The Rothschild family is a European family of German Jewish origin that established European banking and finance houses from the late eighteenth century.
The Rothschild family was founded by Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the "founding father of international finance". Wanting his sons to succeed on their own and to expand the family business across Europe, he had his eldest son remain in Frankfurt, while his four other sons were sent to different European cities with the mission of establishing a financial institution to invest in business and provide banking services. Endogamy within the family was an essential part of the Rothschild strategy in order to ensure control of their wealth remained in family hands. Through their collaborative efforts, the Rothschilds rose to prominence in a variety of banking endeavours including loans, government bonds and trading in bullion. Their financing afforded investment opportunities and during the 19th century they became major stakeholders in large-scale mining and rail transport ventures that were fundamental to the rapidly expanding industrial economies of Europe.
Five lines of the Austrian branch of the family were elevated into the Austrian nobility, being given hereditary baronies of the Habsburg Empire by Emperor Francis II in 1816. The British branch of the family was elevated into the British nobility by Queen Victoria in 1855.The House of Rothschild: Money's prophets, 1798–1848, Volume 1, Niall Ferguson, 1999, introductionThe House of Rothschild: Money's prophets, 1798–1848, Volume 1, Niall Ferguson, 1999, page 481-85 Queen Victoria had initially disliked the proposal by Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone to raise Lionel de Rothschild to the peerage. However, in 1855, Victoria raised Lionel's son, Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild, to the peerage; he became the first Jewish member of the House of Lords.
This article shows the family tree of some of the prominent branches of the Rothschild family.
The founder and his children
Mayer Amschel Rothschild was born in 1744 in the ghetto in Frankfurt. At the age of 13, he went to Hanover to serve an apprenticeship with the bank of Simon Wolf Oppenheimer. At the age of 19, he returned to Frankfurt. There he joined his brother Calmann's money-changing business. He became a dealer in rare coins and won the patronage of Wilhelm IX of Hesse, gaining the title of "court factor". Rothschild's coin business expanded through the provision of banking services to Wilhelm IX. His bank became one of the biggest in Frankfurt.
He married Guttle Schnapper in 1770. With her, he had 10 children.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), banker Schönche Jeannette Rothschild (1771–1859) Amschel Mayer Rothschild (1773–1855), banker Salomon Mayer Rothschild (1774–1855), banker Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836), banker Isabella Rothschild (1781–1861) Babette Rothschild (1784–1869) Carl Mayer Rothschild (1788–1855), banker Julie Rothschild (1790–1815) Henriette Rothschild (1791–1866) James Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868), banker
Rothschild banking family of Austria
Salomon Mayer von Rothschild, the second son, went to Austria and established S M von Rothschild in Vienna. He married Caroline Stern, with whom he had two children (a daughter and a son).
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), banker Salomon Mayer von Rothschild (1774–1855), banker Anselm Salomon von Rothschild (1803–1874), banker Julie von Rothschild (1830–1907) Mathilde Hannah von Rothschild (1832–1924) Nathaniel Anselm von Rothschild (1836–1905), socialite Ferdinand James von Rothschild (1839–1898), politician and art collector Albert Salomon von Rothschild (1844–1911), banker Georg Anselm Alphonse de Rothschild (1877–1934) Alphonse Meyer de Rothschild (1878–1942) Charlotte Esther von Rothschild (1879–1885) Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild (1882–1955), banker Eugène Daniel von Rothschild (1884–1976) Valentine Noemi von Rothschild (1886–1969) Oskar von Rothschild (1888–1909) Alice Charlotte von Rothschild (1847–1922), socialite Betty Salomon de Rothschild (1805–1886)
Rothschild banking family of England
Nathan Mayer Rothschild, the third son, went to England and settled in Manchester but then moved to London. He first established a textile jobbing business in Manchester and from there went on to establish N M Rothschild & Sons in London. He married Hannah Barent Cohen in 1806, with whom he had seven children (three daughters and four sons).
