Ignace von Ephrussi
Ignace von Ephrussi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1829 Berdychiv, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine) |
| Died | 1899 Vienna, Austria |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, diplomat |
| Known for | Managing Ephrussi & Co. in Vienna; Honorary Consul for the King of Sweden and Norway; Knight of the Order of St. Olav |
Baron Ignace von Ephrussi (1829–1899) was an Austrian banker and diplomat of Russian origin who managed the family banking enterprise, Ephrussi & Co., based in Vienna.
Early life
Ignace was born in 1829 in Berdychiv, then part of the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine), to Charles Joachim Ephrussi and Belle Levensohn. Following his mother's passing in 1841, his father remarried Henriette Halperson. This union produced two half-brothers, Michel Ephrussi and Maurice Ephrussi, as well as two half-sisters who married into notable families.
Career
Ignace led the Vienna branch of Ephrussi & Co., where he was acknowledged as the city's second wealthiest banker. He was granted the noble rank of Baron by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. His diplomatic appointments included serving as Honorary Consul for the King of Sweden and Norway, and he was honored as a Knight of the Order of St. Olav.
Personal life
He married Emily Porges, with whom he had three children: two sons and a daughter. The family resided at the Palais Ephrussi, a residence completed in 1869.
Death and legacy
Ignace passed away in Vienna in 1899. Among his descendants is his great-great-grandson, Edmund de Waal, a British ceramic artist and writer known for The Hare with the Amber Eyes, a memoir published in 2010 that explores their family history, including Ignace's life.