance.” Dahlberg left 50 thousand “in the hands of the House of Rothschild, as payment in installments of what I owe him.”

On September 27, 1810, Mayer Amschel gave his enterprise a solid shape by founding the company Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Sons. The old man made his five sons co-owners of the company. The contract specified a fixed capital of 800 thousand florins, moreover, 370 thousand florins were to belong to the father, sons Amschel and Solomon 185 thousand each, Karl and the still minor James 30 thousand each. Nathan, who has been living in London for many years, did not was mentioned in the contract for business reasons. In fact, Mayer took over 12 fiftieths of the shares due to Nathan. In all matters, the decisive voice remained with Mayer, since he “with the help of the Almighty, thanks to his diligence acquired in his youth, insight in business, despite his advanced age, continues to work tirelessly and alone laid the foundations for the prosperity of the business, thereby ensuring happiness their children." Further in the agreement there was a definition according to which daughters and sons-in-law should not seek permission to view books and other documents. A conventional fine was provided for each partner if he decided to go to court. Disputes between brothers should be resolved within the family, maintaining the unity of the home. The agreement specifically noted the merits of Mayer Amschel and said that he laid the foundations for the prosperity of the house, but today it is well known from various sources how actively Buderus took part in this, and the eldest sons also helped in many ways.

Two years later, when Mayer Amschel was gripped by premonitions of death, he called the whole house and made a new will instead of the previous one. It said that he was selling his entire share in the company, his securities, his wine warehouse for 190 thousand florins to his sons, who in the future remained independent owners of the company. Daughters, their husbands and heirs were completely removed from the activities of the trading house, and not just from viewing books. Of the 190 thousand, Mayer left 70 to Frau Gutle, the rest of the money was received by his five daughters. At the end of his will, Mayer Amschel advised his children to live in harmony, love and friendship. Two days after drawing up the will, on September 19, 1812, Mayer Amschel passed away. It is unlikely that he suspected that he had laid the foundation for the “power of the world.”

There is no authentic information about the founder of the banking house, there is no portrait of him. At the age of 25, he was depicted as a tall, slender man of a distinctly Israeli type with a good-natured expression. According to the customs of that time, he wore a wig, but, being a Jew, he did not dare to powder it. Like his fathers, he had a small black pointed beard. Despite his wealth, he did not leave the ghetto; he remained an inconspicuous, patient court Jew, without much education. He didn't even speak German well. In this sense, the letter to the Elector dated April 21, 1805, the text of which is replete with a huge number of errors, is especially noteworthy.

Other court factors of that time were also not particularly literate. As a rule, correspondence between court financiers and government officials gave rise to double interpretation. In the age of absolutism, statements and other documents drafted by court factors were usually transcribed by trained personnel in the German language of the era.

It is difficult to determine the actual size of Rothschild's fortune on the day of his death. The Rothschilds never looked at the documents. It is known that Mayer Amschel himself kept double books, some could be presented to the authorities and tax departments, while others contained secret and profitable affairs.

When Mayer Amschel died, he was neither the richest Jew in Frankfurt nor a rival to the major court factors of the time. In 1800 he was tenth in the ranks of wealthy Jews. More wealth was then owned by Joel Halle and his son-in-law Marcus Baruch, Benedikt Aron Maja, Gumpert Isaac Elias and Michael Speyer, an imperial court factor since 1781. His fortune, acquired from army supplies, already then amounted to 420 thousand florins. Famous court financiers of Vienna, such as Simeon Wertheimer and Abraham Wetzlar Baron von Plankenstern, also left millions of fortunes. The court coiner of Frederick the Great, Ephraim, Itzig and Isaac each owned a million thalers. Secret financial adviser Israel Jacobson by this time had such land holdings that significantly exceeded Rothschild's fortune, not counting his cash capital. This also applies to the Würzburg court banker Jakob von Hirsch from Geroit. The then major court banker of Munich, Aron Elias Seligman, Baron von Eichthal, possessed even greater wealth. In his will of 1810, Mayer Amschel Rothschild determined the value of his company at 800 thousand florins. In the same year, the family of the court factor Oppenheim showed a net worth of one million French francs on the books. He himself was from Frankfurt, and from 1734 he worked first in Bonn and then in Cologne.

