Adolph Salomonsohn

Adolph Salomonsohn (19 March 1831 – 4 January 1919) was a German lawyer and banker. He was a proprietor of the Disconto-Gesellschaft and influenced the establishment of the stock market in Germany.

Biography[]

Salomonsohn was born in Inowrazlaw, Prussian Province of Posen (now Inowrocław, Poland) to Gedalia Salomonsen (1799–1837), a merchant born in Copenhagen, and Ernestine (née Levy, 1801–67), a native of Inowrazlaw. His grandfather, Salomon Abraham Gedalia (1776–1844), was a rabbi in Copenhagen.^[1][2]

Salomonson attended school in Bromberg (Bydgoszcz). After studying law he worked at the local court in Berlin. He rejected David Hansemann's offer to work for the Disconto-Gesellschaft in Berlin and instead started to practice as a lawyer and notary in Ratibor (Racibórz). After being publicly insulted by the Prussian minister of justice, Leopold zur Lippe-Biesterfeld-Weißenfeld, Salomonsohn closed his law office to return to Berlin and started to work for the Disconto-Gesellschaft in 1863. He was given procuration in 1866 and became proprietor in 1869.^[1][3]

In 1868 he married Sara Rinkel (1851–1929) from Landeshut, Silesia (Kamienna Góra); they had three daughters and one son, Georg (1869–1957), who also became a banker.^[1] His nephew was German banker .

Next to Adolph von Hansemann Salomonsohn was influential in the nascent stock market activities in German banking. He was especially active in the funding of the Gotthard railway and remained a member of the administrative board of the Gotthard railway society until 1909. Salomonsohn was also a member of the administrative board of the Norddeutsche Bank, the "Union AG für Bergbau" (Dortmund), the potash works Aschersleben and the "Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-AG", whose director Emil Kirdorf was a close friend.^[1]

Salomonsohn retired from the active management of the Disconto-Gesellschaft in 1888 but remained a member of the supervisory board until his death on 4 January 1919 in Berlin.^[1]

References[]