Salomon Heine

Salomon Heine ( * October 19, 1767 in Hannover, † December 23, 1844 in Hamburg) was a wealthy Hamburg merchant and banker. He arrived penniless in 1784 in Hamburg and was awarded in the following years a considerable fortune. He became known as a benefactor in Hamburg and supporters of his nephew, the poet Heinrich Heine. They called him because of his wealth - he left the equivalent of € 110 million - the " Rothschild of Hamburg ".

Life

Heine learned the banking business in the banking house Popert in Hamburg. He was then as exchange brokers acted independently and in close collaboration with Emanuel Anton of Halle. In 1797 he founded together with Marcus Abrahm Heckscher ( 1770-1823 ) the Merchand bank Heckscher & Co.. 1818, now sole manager, he changed the name of the company in bank Salomon Heine. In the following years he became one of the most successful Hamburg banker of his time.

Sponsors of the poet Heinrich Heine

Salomon Heine left the young Heinrich Heine go into his bank Heckscher & Co. in Hamburg in the teaching and then gave him the independence with the cloth business Harry Heine & Comp. Heine, however, who had fallen in love with Solomon's daughter Amalie, devoted himself even then prefer poetry and showed little interest in the business. After a short time he was forced to declare bankruptcy. Salomon Heine was upset that his nephew the starving in his eyes art of poetry dedicated. In the saying " If he had learned something right, he will not have to write books " has survived this lack of understanding. The banker financed despite all its law school and granted him until his death in regular financial support.

Benefactor of Hamburg

Salomon Heine's generosity and its importance as a benefactor come in an anecdote expressed: representatives of a religious order, who intended to build a hospital, asked wealthy Hamburg to raise funds for their projects. The Order was invited to audition first at the Jewish banker Heine. They agreed to donate the same amount as Heine and a dollar more. The religious Salomon Heine reported on the reaction of other affluent citizens. Heine could be the price for the hospital to call and paid them exactly half. The other merchants, who were bound to their word, so had to take over the remaining costs for the hospital.

Adolph Kohut tells this anecdote quite differently, namely as follows:

In addition, the banker Heine worked all his life as a patron and participated after the devastating fire of Hamburg in 1842 with his private fortune in the reconstruction of the Hanseatic city. Among other things, he announced that he up to 15,000 marks accepting of each distressed trader exchange banco. He also founded the Israelite Hospital in memory of his late wife Betty in 1837. Heinrich Heine praised his uncle this foundation with the poem The new Israelite Hospital at Hamburg, which in the collection " New Poems " appeared in 1844.

The Patriotic Society appointed Heine in 1843 an honorary member. She had never taken a professing Jews. What had this exception personality for Hamburg really means, was impressive at his funeral: "They came in a silent demonstration of its connecting popularity. Thousands of Hamburg, both Jews and Christians, accompanied him on his last journey to Ottensen ".

In his will, Heine gave his employees and bequeathed 8000 Courant Mark for the reconstruction of two churches.