We will end the chapter about Mayer Amschel Rothschild with the characterization given to him by the publicist and writer Ludwig Börne. He also came from the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt and knew old Rothschild well.

“The elder Rothschild was a pious man, pure piety and good nature. He had a kind face with a pointed beard, he wore a cocked hat on his head, his clothes were more than modest, almost pathetic. So he always walked around Frankfurt, surrounded by a whole retinue of beggars. He gave them alms or good advice. If a crowd of beggars with satisfied and calm faces was encountered on the street, they already knew that the elder Rothschild had recently passed through here. Once, when I was still a little boy, my father and I were walking through the Jewish quarter one Friday evening and met Rothschild, who had just left the synagogue. I remember that after talking with my father, he said a few warm words to me, and then put his hand on my head, as if blessing me.”

Another essay says: “He, like many other Jews, believed that God especially rewards those good deeds that do not expect gratitude. Therefore, late in the evening he went out into the street, thrust a few coins into the hands of every poor-looking person he met, and quickly left.” His widow, Gutla, survived Mayer Amschel by many years. She witnessed her sons' brilliant progress, but never wanted to leave the Jewish quarter to move in with her children. “Here I saw how my sons became rich and strong. Now, at my age, I no longer need to strain myself to ensure the future of my children, but their interests may be infringed if, out of pride, I decide to leave my miserable hut.” She remained completely healthy until she was 90 years old. But when she finally had to see a doctor, she was not satisfied with his prescriptions and, in response to the doctor’s apologies, she objected that he, unfortunately, was not able to restore her lost youth: “Your medications will not make me younger, they make me even younger.” I’ll get old.” So she became even four years older. On May 7, 1849, at the age of 94, the mother of the “Five Frankfurt Men” closed her eyes forever.

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The given introductory fragment of the book The Rothschilds - the history of the largest financial tycoons (Heinrich Schnee) provided by our book partner -

Mayer Rothschild
Occupation:	banker, philanthropist
Date of Birth:
Date of death:
Father:	Amschel Moses Bauer
Spouse:	Gutle Schnapper
Children:

Mayer Amschel Bauer (Rothschild)(German) Mayer Amschel Bayern Rothschild ; February 23 ( 17440223 ) , Frankfurt am Main - September 19, ibid.) - founder of an international dynasty of entrepreneurs (see Rothschilds), founder of a bank in Frankfurt am Main, freemason.

The business was continued by his five sons: Amschel Mayer, Solomon Mayer, Nathan Mayer, Kalman Mayer, James Mayer. The brothers controlled 5 banks in largest cities Europe (Paris, London, Vienna, Naples, Frankfurt am Main).

Biography

Young Mayer Amschel's family lived in a Jewish ghetto. His father Amschel Moses Bauer ran a small money changer's office under a red sign, which in German sounds like "Rot Schild". This is how the nickname appeared, which became a household name for luxury and wealth and laid the foundation for the 260-year-old Rothschild dynasty.

When Mayer was twelve years old, he was sent to Hanover to study at Oppenheimer's bank. There he learned the secrets of finance, became acquainted with the coins of the German principalities, and learned to identify counterfeits and favorable exchange rates.

After the death of his parents in 1760, Mayer returned to Frankfurt and continued his father’s business: he began exchanging and selling coins and medals. Very soon he became famous among antique lovers. Having saved money, Mayer opened his own antique shop, where it was possible to exchange money from one German principality for another. This is how the first Rothschild bank arose.

At the beginning of his financial career he was a dealer in antique coins and medals. Through the mediation of his client General von Estorf, a collector antique coins meets Landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel. Who made him his confidant during the Landgrave's flight to Prague from Napoleonic troops. Mayer Anschel Rothschild not only preserved capital, but also managed his multimillion-dollar fortune in such a way that it increased noticeably; the foundation of his own fortune dates back to this time.