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), banker Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836), banker Charlotte von Rothschild (1807–1859) Lionel de Rothschild (1808–1879), banker and politician Leonora von Rothschild (1837–1911) Evelina Gertrude de Rothschild (1839–1866), socialite Nathan Mayer Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild (1840–1915), banker and politician Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild (1868–1937), banker, politician and zoologist Charles Rothschild (1877–1923), banker and entomologist Miriam Rothschild (1908–2005), natural scientist (zoology, entomology, and botany) Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild (1910–1990), biologist Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild (1936–2024), banker Nathaniel Rothschild, 5th Baron Rothschild (1971–), financier Emma Georgina Rothschild (1948–), economic historian Amschel Mayor James Rothschild (1955–1996), banker Kate Emma Rothschild (1982–) Alice Miranda Rothschild (1983–) James Amschel Victor Rothschild (1985–) Lily Grace Victoria Rothschild (2016–) Teddy Marilyn Rothschild (2017–) Alfred Charles de Rothschild (1842–1918), banker Almina Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon (1876–1969) Leopold de Rothschild (1845–1917), banker Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1882–1942), banker and politician Edmund Leopold de Rothschild (1916–2009), banker Katherine Juliette de Rothschild (1949-) Nicolas David de Rothschild (1951-), land owner David Lionel de Rothschild (1955-), writer and photographer Charlotte Henriette de Rothschild (1955–), soprano Evelyn Achille de Rothschild (1886–1917), banker, soldier Anthony Gustav de Rothschild (1887–1961), banker Evelyn Robert de Rothschild (1931–2022), banker Jessica de Rothscild (1974-) Anthony James de Rothschild (1977–) David Mayer de Rothschild (1978–), adventurer and environmentalist Anthony Nathan de Rothschild (1810–1876), banker Nathaniel de Rothschild (1812–1870), vineyard owner (Château Mouton Rothschild) James Nathan de Rothschild (1844–1881) Henri James de Rothschild (1872–1947), playwright Philippe de Rothschild (1902–1988), race-car driver and vineyard owner (Château Mouton Rothschild) Philippine de Rothschild (1933–2014), actress and vineyard owner (Château Mouton Rothschild) (1874–1929), philanthropist, builder of Château de Montvillargenne Arthur de Rothschild (1851–1903) Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1818–1874), politician, horse breeder Hannah de Rothschild (1851–1890) (1820–1894)
Rothschild banking family of Naples
Carl Mayer von Rothschild, the fourth son, went to Naples and established C M de Rothschild & Figli. He married Adelheid Herz in 1818. With her, he had five children (a daughter and four sons), all of whom married within the family.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), banker Carl Mayer von Rothschild (1788–1855), banker Charlotte von Rothschild (1819–1884), socialite Mayer Carl von Rothschild (1820–1886) (1843–1922) Emma Louise von Rothschild (1844–1935) Clementine Henriette von Rothschild (1845–1865) Laura Thérèse von Rothschild (1847–1931) (1850–1892) Margarethe von Rothschild (1855–1905) Bertha Clara von Rothschild (1862–1903) Adolph Carl von Rothschild (1823–1900), banker Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild (1828–1901), banker Adelheid von Rothschild (1853–1935) Minna Caroline von Rothschild (1857–1903) Baron Erich Max Benedikt von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (1843–1940) Baroness Lili von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (1883–1925)
Rothschild banking family of France
James Mayer de Rothschild, the fifth son, went to France and established de Rothschild Frères in Paris. He married Betty Salomon de Rothschild, his own niece in 1824. With her, he had five children (a daughter and four sons), four of whom married within the family.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), banker James Mayer de Rothschild (1792–1868), banker and vineyard owner (Château Lafite Rothschild) Charlotte de Rothschild (1825–1899) Alphonse James de Rothschild (1827–1905), banker Bettina Caroline de Rothschild (1858–1892) Lionel James Mayer Rothschild (1861–1861) Charlotte Béatrice de Rothschild (1864–1934), socialite and art collector Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild (1868–1949), banker Édouard Alphonse Émile Lionel Rotschild (1909–2007) Guy de Rothschild (1909–2007), banker and racing team owner m. 1937 : Alix Schey von Koromla (1911–1982) David René de Rothschild (1942–), banker Alexandre de Rothschild (1980-), banker m. 1957 : Marie-Helene van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1927–1996) Édouard Etienne de Rothschild (1957–), banker Jacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild (1911–2012), chess and tennis player m. 1930 : Robert Calmann-Levy (1899–1982), publisher m. 1937 : Gregor Piatigorsky (1903–1976), cellist Jephta Piatigorsky (1937–) Joram Piatigorsky (1940–), molecular biologist Bethsabée de Rothschild (1914–1999), philanthropist Gustave de Rothschild (1829–1911) Octave de Rothschild (1860–1860) (1863–1916) Aline Caroline de Rothschild (1867–1909) Bertha Juliette de Rothschild (1870–1896) André de Rothschild (1874–1877) Robert de Rothschild (1880–1946) Diane de Rothschild (1907–1996) Nathalie Josso (1934–2022) Anka Muhlstein (1935–) Alain de Rothschild (1910–1982) Éric de Rothschild (1940–), banker and vineyard owner (Château Lafite Rothschild) Saskia de Rothschild (1987-), journalist, CEO and Chairwoman of Château Lafite Rothschild Élie de Rothschild (1917–2007), banker and vineyard owner (Château Lafite Rothschild) Nathaniel de Rothschild (1946–), banker Raphael de Rothschild (1976–2000) Esther de Rothschild (1979–) Salomon James de Rothschild (1835–1864), banker Hélène de Rothschild (1863–1947) Egmont van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890–1960) Marie-Hélène van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1927–1996) (1932–2011), horse breeder Edmond James de Rothschild (1845–1934), banker James Armand de Rothschild (1878–1957) Maurice de Rothschild (1881–1957) Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild (1926–1997), banker and vineyard owner (Château Clarke) Benjamin de Rothschild (1963–2021), banker and vineyard owner (Château Clarke)
References
External links Rothschild Archive Family tree in the website of Edmond de Rothschild Group Family tree in the website of Exbury Gardens (A famous garden in England belongs to Rothschild family) Family tree in the website of The Rothschild Foster Human Rights Trust Family tree of wine making branch of Rothschild in Family website