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Johann Philipp Bethmann (30 November 1715 in Nassau, northwest of Frankfurt am Main – 27 November 1793 in Frankfurt am Main) was a German merchant and banker.


Life

Bethmann was the oldest son of the Nassovian administrator ''Simon Moritz Bethmann'' (1687–1725). Johann Philipp apprenticed in a trading enterprise in Leipzig from 1730 to 1735, then worked in Nantes and later for his uncle ''Jakob Adami''. In 1746 he and his youngest brother Simon Moritz each paid 800 guldens to purchase citizenship in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. Their brother Johann Jakob carried on the family name in Bordeaux, where he became a merchant and shipowner. Following the death of their uncle in 1745 the brothers inherited half of his fortune. In 1746 they assumed control of the trading enterprise ''Jacob Adami'', which became the ''Gebrüder Bethmann'' bank in 1748. In 1762 they purchased the ''Basler Hof'' mansion and premises from the Patrizier ''Johann Friedrich Maximilian von Stalburg'', which Johann Philipp expanded with further acquisitions in 1787/88. In 1762 Johann Philipp married Katharina Margarethe Schaaf (1741–1822). He was elected a member and in 1785 director of the "College of the 51", i.e., the body of delegates to the Frankfurt city council. In 1786 he was appointed by
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...
, who had the House of Bethmann underwrite most of his bond issues, to the office of "imperial counselor" (''Wirklicher Kaiserlicher Rat''). After his death in 1793 his only son Simon Moritz continued as head of the bank.


Bibliography

* Claus Helbing: ''Die Bethmanns. Aus der Geschichte eines alten Handelshauses zu Frankfurt am Main'', Gericke (publishers), Wiesbaden 1948. * Wolfgang Klötzer (ed.): ''Frankfurter Biographie. Erster Band A-L'', Frankfurt am Main, Waldemar Kramer (publishers), 1994,


See also

*
Bethmann family The Bethmann family (; ) has been remarkable for the high proportion of its male members who succeeded at mercantile or financial endeavors. This family trait began in medieval northern Germany and continued with the Bethmann bank, which Johann P ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethmann, Johann Philipp German bankers 1715 births 1793 deaths Johann Philipp