Rothschild was distinguished by exceptional business acumen. Transporting currency in those days was very expensive, and there was a risk of falling into the hands of robbers. Mayer found a very simple solution to the problem. He bought wool and cotton at low prices in England, and then sold them in Europe for much more.

From 1764 Mayer Rothschild began supplying coins and gold to the princely house of Hesse-Kassel. And after five years, the head of the house, William I, appointed him as his personal banker. The duties of a court factor, such as Mayer, were to increase the prince’s treasury, cover his expenses for the army, luxury goods, and supply the court, stables, kitchen and cellars. If successful, the factor expected a reward in the form of a part of the prince’s income and respect at court; in case of failure, trial, ruin and even execution.

Prince Wilhelm was known as one of the richest and most noble German princes, traded in mercenary armies and lived in grand style. In 1785, he profitably sold 17 thousand soldiers to the English King George III for the war with the American colonists. When the prince went into hiding, fleeing from Napoleon, Rothschild continued collecting money from his debtors, and was even able to increase the amount received.

One day, Rothschild withdrew money from the prince’s compensation account in a British bank and used it to pay for goods. And since I paid in cash, I received a big discount. Mayer managed to avoid two operations at once: transporting money to England and counter-transporting the prince’s money to Frankfurt. Instead of money, Rothschild brought goods, sold them at a high price, repaid the debt to the prince and ended up with a big win. And since the prince received thalers, and the British paid in pounds, the banker also made money on the difference in exchange rates.

At the age of 27, Mayer married 17-year-old Gutla Schnapper, the daughter of a local moneylender. The Rothschilds had 5 sons and 5 daughters: Jeanette (1771), Amschel (1773), Solomon (1774), Nathan (1777), Isabella (1781), Babette (1784), Karl (Kalman) (1788), Julie (1790) ), Henrietta (1791) and James (1792).

Rothschild's five sons continued his work. They were called "Five Fingers of One Hand". On September 27, 1810, Mayer Amschel founded the company Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Sons. By putting into circulation the elector's cash at his disposal, Rothschild the father began to arrange government loans on an unprecedented scale. The increase remained in the hands of the banker family, and the wealth itself was returned by the Rothschild heirs to the Landgrave's successors.

After Rothschild's death, his total capital was twice the assets of the Bank of France. His sons dispersed throughout Europe and subsequently created a whole network of banks. Amschel, the eldest son, managed all the affairs of the family home in Frankfurt. Nathan founded his company in London, James - in Paris, Solomon settled in Vienna, Karl - in Naples. Formally, they were independent from each other, but they had a common communication system - a courier service, which made it possible to receive news about the most important political events, about any stock market shocks, before anyone else. The Rothschilds’ ability to quickly collect information, and if necessary, spread misinformation, played a big role in the fact that the history of the house was closely intertwined with the history of Europe.

Emblem of the Rothschild Dynasty

The emblem of the Rothschild dynasty depicts five arrows connected by a chain, symbolizing the union of the five sons of the clan founder Mayer Amschel. Their motto was: “Concordia, Integritas, Industria” (Concord, Unity, Diligence).

The Rothschild Code for your children

1. All important positions in business should be held only by family members (and not employees); Only male descendants can participate in affairs; Only direct male heirs can inherit. The eldest son becomes the head of the family, unless the brothers unanimously agree otherwise (as happened in 1812, when Nathan was approved as head of the house).

2. Men of the family must marry their cousins ​​or second cousins ​​(so that the accumulated property remains within the family and serves the common cause). Daughters must marry aristocrats while maintaining their faith.

3. In any case, do not describe the family’s property, do not disclose the size of the fortune. Even in court or in a will. Disputes between brothers should be resolved within the family, maintaining the unity of the home.

4. Live in harmony, love and friendship, share profits equally.

5. “Never forget that modesty leads to wealth.”

6. “Whoever owns information owns the world”

Officially approved historical facts are often only a veil behind which the truth about events that actually occurred is hidden. In cases where it is possible to lift this veil, it often becomes clear that the facts described in the official version are often fiction, and perhaps even a complete lie. The Rothschild dynasty can be considered as one of these controversial topics. Representatives of this clan in former times were Bauers. From this fact arises the association of a possible connection between the names of Rothschild and Hitler.

