The Rothschild Family Tree
Germany, 1829
Print, hand-painted
Courtesy of Leonid and Tatiana Nevzlin
The Rothschild family tree begins with Amschel (Anschel) Moses
Rothschild and his wife Gitel. Under them are their four children:
their daughter Gutelche and the sons Meir Amschel, Kalman, Amschel, and Moses Amschel. Meir Amschel (1744-1812) founded the family’s European banking dynasty in the late 18th century and sent his five children to establish roots in important European financial centers.
Must Know
During the 19th century the Rothschild family possessed the largest private fortune in the world, holding an important position of power within the world’s economy. Through his sons, Mayer Amschel Rothschild was able to establish an international banking business by sending each of his sons to a different European capital (London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna and Naples). Additionally to being financially successful, the family also gained noble ranks. All five of Mayer Amschel Rothschild’s sons became Austrian nobility by Emperor Francis I of Austria and in 1822 eventually became barons.
Many members of the Rothschild family were big supporters of zionism and the creation of a Jewish state. Seeing as they held positions of power in the financial as well as political sphere across Europe, the Rothschild family was an important player within the creation of Israel. Alphonse Rothschild, who took over management of the family bank from 1868, was the most active supporter of Jewish solidarity and the Jewish state.
