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Julius Baer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Julius Baer
Swiss passport photo of Julius Baer issued in 1920
Founder and president of Julius Baer Group
In office
1890 – 1922 (his death)
Personal details
Born
Isaac Baer

(1857-01-02)January 2, 1857
Heidelsheim, Kingdom of Württemberg
DiedMarch 9, 1922(1922-03-09) (aged 65)
Riehen, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
CitizenshipGerman (1857–1907)
Swiss (1907–1922)
Spouse
Marie Ulrich
(m. 1891)
Children3
OccupationBanker and businessman

Julius Baer ( Isaac Baer; born January 2, 1857 – March 9, 1922) was a Kingdom of Württemberg-born Swiss banker, businessman and philanthropist. Baer was the founder and namesake of Julius Baer Group, and the patriarch of the Baer family.[1]

Early life and education

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Baer was born in Heidelsheim (today part of Bruchsal), Kingdom of Württemberg to Joseph (1816–1891) and Rosina (née Dreyfuss; 1819–1907) Baer, into a Jewish family. His father worked as private money lender and merchant of animal skins, while his mother was a homemaker. He was the second youngest of five siblings. Baer was educated at the Jewish School of Heidelsheim and completed a banking apprenticeship at Bankhaus August Gerstle in Augsburg from 1883 to 1885.[2]

Career

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In 1886, he became a partner in the private bank Samuel Dukas & Co. in Basel, Switzerland. A position he continued to hold until 1896, when he was deployed by his brother-in-law Ludwig Hirschhorn, to Zürich. He became a partner in Bank Hirschhorn, Uhl & Bär, which existed since 1890, and is the ultimate predecessor of today's Julius Baer Group. Since 1901, the bank bore only his name, and was known as Julius Bär & Co., which became one of the leading Swiss private banks.[2][3]

He was on several board of directors including Lake Thun railway line, Südostbahn and Oerlikon-Bührle (1908–1922).

Family

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In 1891, he married Marie Ulrich (1869–1917),[4][page needed] with whom he had three sons;

  • Richard Josef Baer (1892–1940),[5] mathematician and physicist

His grandson, Hans J. Baer (1927–2011),[7][8] was a long-term executive director and president of Julius Baer, who became known through his involvement as a mediator in retrieving Jewish funds in the Volcker Commission in the 1990s.[9]

Literature

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References

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  1. ^ History of Julius Baer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv2ceV9N_hc
  2. ^ a b c Müller, Ueli (31 January 2018). "Bär, Julius". Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS) (in German). Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  3. ^ "History". Julius Baer International. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Neue Zürcher Zeitung 25. Mai 1917 Ausgabe 09 — e-newspaperarchives.ch". www.e-newspaperarchives.ch (in German). Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Richard Bär", Wikipedia (in German), 19 July 2021, retrieved 15 February 2023
  6. ^ Death Notice of Werner Baer (NZZ, 1960) https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=DBB19600204-02.2.21.15.5&srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN-Werner+Baer-------0-----
  7. ^ "In memoriam: Hans J. Baer '47 '97H". Lehigh University. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  8. ^ "April 2008". www.leadersmag.com. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  9. ^ Tagliabue, John (1 January 1998). "A Human Face for Swiss Banks; Unlikely Mediator for Dispute Over Jewish Assets". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 February 2023.