Bauer-Rothschild dynasty

The Bauer surname gained unpleasant fame in Germany back in the Middle Ages. Then they were known as black sorcerers. The Bowery became known as the Rothschilds much later, in the 18th century. This new dynasty was headed by Mayer Amschel Rothschild. At that time, he was a member of the secret society of free masons, and therefore a red shield appeared on the Rothschild coat of arms, which in German sounds like rotes shield. The Rothschild name is associated not only with the shield, but also with the Masonic Star of David. This sign was decorated with a mansion owned by the Rothschilds in Frankfurt. , or as it was also called - the Seal of Solomon, began to be used in association with Jews after Rothschild appropriated it to his dynasty. Studies of Jewish history absolutely prove that this symbol in no way refers to the characters David and Solomon mentioned in the Bible. Until the end of 2007, the noble dynasty was represented by Guy de Rothschild, who came from the French branch. This man had a pronounced sick imagination. He can rightly be called the embodiment of evil. Together with his henchmen, he became the direct culprit in the death of millions of people. He helped create an organization called B'nai B'rith, or "Sons of the Union". The stated purpose of this organization was to combat anti-Semitism in all its manifestations. The hidden goal implied the fight against Christianity, intimidation and bribery of political figures, the destruction of rebellious Jews, and the conduct of anti-Christian propaganda. This organization is capable of masterfully slandering and destroying the life and career of anyone who tries to bring the truth to light. Representatives of the Rothschild clan continue to financially support B'nai B'rith, as well as the Anti-Defamation League organized by it in 1913, literally translated from English as the Anti-Slander League. Just like B'nai B'rith, the League was supposed to oppose any form of anti-Semitism and intolerance towards Jews. However, representatives of these organizations openly advocated strengthening the slave system in the American states during the war between the south and the north. Currently, they are still trying to convict some black leaders of anti-Semitism and racism. The Anti-Defamation League continues to present the so-called “Torch of Freedom” every year to active and deserving members of society, in the opinion of its leaders. This prize was awarded to Morris Dalitz, one of the friends of Meyer Lansky, the head of a large criminal organization that terrorized the United States for a long period.

Hitler's secret benefactors

Inciting hatred against people unfairly labeled as anti-Semites is similar to Adolf Hitler's persecution of Jews. Anyone who dared to doubt the intentions of the Rothschilds or the activities of any Jewish organization certainly became a Nazi and an anti-Semite. A similar false label has been attached to some scientists to discredit them and deprive them of the right to speak publicly. Today, researchers claim that Adolf Hitler came to power with the financial help of the Rothschilds. According to this version, his arrival was facilitated by the well-known Masonic leagues of Thule and Vril in Germany. And Rothschild, for his part, financed Hitler through accounts at the Bank of Great Britain, as well as through other banking organizations in England and America. For example, through the bank Kuhn, Loeb & Co, which was led by Paul Warburg, a representative of the Rothschild dynasty. Being a major figure in the financial world of America, Warburg, through secret intrigues, achieved the creation of the State Reserve System of America and became its leader. In addition, the heart of Nazi military power was the unification of German chemical concerns I.G. Farben. In America, this conglomerate had its own branch, one of the directors of which was Max Warburg, brother of Paul Warburg.

Nazi I.G. Farben maintained a very close relationship throughout the war with Standard Oil, which belonged to the Rockefeller dynasty. It should be borne in mind that the Rockefeller empire developed thanks to the serious support provided by the Rothschilds. The Rockefellers, like the Rothschilds, came from Germany.

During the two world wars, Germany's largest news agencies were owned by the Rothschilds.. With their help, they controlled information flows from Germany to other countries.
It was surprising that against the backdrop of almost completely destroyed industrial enterprises in Germany, the factories of the conglomerate I.G. Farben did not suffer from massive air raids, however, like the enterprises of another giant - Ford, which provided serious assistance to Hitler.

