THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1166, 17 June 1911, Page 5

THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD

BARON ALBERT'S ESTATE. By releeraph—Press Association-CGpyrierM London, Juno 15. The estate in Great Britain of Baron Albert von Rothschild (of the Austrian branch of tho Rothschild family) has been proved at ,£733,027. A ROMANCE OF FINANCE. Baron Albert von Rothschild, head of the Vienna branch of the famous European banking family, died on January 11. Ho belonged to the third generation of his house, and lacked the temperament of the man of business. His wealth steadily increased during his lifetime as ho could not live up to anything like his income and added several large fortunes inherited from wealthy relations to his big patrimony. Ho gave about ,£2,000,000 to charities before and after his death, and the "Neue Freio Presse" stated that it was believed that his heirs would share 700,000,000 crowns (about .£28,000,000). Tho death duties on this amount under the Austrian law would bo

Tho original namo of tho Rothschilds was Bauer, and tho founder of the fortunes of the house was Meyer Anselm Bauer (17(3-1812), son of a small Jewish merchant at Frankfurt-on-the-Main. lie set up as a money-lender under the sign of the "Eed Shield" (Rothschild) at Frankfurt, and in 1801 was made the agent of tho Landgrnvo of Ho.ssc-Cnssel, negotiating his first Government loan in the following year. He died in 1812 leaving five sons and five daughters, and branches of tho business were established at Vienna, London. Paris, and Naples. A system of infer-marriages was adopted which prevented tho dispersion of the fortunes that were being acquired, and the houso has grown in solidity from generation to generation. Nathan Slayer Rothschild (1777-1836) is generally regarded as the genius of the family. The dlnssal influence of the house dates from lSlfl. when he bought' up some drafts which Wellington had issued and which tho British Government could not meet. Tt was chiefly through tho house of ■Rnth'child that the Allied Powers were able to r.iiso the fun''": necessary to carry on the war against Napoleon.