Salomon Oppenheim
Salomon Oppenheim Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Bonn, Electorate of Cologne |
| Died | November 8, 1828 (aged 56) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, banker |
| Known for | Founder of Sal. Oppenheim private banking institution |
Salomon Oppenheim Jr. (born 19 June 1772, died 8 November 1828) was a prominent German Jewish financier and the originator of the Sal. Oppenheim private banking institution.
Originating from Bonn within a lineage of "Court Jews" who provided counsel and loans to the Electorate of Cologne, Oppenheim launched a commission and exchange business there in 1789 when he was just 17 years old. During this time, he developed a friendship with Ludwig van Beethoven.
Following the French annexation of the left bank of the Rhine, Oppenheim moved to Cologne, becoming among the earliest Jewish settlers in the city since 1424. While under French administration, he held roles as both banker and tax official, subsequently transitioning to serve under Prussian authority after 1815. In 1822, he received the designation "Senior Court Agent in our Most Gracious Confidence."
Together with his spouse Therese, Oppenheim fathered twelve children. Upon his passing, his sons Simon and Abraham assumed control of the banking enterprise, whereas his son Dagobert pursued a career as a railway entrepreneur and co-founded the Rheinische Zeitung. His daughter Bertha was married to Heinrich David Hertz; their lineage included noted physicists Heinrich Rudolf Hertz and Gustav Ludwig Hertz.
During the late nineteenth century, certain family branches embraced Protestantism and Catholicism.
The Sal. Oppenheim bank expanded into a leading private financial institution, eventually moving its headquarters to Luxembourg in 2007. The family's direct participation concluded following the death of Alfred Freiherr von Oppenheim in 2005. Between 2009 and 2010, Deutsche Bank completed its acquisition of Sal. Oppenheim.