It turns out that the Rothschilds became the financial force that stood behind the Nazi leader. Representatives of this “Jewish” dynasty initially proclaimed patronage for people of Jewish nationality, but, pursuing their own goals, they shamelessly used the Jewish people, trampling on their faith and openly despising them.

Blood relations

Along with other peoples of the world, Jews are only draft animals. They are obliged to work so that representatives of those in power can unhinderedly exercise global control, covering the entire world and placing their comrades belonging to the brotherhood of Freemasons everywhere.

Freemasons are indeed susceptible to the idea of ​​consanguinity, so it is quite natural that, in an effort to achieve world domination, Hitler was allowed to power, apparently belonging to one of the branches of a well-known dynasty. A little research is enough to make sure that representatives of one clan have managed to gain influence in most areas of society. For many years they have held positions in finance, politics, media, military affairs and even royal families. From the depths of this dynasty came all forty-two American presidents. The first was George Washington back in the 18th century. And already at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, another representative of the clan, George Bush, took the presidency. Even political figures of the 20th century, such as Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt were directly related to this surname and were members of the Masonic fraternity. As a result of cunning and tough intrigues, these leaders managed to occupy high positions. Needless to say, the global carnage that involved the countries they led was financed by the Masonic fraternities led by the Rothschilds. It is not surprising that the organization that brought Adolf Hitler to rule the country sought to place only a leader from its own dynasty at the helm.

Did Hitler belong to the Rothschild dynastic roots?

The Rothschilds always positioned themselves as defenders of the Jewish people, but Hitler, on the contrary, mercilessly destroyed them along with the Slavs and Gypsies. Could Hitler then come from the Rothschild clan? After all, the Rothschilds themselves came from Jews.

However, the scientist Walter Langer, in his work “The Soul of Hitler,” expressed the opinion that the Nazi leader was not only sponsored by the Rothschilds, but also came from this dynasty. Considering that he was also assisted by the British royal family, whose prominent representative was Lord Mountbatten, who came from the Rothschilds, and knowing how much importance the Freemasons attach to the idea of ​​kinship, it becomes clear that the august family would not finance a rootless guy. It is enough to know at least a little about the history and traditions of the free brothers to conclude that the Nazi leader was one of their own.

The generally accepted biographical facts of the origin of Adolf Hitler testified that the father of the future leader was the illegitimate child of Maria Schicklgruber, Alois Hitler. Alois’s father, and therefore Adolf’s grandfather, was a certain Johann Hiedler. But Langer questions these facts, relying on an Austrian document that claims that at the time Maria Anna Schicklgruber became pregnant, she was working as a servant in the house of Baron Rothschild.

Hitler's biography was of interest to many, including high-ranking officials from the Nazi party who tried to get information about the origins of their leader. The head of the Nazi security service, Heydrich, succeeded in this. He managed to collect a number of documents, which later went to the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss. The Chancellor continued studying archival materials. From individual documents, registration and registration cards, and witness statements, he was able to recreate the events that preceded Adolf’s birth. Based on the picture he received, he concluded that Hitler’s grandmother, who came from a poor, simple family, came to the capital from the village and entered the service of a noble house. As soon as the pregnancy was discovered, Maria Anna was instantly sent back to the village, where she gave birth to a boy, Alois. The chancellor handed over all the collected and systematized information to Hans-Jürgen Köhler. This high-ranking official from the Gestapo, based on the materials received, published the book “Gestapo: An Inside View” at the beginning of the war.

Common roots

Finding out the truth about whose house Maria Anna Schicklgruber worked in was not difficult. According to Austrian laws of that time, any employee, as well as an employer, was required to register with the local police department. In case of violation, the guilty party could be fined a very significant amount. While working with documents, Chancellor Dollfuss discovered an interesting registration card, which stated that a certain young maid worked in a house owned by the Rothschilds. It is quite possible that it is in this house that one should look for the mysterious grandfather of Adolf Hitler. In this case, it is quite logical that the Nazi leader’s thirst to seize the capital of Austria was determined by the idea of ​​​​destroying documentary traces of his origin.

