Baron Jean-Conrad Hottinguer
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-born bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
er who later became a Baron of the French empire.
Early life
Since 1362, The Hottinger name has been intricately linked with the political, commercial, economic, cultural and religious life in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1401, Hans, Heinrich and Rudolf Hottinger were appointed The Burghers of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. Following his fathers footsteps in 1507, Rudolph Hottinger became a member of the Zürich grand council. In the decades that followed, the Hottinger family distinguished themselves as surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s, academics
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, and theologians
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. In 1740, Hans-Rudolph introduced the Hottinger family to the world of business and trade, although family continued to occupy important public post. However, the Hottinger family now turned most of their energy to banking.
Hans-Konrad was born in 1764, he later changed his name to Jean-Conrad. He studied finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where he took a particular interest in the emerging areas of commercial law
Commercial law
Commercial law is the body of law that governs business and commercial transactions...
s and international trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
. He became a devoted student of public borrowing in both France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Career
In 1784, Hottinguer left the city of Zürich to go pursue a business career in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Due to the work of Jean-Conrad, the name Hottinger appeared under the heading of “Bankers” in the Almanach Royal de France in 1784. During the turbulent years of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, banking and trade associations
Industry trade group
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
were closed down to be reborn later on under the Directoire
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
. Hottinguer left France during this troublesome period and traveled around Europe and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he met his future wife Martha Redwood in London, the grand daughter of the founder of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum
Redwood Library and Athenaeum
The Redwood Library and Athenaeum is a private subscription library at 50 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1747, it is the oldest community library still occupying its original building in the United States.-History:...
in Newport and married her August 24, 1793. During this time, he made an array of contacts, and set up a useful business network around the world. This resulted in a number of fruitful commercial and business relationships, including the Bishop of Autun, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
After many years of traveling, Hottinguer finally returned to France in 1796 to continue working. Business recommenced at Hottinger & Cie
Hottinger & Cie
Hottinger & Cie, founded in 1968 in Zurich, is the principal company of the Hottinger Group, it is one of the successor of the private banking firm established in Paris by Hans-Konrad Hottinger . Since its foundation in 1786 it was very active in European economic life...
in Paris once the Revolution ended. The French economy was once again able to function properly when banking and trading had resumed. Hottinger & Cie became intimately involved in financial and trade industries in France, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and many other areas of the world thanks to the work of Hottinguer.
In the late 18th century, Hottinguer was one of the French agents involved in the XYZ Affair
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a 1798 diplomatic episode during the administration of John Adams that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1798 to 1800...
, a much-publicized diplomatic scandal between France and the United States.
In the beginning 19th century, a family friend and associate, Henri Escher, established the first Hottinger representative office in America. His son, Alfred Escher, founded Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
, the Ecole Polytechnique of Zürich, and Gothard Rail Company before being made President of the national council. For his achievements, the city for Zürich recognizes him with a statue.
In 1803, Hottinguer was appointed as a founding member of The Board of Governors for The Banque de France
Banque de France
The Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
. He then went on to become a member of the general Council of trade and then president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Paris Chamber of Commerce
The Paris Chamber of Commerce is a Chamber of Commerce of the Paris region. It defends the interests of 310,000 corporations of the Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne départements that create 20% of France's GDP.The CCIP was created on February 25, 1803 by Napoléon...
. On September 19, 1810, he was made a Baron of the French empire. This hereditary title would pass to the oldest son of each generation.
Hottinger later became interested in the insurance industry. In the first year that the insurance industry was open to bankers, he created the first Compagnie Royale D`Assurances. In 1818, he joined forces with Benjamin Delessert to create the Caisse d'Epargne et de Prévoyance de Paris, this was France’s first savings bank. Jean-Conrad died in 1841 and was later succeeded by his son Jean-Henri Hottinguer.
See also House of Hottinguer and Hottinger chronology
Hottinger chronology
The name “Hottinger” first appears in the annals of the town of Zöllikon, near Zurich, in 1362. The town had recently joined the Swiss Confederation, and was poised to become a thriving center for trade. In 1401, three members of the Hottinger family were named Burghers of the city...
.