- Baron Bernhard von Eskeles
Baron Bernhard von Eskeles (German: "Bernhard
Freiherr von Eskeles") (February 12 ,1753 ,Vienna -August 7 ,1839 ,Hietzing (now Vienna)) was an Austrianbanker /financier .He was the posthumous son of
Rabbi Berush Eskeles [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=469&letter=E JewishEncyclopedia.com - ESKELES, ISSACHAR BERUSH: ] ] , son of the Polish-Moravian Rabbi Gabriel Eskeles. At an early age he went toAmsterdam , where he entered a commercial house, of which he became manager at the age of 17, but met with reverses, and lost the fortune which his father had left to him.In 1774 he returned to Vienna, married Caecilie (Zipperche) a daughter of
Daniel Itzig ofBerlin , and entered the business of his brother-in-law Nathan Arnstein, with whom he established thebank ing-house of "Arnstein and Eskeles", which came into great prominence during theCongress of Vienna . At this period Eskeles's drawing-room was the rendezvous of men likeTalleyrand ,Wellington ,Castlereagh ,Hardenberg , and Theodor Körner. Eskeles's name is often mentioned in the memoirs of this time. His advice in financial matters was frequently sought by Joseph II, and later by Francis I, who entrusted him with many important missions to foreign countries. He was sent toParis andHolland in 1810. Eskeles was the founder of theAustrian National Bank (1816), and its director for 23 years. He was raised to the Austriannobility in 1797, and became a "knight " in 1811, and a "baron " in 1822.Eskeles took little interest in
Jewish affairs, and during his short term of office as representative of the Jewish community new and vexatious measures were introduced which, according to his contemporaries, he might have prevented had he used his influence. He was, however, the founder of several charitable institutions. He also established, with an initial contribution of 50,000 gulden, a fund for the maintenance of poor students. His two children, a son, Denis, Baron de Eskeles (1803-1876), and a daughter, Countess ofWimpfen , deserted the Jewish faith. Denis, who succeeded his father in the management of the banking-house, married Wilhelmina, Baroness Brentano-Cimaroli, and by his death the male line of the house became extinct.ee also
Itzig family References
*JewishEncyclopedia|Eskeles Bernhard ( [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=467&letter=E] ) byIsidore Singer andGotthard Deutsch
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