Causes and consequences of Hitler's trip to the capital of Austria

It is quite possible that Hitler had information about his real origins. It was not for nothing that immediately after the death of his mother he left for the capital, where he disappeared for almost a year. What was he doing and where was he all this time? Most likely, he established connections with his noble relatives, preparing the ground for his further growth in the interests of the common cause of the family dynasty. It is possible that it was then that his membership in the Rothschild clan became known.

Freemasons, who place family ties at the forefront, have always had many illegitimate children. These children grew up and were raised in foster families, but their blood relatives never forgot about them and never let them out of their sight. Neither the Rothschilds nor the Rockefellers were exceptions in this case. Using the example of Bill Clinton, who apparently came from the Rockefeller family, one can judge that all these illegitimate children became very successful in various areas of their activities. Hitler also had illegitimate children. It is possible that some of them are still alive and continue his family branch.

Which Rothschild was Adolf Hitler's grandfather?

Thanks to the research of historians, it became known that shortly before the birth of Alois, the only representative of this powerful dynasty, Solomon Mayer, lived in the rich capital house of the Rothschilds. At that time, he was alone in the capital, since his wife was temporarily living in Germany, and his only son was permanently living and running a business in France. Not having warm feelings for his father, he did not appear in the Austrian capital and only occasionally visited his mother in Frankfurt. From this it follows that lonely Solomon, like no one else, is suitable for the role of Alois’s father. The testimony of Hermann von Holschmidt, a descendant of one of the workers in the Rothschild office, has been preserved. He claimed that with age, Solomon began to develop an unhealthy attraction to young girls. Apparently, this craving was so strong that even the police became aware of it. Could such a person ignore the young maid who was constantly in front of his lustful gaze?

The fact remains a fact. Maria Anna became pregnant, and her grandson became the Chancellor of Great Germany and, with the support of Rothschild capital, plunged the world into the abyss of World War II, which benefited not only the Rothschilds, but also the Masonic brothers. Considering the Freemasons' obsession with blood unity and the desire to place only people close to their family in key positions, the Rothschilds' connection with the events that took place becomes obvious. Are these coincidences random?

The Rothschilds are the most famous among European banking dynasties, which for more than 200 years have had a significant influence on the economy and political life of not only the old world. The first major enterprise was a bank in Frankfurt. Gradually, his interests include mining, energy, real estate and winemaking. The situation of the family is of enduring interest and surprise to ordinary people: the size of the dynasty’s fortune is not reliably known, conspiracy theories are associated with the family, they are credited with participating in the world government and starting wars in their own interests. The foundations for the success and prosperity of the Rothschilds were laid by the head of the dynasty, Mayer Rothschild: his orders and instructions are strictly observed by his descendants.

Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt

The family's success story begins in the impoverished, overcrowded Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt in the 18th century. The residence of Jews in the cities of Christian Europe was officially permitted in specially designated isolated quarters. Places where Jewish communities settled began to be called “ghettos,” after the name of the Jewish quarter in Venice, located near a cannon-making workshop, which in Italian sounds like “ghetta.”

The authorities resisted the expansion of the ghetto, despite the growing population and the depletion of housing resources. The overpopulation of Jewish areas led to a decrease in people's life expectancy and an increase in fires. Various restrictions were also established for Jews. The ghetto was closed at night, on Sundays and on all Christian holidays. Jews could not have property, were obliged to wear yellow bands on their clothes and give way to an approaching Christian, who, without consequences for himself, could offend a Jew for no reason. Special rather onerous taxes were established for them.

Professional communities did not allow Jews into their membership and thereby narrowed the choice of areas of work for representatives of this nation. Economic restrictions encouraged Jews to engage in conversion and credit transactions: exchanging money and providing funds on collateral or on growth terms. The profession of moneylender has become traditional for representatives of Jewish communities due to the ban on such activities for Christians for religious reasons.

The exchange of money in Germany in the 18th century was an urgent necessity, which was determined by the political structure of the country. The country was a conglomerate of a large number of sovereign principalities, each of which issued its own money. Trade was accompanied by the need to exchange money, which was the source of income for Mayer Rothschild’s father.

