August von Finck Sr.
August von Finck Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Kochel am See, Germany |
| Died | April 22, 1980 (aged 81) Möschenfeld, Grasbrunn, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Principal partner at Merck Finck & Co., financier supporting Adolf Hitler during the 1930s |
August von Finck Sr. (18 July 1898 – 22 April 1980) was a prominent German banker and entrepreneur, the son of Wilhelm von Finck (1848–1924), who established the insurance powerhouse Allianz as well as the private banking institution Merck Finck & Co. This bank notably functioned as Adolf Hitler's personal financial institution.
During the era of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, von Finck played a significant role as a financier, supporting Hitler throughout the 1930s. He was recognized as one of Bavaria’s most affluent and economically prudent business figures.
Biography
Born on 18 July 1898 in Kochel am See, August von Finck was the son of Wilhelm von Finck (1848–1924) and Marie Fäustle (1865–1935). After his brother Wilhelm Jr. lost his life in World War I, von Finck served for two years in the German military stationed in the Balkans. Upon his father’s passing in 1924, he assumed the role of principal partner at Merck Finck and inherited extensive corporate assets along with substantial landholdings.
On February 3, 1931, Wilhelm von Finck and several industrial leaders convened with Adolf Hitler at Berlin’s Hotel Kaiserhof, pledging a sum of 5 million Reichsmark from Allianz to support the SA should a socialist uprising occur; however, this funding was never disbursed since the anticipated rebellion did not materialize.
Von Finck became a member of the NSDAP in May 1933 and contributed financially to Hitler’s Haus der Kunst museum project. Utilizing his influence, he participated in the Aryanization process by acquiring Jewish-owned assets, including purchasing the Jewish bank S. M. von Rothschild in Vienna at a discounted price, thereby enhancing Merck Finck's standing within European private banking circles. His close affiliations with the Nazi regime enabled him to amass considerable profits during wartime, with Allianz prospering under these connections.
In 1937, he supported policies that maintained the exclusion of Jewish enterprises from Germany’s private banking sector. By 1941, von Finck held a board position at a sugar manufacturing company located in occupied Serbia. He divorced his first spouse, Margot von Rücker, in 1942 and joined the German advisory council for private banking in 1944.
Following World War II, von Finck temporarily stepped back from executive duties amid denazification investigations. While asserting political neutrality, he invested heavily in influencing witness statements and exerted pressure on prosecutors. Classified as a “fellow traveler,” he faced fines but was subsequently granted amnesty. After being banned from banking activities for five years, he resumed leadership in 1951, adopting conservative approaches to restore Merck Finck & Co., while opposing agrarian reform initiatives.
In 1972, he acquired Weinfelden Castle from a Jewish family for 340,000 Swiss francs and undertook its restoration; today it is occupied by August von Finck jr. August von Finck passed away on 22 April 1980 in Möschenfeld within the municipality of Grasbrunn.
Descendants
August von Finck fathered five children:
With his first wife Margot von Rücker:
- Wilhelm von Finck (1927–2003)
- August von Finck Jr. (1930–2021)
- Eleonore Grziwa (née von Finck) (1931–2014)
With his second wife Dr. Gerda Mau:
- Gerhard von Finck (born 1954)
- Helmut von Finck (born 1959)