List of Banking Families Around the World

Let's take a look at some of the most influential banking families around the world. The Rothschild family, for example, has been a major player in global finance since the 18th century.

The Rothschilds have a long history of banking expertise, with Mayer Amschel Rothschild founding the family business in Frankfurt, Germany in 1769. They have since expanded their operations to include branches in several European cities.

One of the most notable Rothschild banking operations is N M Rothschild & Sons, which was established in London in 1811 and is still active today.

In the early days of banking, Jewish families played a significant role. The first recorded Jewish banking activity dates back to the 13th century in Italy.

Many Jewish families were involved in the banking industry, with some even serving as court bankers to European monarchs. The Medici family, for example, was a powerful banking dynasty that rose to prominence in the 15th century.

The Medici family's success in banking was built on their ability to provide financial services to the wealthy and powerful. They also invested in trade and commerce, expanding their business interests across Europe.

In the Middle Ages, Jewish women also played a significant role in banking, often managing household finances and overseeing business transactions. One notable example is Esther Liebmann, a Jewish businesswoman who was known for her financial acumen.

Esther Liebmann's business skills were so impressive that she was able to accumulate a significant fortune, making her one of the wealthiest women in Berlin. Her story is a testament to the important contributions Jewish women made to the banking industry.

Jewish families continued to be prominent in banking throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The Rothschild family, for example, was a dominant force in international finance, with branches in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

The Rothschild family's success was built on their ability to provide financial services to governments and businesses around the world. They were also major investors in industries such as railroads and real estate.

In the United States, Jewish families like the Lehmans and the Kuhns also rose to prominence in banking. They established themselves as major players in the industry, with a focus on investment banking and securities trading.

The success of Jewish families in banking was often built on their ability to provide financial services to the wealthy and powerful. They were also skilled investors, with a focus on industries such as trade and commerce.

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Jewish merchants played a significant role in early European banking, particularly in the fifth century when they followed Greek and Syrian counterparts to Gaul and began trading in luxury goods and loaning money.

From the seventh century, with the disappearance of the Syrians and Greeks from Europe, Jewish merchants were able to expand their operations and become prominent lenders.

In the Rhineland, Jewish merchants settled again as they had during the Roman Empire, lending money on pledges or giving money to merchants in a commenda partnership.

Early European Merchants were a key part of the continent's economic development, and their story begins with persecution. Persecution, such as occurred in Alexandria in 414, may have contributed to the fact that Jewish merchants followed their Greek and Syrian counterparts to Gaul.

From the fifth century, Jewish merchants traded in luxury goods and loaned money, taking advantage of the absence of their Greek and Syrian counterparts. With the disappearance of the Syrians and Greeks from Europe in the seventh century, Jewish merchants were able to expand their operations.

The Merovingian kings (from 481) had a complex relationship with Jewish merchants, who possibly farmed taxes or advanced money on revenues to high officials. According to Gregory of Tours, the count of Tours and his vicar were indebted to the Jew Armentarius.

During the Carolingian period (from the mid-eighth century), Jews settled in the Rhineland again, lending money on pledges or giving money to merchants in a kind of commenda partnership. Archbishop Anno of Cologne (d. 1075), as well as Emperor Henry IV (1056–1106), borrowed money from Jews.

Jewish merchants were active in Europe from the fifth century, trading in luxury goods and loaning money, particularly in Gaul.

From the fifth century, Jewish merchants in Gaul traded in luxury goods and loaned money, following their Greek and Syrian counterparts.

The disappearance of the Syrians and Greeks from Europe in the seventh century allowed Jewish merchants to expand their business.

Jewish merchants in the Rhineland during the Carolingian period (mid-eighth century) lent money on pledges or gave money to merchants in a kind of commenda partnership.

Archbishop Anno of Cologne and Emperor Henry IV borrowed money from Jews during this time.

Jewish women played a significant role in moneylending in Europe, particularly in Northern France and England, where they were responsible for half of all loans in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In some communities in 14th-century England, women were responsible for one-third of all loans, and in Austria, women were involved in one-twentieth to one-third of loan sums.

Some women, like Licoricia of Winchester, were top-level businesswomen with loans ranging from 1,000 to 12,000 florins.

Women like Licoricia and Reynette of Koblenz used their husband's seal or had their own seals to authenticate business documents.

Some women even signed their records with their Hebrew signature, like Mirl of Friesach and Plumel of Maribor.

Women like Ricke of Frankfurt left German wills and submitted financial cases to non-Jewish courts, taking oaths as needed.

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