Kilian von Steiner
Kilian von Steiner | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Laupheim, Kingdom of Württemberg |
| Died | September 25, 1903 (aged 69) Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, industrial entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder of Württembergische Vereinsbank, involvement with BASF, WMF, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft |
Kilian von Steiner (born 9 October 1833, died 25 September 1903) was a prominent German banker and industrial entrepreneur.
Life and career
Originating from Laupheim, Kilian was the eighth offspring of Viktor Steiner, a Jewish merchant family that had resided in Laupheim since approximately 1750. He spent his formative years in the Upper Swabia region.
His education included secondary schooling in Ulm and Stuttgart, followed by university studies in history, philosophy, and law at Tübingen and Heidelberg. Upon completing his degree in 1859, he established himself as a solicitor in Heilbronn, where he formed a friendship with the economist Gustav von Schmoller.
In 1865, Steiner was among the founders of the National Liberal Party, advocating for the unification agenda led by Otto von Bismarck.
As an influential figure in Germany's 19th-century economic development, he contributed to founding numerous banking institutions within and beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom of Württemberg. Notably, in 1869, he co-established the Württembergische Vereinsbank, which later became part of Deutsche Bank. His entrepreneurial impact extended to key industrial companies such as BASF (established 1873), WMF (founded 1880), and the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (created 1890). Beyond these major enterprises, he also supported various smaller industrial projects.
Steiner earned a doctorate in law in 1876. His patronage of the arts included financial backing for the creation of the Schiller National Museum in Marbach am Neckar and involvement with the Swabian Schiller Federation established in 1890.
In recognition of his contributions, he was granted honorary citizenship of Bad Niedernau in 1891. Three years later, he acquired Großlaupheim Castle from his siblings and transformed it into a center for cultural activities encompassing literature, economics, and the arts.
Following his receipt of the Order of the Crown from King William II of Württemberg in 1895, Steiner was ennobled and soon afterward retired from active business. He passed away in Stuttgart in 1903.
Commemorations include a bust unveiled in 1987 situated within the rose garden of Castle Großlaupheim and a vocational school named in his honor. Additionally, a dedicated exhibition room celebrating his legacy was opened at the Museum of the History of Christians and Jews in Laupheim in 1998.
See also
Further reading
- Deutelmoser, Otto K. Kilian Steiner und die Württembergische Vereinsbank. Ostfildern: Thorbecke, 2003. ISBN 978-3-7995-5550-0
- Diemer, Kurt. Laupheim. Stadtgeschichte. Weißenhorn: Konrad, 1979. ISBN 3-87437-151-4
- Schäll, Ernst. "Kilian von Steiner; Bankier und Industrieller, Mäzen und Humanist." Schwäbische Heimat, vol. 44, 1993, pp. 4–11.
- Schenk, Georg. Laupheim. Geschichte, Land und Leute. Weißenhorn: Konrad, 1976. ISBN 3-87437-136-0
- Schönhagen, Benigna. Kilian von Steiner und Laupheim: "Ja, es ist ein weiter Weg von der Judenschule bis hierher ...". Marbach am Neckar: Deutsche Schillergesellschaft, 1998. ISBN 3-929146-81-9