Mayer Amschel's childhood

Amschel Moses Bauer was the owner of a small money changer's office. The sign above the entrance, which was red (“rot schild” - German, red sign), became the reason for the nickname of family members, which later turned into a famous surname. Mayer Amschel was born in 1744. The boy stood out among his peers for his abilities. The parents believed that their son should become a rabbi, so he was sent to receive a proper education at a Jewish theological school in the suburbs of Nuremberg. The boy studied well, but did not show much enthusiasm or diligence. The death of his parents made adjustments to the life of Mayer, who was forced to leave school due to the inability to pay tuition fees. Through the patronage of his relatives, he was lucky enough to become an apprentice at Oppenheimer's Jewish enterprise in Hanover and begin to study banking. This city was distinguished by its relative tolerance towards representatives of the Jews. Everything was going well for the young man at work, and apparently good life prospects awaited him in Hanover, but Mayer made a rather strange decision and in 1764 returned to hometown.

Success story begins

Mayer Amschel followed his father's profession, but in addition, he began to trade in old coins, medals, antiques and rare things that he searched for on his own or bought at bargain prices.

Historians note in his biography his amazing mathematical abilities and ability not to miss the opportunity that presented itself. It is believed that Mayer sought to provide his services exclusively to people with position in society. Mayer accompanied his numismatic collections with catalogs and entertaining historical lectures, which was able to interest the “right” people, who soon began to purchase his goods.

Mayer managed to meet Prince Wilhelm IX, Elector of Hesse-Kassel - a representative of the royal court of Austria-Hungary. The aristocrat was famous for his passion for collecting coins, which the enterprising young man took advantage of by giving him a collection of antique coins. Having found a buyer in the prince, Mayer received permission to represent himself as the prince's sales agent. The increase in status allowed him to obtain the blessing of his future wife's father, who had until that moment refused him.

Wilhelm was distinguished not only by his noble origin, but also by his impressive material well-being. For many German princes of that time, the usual source of income was the provision of their subjects as soldiers to other states. William's army allowed him to make a good fortune: his soldiers fought as mercenaries on the side of Britain and fought bravely in colonial America. In the history of the Rothschilds, the fact of a young man’s rapprochement with an unusual aristocrat, distinguished by his extraordinary business acumen, is presented as one of key points, contributed to the formation of the dynasty.

Mayer had an excellent analytical mind and abilities for systematic multidimensional thinking. Buying textiles in England for resale, he invited William to use English bills of exchange, which he received as payment for mercenaries, to pay for his purchases, provided that the prince would give him these bills at a discount. The deal was completed only two years later in 1789, but it turned out to be the family's first truly profitable operation.

Having become a court factor of William IX (the so-called people who carried out financial transactions), Mayer Rothschild established a rule that is still successfully observed by his family: to do business only with noble people and to have, if possible, as many sons as possible, who could later lead the family business. In fact, he dreamed of creating an influential and wealthy dynasty.

The father is rich and strong with sons

There are ten surviving children in the family of Mayer Amschel and his wife Gutele. Biographers describe the head of the family as an attentive father who passed on his craft to his children and spent a lot of time with them. Unlike his brothers, Mayer was gentle and courteous, had an undeniable talent for negotiation, knew how to remain cool in difficult situations, so he was able to channel not only his business, but also the indomitable energy of his sons, develop their talents and start a family , whose descendants are still known today. Perhaps the source of success was Mayer Rothschild’s rule: everyone has their own talents, but success is common!

Five sons, having grown up, joined their father and helped conduct business with clients. From childhood, they showed the ability to be successful traders and were not inferior to their father in this. However, unlike the head of the family, their approach to doing business was more rigid and straightforward. Mayer tried to soften him by teaching his heirs the art of negotiations - a skill he inherited from nature. The girls participated in the family business within the home: they did written work and kept accounting books.

