Bernhard von Eskeles

Who was Bernhard von Eskeles?

Bernhard, Knight and Baron von Eskeles was an Austrian-Jewish banker/financier and Court Jew.

He was born Bernhard Eskeles, the posthumous son of Rabbi Issachar Berush Eskeles, son of the Polish-Moravian Rabbi Gabriel Eskeles. At an early age he went to Amsterdam, 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 Itzig, a daughter of Daniel Itzig of Berlin, and joined in partnership and entered the business of his brother-in-law Nathan Arnstein, with whom he established the banking-house of Arnstein and Eskeles, which came into great prominence during the Congress of Vienna. They were patrons of Mozart and also of Ignaz Moscheles who gave piano lessons to Caecilie. At this period Eskeles's drawing-room was the rendezvous of men like Talleyrand, 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 Emperors Joseph II, and later by Francis II and I, who entrusted him with many important missions to foreign countries. He was sent to Paris and Holland in 1810. Eskeles was the founder of the Austrian National Bank, and its director for 23 years. He was raised to the Austrian nobility in 1797, and became a knight in 1811, and a baron in 1822.