David B. Adler
David Baruch Adler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | December 4, 1878 (aged 52) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, legislator, benefactor |
| Known for | Founder of Kjøbenhavns Handelsbank |
David Baruch Adler (16 May 1826 – 4 December 1878) was a Jewish-Danish financier, legislator, and benefactor. He established Kjøbenhavns Handelsbank in 1875.
Early life and education
Born in Copenhagen to broker Baruch Isak Adler and Hanne Meyer, Adler completed his studies at Mariboes Realskole before relocating to Hamburg at age 16 to pursue commercial training in the textile trade.
Career
Following a four-year period in Hamburg, Adler moved to London where, in 1848, he inherited approximately 30,000 rigsdaler, allowing him to join the commission firm Martin Levin & Adler as a partner.
In 1850, he returned to Copenhagen and launched the banking firm D. B. Adler & Co., with Martin Levin acting as a silent partner while Adler maintained involvement with the London business for several more years.
Together with Tietgen, he was instrumental in founding Privatbanken in 1868 and held a board position until his resignation in 1876 due to internal conflicts. On 18 April 1875, after extensive planning, he inaugurated Kjøbenhavns Handelsbank, whose board featured national bank officials W. Sponneck and A.E. Reimann alongside state loans director Martin Levy. Additionally, Adler co-established multiple credit and banking organizations across Jutland, including Nye Jyske Købstadskreditforening (1871), linked to Adler, Wulff & Meyer in Aarhus, as well as Jysk Handels- og Landbrugsbank (1876).
Adler was a member of the Maritime and Commercial Court from 1862 until 1877 and served on the governing committee of Grosserer-Societetet between 1875 and 1878. His contributions extended to legislative commissions, exhibition committees, and he was part of the Mosaic community's board from 1870 through 1877.
Politics
Adler held a seat on the Copenhagen City Council from 1858 to 1864, represented constituents in Folketinget during two terms (1864–1869 and 1869–1872), and acted as a deputy in Landstinget from 1874 until 1878. He was aligned with the National Liberal Party and maintained close relationships with political figures such as Carl Christian Hall.
Personal life
On 19 December 1849 in London, Adler married Jenny Raphael (1830–1902), daughter of banker John Raphael and Emma Schiff. The couple had six children. Their eldest son Bertil took over the family enterprise. Daughter Hanna Adler founded what would become Sortedam School. The youngest daughter Ellen married Christian Bohr and was mother to renowned physicist Niels Bohr and mathematician Harald Bohr.
Adler resided at the Gustmeyer House located at Ved Stranden 12 in Copenhagen and owned the Nærumgård estate north of the city. The couple donated Nærumgård for use as an orphanage.
David Baruch Adler passed away on 4 December 1878 and was laid to rest in the Jewish Northern Cemetery. Their Copenhagen residence was inherited by Christian and Ellen Bohr.