Mayer's sons transferred cooperation with Prince William to new level. Having agreed with the bankers and the aristocrat's treasurer, they became intermediaries in all his financial transactions. Gradually, Mayer Rothschild's money changer turned into a real bank. The father demanded that the children follow his business philosophy, which was characterized by several principles:

• always pay your bills on time;
• never borrow;
• to be honest and open in conducting business so that no litigation is ever associated with the name of the Rothschilds.

The Austrian emperor granted the brothers a baronial title and, according to this, the surname acquired a coat of arms. It is characteristic that the coat of arms has five arrows tied together (in other versions - held with a clenched hand), and the inscription “Consent. Unity. Action".

By 1796 Mayer Rothschild was the richest Jew in Frankfurt. His sons enthusiastically helped their father increase his business activity. The eldest brother, Amschel, ran the growing business from Frankfurt. In 1804, Nathan first moved to Manchester and established his own textile supplies to the continent, and after a successful marriage, with the help of his father-in-law, he created his own bank in London. James settled in Paris in 1811, where he developed the French branch of a banking house. Solomon and Karl opened offices in Vienna and Naples, respectively. By the early 20s, the Rothschild family business covered all of Europe.

Promoting well-being

Mayer's children inherited from their father an amazing insight in discovering sources of benefit that are not obvious to others. During the war unleashed on the continent by Napoleon, economic sanctions were imposed on England. The French idea was to establish an economic blockade, preventing the movement of goods and money from England to Europe. The Rothschilds, with family members located on both sides of the English Channel, saw a unique opportunity for profit and organized large-scale smuggling of such important goods as wheat, cotton, colonial goods and weapons; carried out international payments.

The family set up a delivery service using small, fast ships at sea and a group of horsemen on the continent. The Rothschild couriers, in addition to transporting goods and gold, delivered the latest news, so their owners were the first to learn about important events in the economic and political sphere.

The Rothschild Bank acted as the organizer and executor of providing the British army with funds. Financial stability was one of the decisive factors that allowed Wellington to defeat the French troops at Waterloo. The bankers' courier with the news of the victory was one day ahead of the army courier. With reliable information, the Rothschilds provoked a panic on the stock exchange by pretending that their sudden sales were due to the defeat of the British, and then acquired significant assets at reduced prices, without formally violating any regulations.

It is believed that the famous phrase “He who owns information rules the world” belongs to Nathan Rothschild.

After the Napoleonic wars, the ruling houses began to use the services of bankers, transferring their capital to them for safekeeping with the condition of paying interest on the invested funds. This fact became important in the history of the formation modern market capital.

However, despite their wealth, due to their origin, the Rothschilds still could not count on being treated as equals by the ruling circles and the world. Recognition on top level was conquered by the third generation of Rothschilds. Nathan's son, Lionel Rothschild, was the first Jew to serve in the British Parliament and be elevated to the British peerage.

The dynasty continues

Mayer Amschel died in 1812 at the age of 70. The father entered into a partnership agreement with his sons, which indicated that the business could not be divided between them and had to remain integral. There was no place for women in business; only sons could inherit the business. Outsiders, not even sons-in-law, were not allowed to occupy management positions in companies. Family marriages are encouraged: since a dowry must be given for daughters, it would be better if it went to a brother or cousin.

The youngest of five brothers, James, married his own niece, Betty, Solomon's daughter. The custom of marrying a girl from the family quickly became a tradition. Of the 12 marriages of third generation men, 9 were with cousins. Subsequently, the proportion of such marriages decreased somewhat, but is about half among Mayer Amschel’s descendants in the male line.

Mayer Rothschild's descendants follow his philosophy. In the more than two hundred year history of the dynasty, there is only one example when a family member left the business, taking part of it. At the end of the 20th century, contenders for the role of the British part of the family business disagreed on the choice of the bank's strategy. As a result, Jacob Rothschild organized his own investment fund, the ideology of which may go beyond the philosophy of the founder of the dynasty, but it is as successful as all Rothschild enterprises: the fortune of Jacob’s family is estimated at about $3 billion.

A landmark event for the dynasty was the merger in 2003 of the family's British and French banking houses, the only surviving large family lending businesses in Europe. This fact would undoubtedly have been approved by the founder of the dynasty, Mayer Amschel.