Robert de Rothschild
Robert Philippe Gustave de Rothschild (19 January 1880 – 25 December 1946) was a French banker, philanthropist and polo player.
Robert de Rothschild | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Robert Philippe Gustave de Rothschild 19 January 1880 Paris, France |
| Died | 25 December 1946 (aged 66) Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, philanthropist, polo player |
| Title | Baron |
| Spouse |
Gabrielle Nelly Régine Beer
(m. 1907) |
| Children | Diane de Rothschild (b. 1907) Alain de Rothschild (b. 1910) Cécile de Rothschild (b. 1913) Élie de Rothschild (b. 1917) |
| Parent(s) | Gustave de Rothschild Cécile Anspach |
| Relatives | James Mayer de Rothschild (paternal grandfather) Guy de Rothschild (nephew) |
Early life
Robert de Rothschild was born on 19 January 1880 in Paris, France.[1] His father, Baron Gustave de Rothschild, was a banker. His mother was Cécile Anspach.
Career
He was a banker.
During World War II, he was on the Nazi blacklist.[2] Moreover, his French citizenship was nullified by the Vichy government because he was Jewish.[2] He escaped to England and emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City in August 1940.[2] He stayed there for five years, throughout the war years.[2]
Philanthropy
He supported Jewish causes in France, and later New York City.[2] After the war, he supported efforts to revive Jewish life in France.[2]
Polo
He was a four-goal polo player.[3] He was the founder of the Deauville International Polo Club in 1907.[4] He organized the Laversine Open Polo Cup on the grounds of his chateau in Saint-Maximin. He also organized tournaments in Apremont in 1920.[5] By 1995, Apremont was home to the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly.[5]
He won the International Paris Tournament in 1907 and the Paris Open in 1920.[3]
Personal life
He married Gabrielle Nelly Régine Beer on 6 March 1907. They resided at the Château de Laversine. They had two sons and two daughters:[2]
- Diane Cécile Alice Juliette de Rothschild (1907–1996), married to Anatol Mühlstein (m. 1932), and Joseph Benvenuti (m. 1952)
- James Gustave Jules Alain de Rothschild (1910–1982), married Mary Chauvin du Treuil (m. 1938)
- Cécile Léonie Eugénie Gudule Lucie de Rothschild (1913–1995)
- Élie Robert de Rothschild (1917–2007), married to Liliane Fould-Springer (m. 1942)
During the war, his two sons were captured by the Nazis.[2]
Death
He died of pneumonia on Christmas Day, 25 December 1946 in Lausanne, Switzerland at age 66.[2][6]
References
- Robert de Rothschild, Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Baron Robert De Rothschild Dies at 66; Spent War Years in the United States, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 27, 1946
- Horace A. Laffaye, The Polo Encyclopedia, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2004, p. 322
- Deauville International Polo Club: Le Club: 120 ans de polo à Deauville.
- Le Polo Club de Chantilly : un Site Historique
- "Baron Rothschild Of Banking Family. Robert, a Member of the Paris Branch, Dies in Lausanne. Had Spent Exile Here". New York Times. December 26, 1946. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
Robert, Baron de Rothschild, retired member of the Paris banking family, died in Lausanne, Switzerland, today after a long illness, it was learned here tonight. His age was 66.