Adolph Carl von Rothschild

Adolph Carl von Rothschild
Born	Template:Birth date Frankfurt, Germany
Died	February 7, 1900(1900-02-07) (aged 76)
Occupation(s)	Banker, art collector
Known for	Banking, art collection, founding the Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild

Baron Adolph Carl von Rothschild (21 May 1823 – 7 February 1900) was a prominent figure in banking. His final resting place is located in division 7 of the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Life

Originating from Frankfurt, Adolph was the third-born son of Carl Mayer von Rothschild. In 1850, he wedded baroness Julie Caroline von Rothschild (1830–1907); the couple did not have children. Regarded as less talented than his elder sibling Mayer Carl von Rothschild, who managed the Vienna branch, Adolph was transferred from Frankfurt in 1856 to oversee the Naples branch. There, he also held the position of consul general for the Duchy of Parma and developed a passion for art collecting.

In 1858, he engaged George Henry Stokes and Joseph Paxton to create the château de Pregny in the Louis XVI style, situated with views over Lake Léman. This château served as a repository for his extensive collection of paintings and artworks, which included rock crystal items procured from the Grand Duke of Baden as well as pieces crafted from semi-precious stones. He enhanced the estate’s gardens and constructed an aviary and greenhouses, which today form part of the Geneva Botanical Gardens.

When Garibaldi invaded Naples in 1860, Adolph accompanied Francis II of the Two Sicilies in retreat to Gaeta. Lacking consent from his family to fund the ousted monarch, he sold his residence in Naples and withdrew from banking activities in 1863. The following year, he initiated the building of Naples’ current synagogue located in the Chiaia neighborhood. By 1868, he had moved to Paris, where he purchased a hôtel particulier at 45-47 rue de Monceau, originally constructed for Isaac Pereire, which underwent redesign by Félix Langlais.

After undergoing a successful eye operation performed by a surgeon from Geneva in 1886, Adolph envisioned establishing a hospital dedicated to treating eye and head ailments that would embody contemporary medical progress. Although he passed away before its realization, his widow completed this vision with the inauguration of the Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild in Paris in 1905. Upon his death, he bequeathed his château, city residence, and art collection to his niece Adelheid’s son, Maurice.

Bibliography

• Bertrand Gille, Histoire de la Maison Rothschild, Librairie Droz, Genève, 1965 & 1967. 2 volumes