The Rothschild family is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish noble banking family originally from Frankfurt, Germany, with documented roots dating back to the 16th century. The family name comes from the house “Rothschild,” built in Frankfurt in 1567 by Isaak Elchanan Bacharach. The rise to international prominence began with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), who worked as a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel and started his banking business in the 1760s. Unlike earlier court factors, Mayer Amschel established enduring wealth by strategically placing his five sons in key European cities—Paris, Frankfurt, London, Vienna, and Naples—to expand the family banking operations internationally.
These five sons founded separate branches of the bank, creating a multinational banking enterprise. The Rothschild family was elevated to noble status in both the Holy Roman Empire and the United Kingdom. Their coat of arms represents unity and strength, symbolized by a clenched fist holding five arrows for Mayer’s five sons. Over the 19th century, the Rothschilds amassed the largest private fortune in modern history, engaging not only in banking but also in mining, railways, and other industries critical to industrial Europe’s growth.
Today, the family’s legacy continues primarily through its French and British branches, with diversified holdings in finance, real estate, agriculture, energy, and philanthropy. The Rothschilds also played a key role in advancing Jewish civil rights in Europe and contributed significantly to charitable causes. Their story reflects a remarkable journey from the Frankfurt ghetto to one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties.