Rothschild family

"House of Rothschild" redirects here. For the film, see The House of Rothschild.

Rothschild
Jewish noble banking family
Coat of arms granted to the Barons Rothschild in 1822 by Emperor Francis I of Austria
Current regionWestern Europe (mainly United Kingdom, France, and Germany)[1]
EtymologyRothschild (German): 'red shield'
Place of originFrankfurter Judengasse, Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire
Founded1760s (1577 (1577))
FounderElchanan Rothschild (b. 1577)
Titles
List
TraditionsGoût Rothschild
MottoConcordia, Integritas, Industria (Latin for 'Harmony, Integrity, Industry')
Estate(s)
List
Cadet branches
List
Websiterothschildarchive.org

The Rothschild family (/ˈrɒθ(s)tʃaɪld/ ROTH(S)-chylde German: [ˈʁoːt.ʃɪlt]) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish noble banking family originally from Frankfurt. The family's documented history starts in 16th century Frankfurt; its name is derived from the family house, Rothschild, built by Isaak Elchanan Bacharach in Frankfurt in 1567. The family rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire, who established his banking business in the 1760s.[2] Unlike most previous court factors, Rothschild managed to bequeath his wealth and established an international banking family through his five sons,[3] who established businesses in Paris, Frankfurt, London, Vienna, and Naples. The family was elevated to noble rank in the Holy Roman Empire and the United Kingdom.[4][5]

During the 19th century, the Rothschild family possessed the largest private fortune in the world, as well as in modern world history.[6][7][8] The family's wealth declined over the 20th century, and was divided among many descendants.[9] Today, their interests cover a diverse range of fields, including financial services, real estate, mining, energy, agriculture, winemaking, and nonprofits.[10][11] Many examples of the family's rural architecture exist across northwestern Europe. The Rothschild family has frequently been the subject of conspiracy theories, many of which have antisemitic origins.[12]

  1. ^ "Lord Rothschild: 'Investors face a geopolitical situation as dangerous as any since WW2'". Telegraph.co.uk. 4 March 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  2. ^ Elon, Amos (1996). Founder: Meyer Amschel Rothschild and His Time. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-255706-1.
  3. ^ Backhaus, Fritz (1996). "The Last of the Court Jews – Mayer Amschel Rothschild and His Sons". In Mann, Vivian B.; Cohen, Richard I. (eds.). From Court Jews to the Rothschilds: Art, Patronage, and Power 1600–1800. New York: Prestel. pp. 79–95. ISBN 978-3-7913-1624-6.
  4. ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael; Rubinstein, Hilary L. (2011). The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230304666.
  5. ^ Leeson, Robert (2014). Hayek: A Collaborative Biography: Part II, Austria, America and the Rise of Hitler, 1899-1933. Springer Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 9781137325099. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. ^ The House of Rothschild: Money's prophets, 1798–1848, Volume 1, Niall Ferguson, 1999, page 481-85
  7. ^ "The Rothschild story: A golden era ends for a secretive dynasty". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 January 2006.
  8. ^ The Secret Life of the Jazz Baroness, from The Times 11 April 2009, Rosie Boycott
  9. ^ Rothschild: a story of wealth and power, by Derek A. Wilson, (Deutsch 1988), pages 415–456
  10. ^ The Rothschilds: Portrait of a Dynasty, By Frederic Morton, page 11
  11. ^ Robert Booth (8 July 2011). "Million-pound bash for rising star of the super-rich". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference conspiracy1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).