Baron Jean-Conrad Hottinguer
Jean-Conrad Hottinguer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Zurich, Switzerland |
| Died | September 12, 1841 (aged 77) Castle Piple, Boissy-Saint-Léger, France |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Founder of Messieurs Hottinguer & Cie; inaugural member of the Board of Governors for Banque de France; president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry; co-founder of Caisse d'Epargne et de Prévoyance de Paris |
Baron Jean-Conrad Hottinguer (born 15 February 1764 in Zurich, died 12 September 1841 at Castle Piple, Boissy-Saint-Léger) was a banker of Swiss origin who became a French national and held the title of Baron within the French Empire.
Professional Life
Hottinguer departed from Zurich in 1784 to establish his commercial pursuits in Paris. That same year, the Hottinger family name was listed among “Bankers” in the Almanach Royal de France. Although banking and trade guilds were temporarily dissolved during the French Revolution, they were reinstated under the Directoire. Amidst this upheaval, Hottinguer left France and traveled extensively throughout Europe and America. While in London, he wed Martha Redwood, granddaughter of the founder of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, on 24 August 1793. He cultivated an international network of business contacts, notably forming connections with Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
Upon his return to France in 1796, Hottinguer reestablished his banking activities with Messieurs Hottinguer & Cie based in Paris. The enterprise grew to play a significant role within the financial and commercial arenas of France, Switzerland, and other regions. Toward the end of the 18th century, Hottinguer served as a French intermediary during the XYZ Affair, an important diplomatic controversy involving the United States.
At the dawn of the 19th century, family associate Henri Escher launched the first Hottinger branch in America. Henri’s son Alfred Escher went on to found Credit Suisse, École Polytechnique of Zurich, and the Gotthard railway, subsequently holding office as President of Switzerland’s national council.
In 1803, Hottinguer was named an inaugural member of The Board of Governors for Banque de France and later assumed leadership as president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. On 19 September 1810, he received the hereditary baronial title from the French Empire.
Diversifying into insurance, he created the Compagnie Royale D`Assurances, marking bankers’ entry into that field. In partnership with Benjamin Delessert in 1818, he co-founded France’s first savings institution, Caisse d'Epargne et de Prévoyance de Paris. Jean-Conrad passed away in 1841 and was succeeded by his son Jean-Henri Hottinguer.
See also
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20141219120351/http://www.hottinger.com/
- http://www.groupe.caisse-epargne.com/asp/ci_modele2.aspx?np=1818_fondation_caisse_ci&ml=826Template:Fix/category[permanent dead link]
- https://web.archive.org/web/20160820084053/http://www.genea-bdf.org/BasesDonnees/genealogies/hottinger.htm