Bernhard von Eskeles
Bernhard Eskeles | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1753-02-12 Vienna, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 1839-08-07 Hietzing, Austria |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, banker, court Jew |
| Known for | Founder of Arnstein and Eskeles banking firm; director of Austrian National Bank; patron of classical composers |
Bernhard, Knight and Baron von Eskeles (Ritter und Freiherr von Eskeles) (born 12 February 1753 in Vienna, died 7 August 1839 in Hietzing) was a prominent Austrian-Jewish financier, banker, and court Jew.
Early life
The son of Rabbi Issachar Berush Eskeles, Bernhard Eskeles was born posthumously. At a young age, he relocated to Amsterdam, where by seventeen he was managing a commercial enterprise. Although initially prosperous, he eventually lost his inherited wealth due to various business difficulties.
Biography
Eskeles returned to Vienna in 1774 and joined forces with his brother-in-law Nathan Arnstein to create the banking firm Arnstein and Eskeles. This institution rose to prominence particularly during the Congress of Vienna. They were notable patrons of composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Ignaz Moscheles. Eskeles’s salon became a gathering place for distinguished personalities including Beethoven, Talleyrand, Wellington, Castlereagh, Hardenberg, and Körner.
He provided financial counsel to Emperors Joseph II and Francis II and carried out significant diplomatic assignments in Paris and Holland in 1810. In 1816, he was instrumental in founding the Austrian National Bank, where he held the position of director for twenty-three years.
His noble status was conferred in stages: ennobled in 1797, knighted in 1811, and elevated to baronial rank in 1822.
Although his engagement with Jewish communal leadership was limited—and during his brief tenure new restrictions were imposed—he established various philanthropic organizations and created a fund of 50,000 florins dedicated to assisting impoverished students.
Personal life
Bernhard Eskeles married Caecilie (Zipperche) Itzig (1760–1836), daughter of Daniel Itzig from Berlin. Their offspring included Denis, Baron de Eskeles (1803–1876), who took over the banking operations and married Wilhelmina, Baroness Brentano-Cimaroli; and Maria Anna Cecilia Bernhardine Freiin von Eskeles, Countess of Wimpffen. Both children converted away from Judaism, and the male lineage concluded with Denis's passing.
See also
References
- ([1]) by Isidore Singer and Gotthard Deutsch