Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild
Louis Nathaniel Freiherr von Rothschild ( born March 5, 1882 in Vienna, † 15 January 1955 in Montego Bay, Jamaica ) was the last major representative of the Viennese branch of the banking family.
Life
Since the death of his father Albert Salomon Anselm von Rothschild in 1911, he headed the private bank "SM v. Rothschild & Sons" in Vienna and controlled as the main shareholder Creditanstalt, the largest bank in Austria.
After the extinction of the Frankfurt line he also took responsibility for a large part of the international activities of the House of Rothschild.
Given the dire economic situation of a Flat Austria after 1918 and the overcrowding of the banking system became the Creditanstalt, with its important industrial group in first latent difficulties. The situation was further complicated by the fact that Chancellor Johann Schober ultimate Rothschild called for in October 1929, to take over the Bodencreditanstalt located in a massive crisis. Rothschild gave way, in the episode but it came at the height of the global economic crisis in the spring of 1931 to the collapse of the Creditanstalt, which had a serious impact on the international financial system. Rothschild made a significant contribution, the largest bank in Austria but had to be reorganized primarily with state funds and was in March 1938, thus majority owned by the federal government.
After the German invasion Rothschild was immediately arrested and after disclosure of the entire Vienna possession, after more than a year in prison, released.
In the Palais Albert Rothschild in the Prinz- Eugen-Strasse in Vienna drew "Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Vienna" one of Adolf Eichmann.
The private bank S. M. v. Rothschild & Sons Co was initially started by the Austrian Credit Institute, from July 1938, the Munich-based bank Merck Finck & managed interim basis. In 1940, the bank was S. M. then taken v. Rothschild & Sons by the newly founded in Vienna Bankhaus E. v. Nicolai ( " arisiert " ), were involved in the turn, the bank Merck, Finck & Co with 71 percent and the German industrial bank from Dusseldorf with 19 percent.
In many restitution proceedings Louis Rothschild received the remaining values after the Second World War back, but he refused it, the Bank SM to build from Rothschild & Sons again. The art collection of the family who in 1938 seized and distributed across multiple museums throughout the country, however, remained until 1999 owned by the Republic of Austria. Only after the Washington Declaration of 1998 and the consequent restitution law to the heirs were 250 works of art, including 31 paintings returned.
Rothschild emigrated to the USA and spent the rest of his life mostly on trips. He married 1946 " Hildegard von Auersperg Johanna " ( 1895-1981 ). The marriage remained childless.