Alois Dessauer
Alois Joseph Dessauer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aron Baruch Dessauer Template:Birth date Gochsheim |
| Died | April 11, 1850 (aged 87) Aschaffenburg |
| Occupation(s) | Court banker, military supplier, paper manufacturer |
| Known for | Court banker for Electoral Mainz, paper factory founder |
Alois Joseph Dessauer (originally named Aron Baruch Dessauer; born February 21, 1763, in Gochsheim – died April 11, 1850, in Aschaffenburg) was a prominent court banker for the Electoral Mainz region (known as a Court Jew), as well as a supplier to the military and a manufacturer of paper products. He was the grandfather of the industrial pioneer Philipp Dessauer.
Life
Alois was the son of Baruch Dessauer, a leader within the Jewish community, and Mindel Seligmann. In 1792, he relocated to Königshofen ob der Tauber (Baden) and wed Behlasina David, who was the daughter of Joseph David, a local merchant. By 1798, this former court banker for Churmainz and military contractor had moved his family to Aschaffenburg. Although he maintained close relations with Prince Primate Karl Theodor von Dalberg, his rise in social status notably quickened only after he underwent Catholic baptism in 1805.
On August 23, 1805, Aron Baruch and his family received baptism at St. Agatha parish in Aschaffenburg, adopting new names: Alois, Anna Elisabeth, Joseph, Georg, Karl Friedrich, and Franz Johann (the latter having been baptized Catholic at birth). Shortly thereafter, on September 5, 1805, he secured citizenship of Aschaffenburg by paying the necessary fee.
Dessauer diversified his business ventures to include paper trading, production of stone tablets, and manufacturing of high-quality ink. In 1810, he established a colored paper factory in Aschaffenburg. His reputation within the local community grew steadily; in 1805 he was honored with membership in the shooting society and later became a city council member in 1826.
Literature
- Albert Haemmerle: Stammtafel der Familie Dessauer aus Aschaffenburg. Manuscript. A. Haemmerle, Munich 1962.
- Albert Haemmerle: Die Wasserzeichen des Alois Dessauer, 1763–1850. In: Papiergeschichte, Vol. 16, 1966, Issues 3/4, pp. 2–4
External links
Synagoge Gochsheim (Stadt Kraichtal) Jüdisches Leben im Kraichgau
References
- Albert Haemmerle: Stammtafel der Familie Dessauer aus Aschaffenburg. A. Haemmerle, Munich, 1962