Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Encyclopedia
Abraham Ernst Mendelssohn Bartholdy (born Abraham Mendelssohn) (Berlin
, 10 December 1776 – 19 November 1835 in Berlin) was a German Jewish banker and philanthropist
. He was the father of Felix Mendelssohn
and Fanny Mendelssohn
.
, Abraham is supposed to have complained to a friend, "Once I was the son of a famous father, now I am the father of a famous son."
By the time of Moses's death in 1786 the Mendelssohn family
was well established and wealthy. In line with Moses's ideas that German Jews should participate in German as well as Jewish culture Abraham had a liberal education. He was one of the founding members of the Jewish liberal society Gesellschaft der Freunde in 1792, but also of the Berlin Singakademie
founded in 1793. In 1796 his future wife Lea Salomon, a granddaughter of Daniel Itzig
also joined the Akademie; but they had probably met before that.
In 1797 Abraham went to study banking in Paris
at the behest of his brother Joseph, who had formed the banking house of Mendelssohn and Friedlaender in association with Daniel Itzig's grandson, Moses Friedlander. French life did not appeal to him. In 1804 Abraham married Lea in Hamburg
, where he managed an office of the family bank. Somewhere around this time he seems to have acquired from Lea's acquaintance with the musician Georg Poelchau a number of manuscripts of C. P. E. Bach (of whom Poelchau was the executor), which he gave to his aunt, the musician Sara Levy
, who subsequently donated them to the Singakademie.
In 1804, Abraham Mendelssohn became a partner in his brother Joseph's banking company. The cooperation lasted until 1822. The private bank which later was renamed into Mendelssohn & Co., existed on the Jägerstraße in Berlin
from 1815 until the end of 1938, when it was liquidated under Nazi pressure.
, who in 1801 had taken over the direction of the Singakademie. He later engaged the pianist Ignaz Moscheles
to give his children some lessons, and this led to a lasting association between Moscheles and the family. When Felix made his first visit to England in 1829 Abraham entrusted him to Moscheles's care; and when Abraham himself later visited London he stayed with Moscheles. The Mendelssohn household in Berlin was often the setting for concerts and at many of these semi-domestic occasions the early music of Felix was performed and Felix and Fanny themselves played.
Abraham and Lea had two other children: Rebecka (b. 1811), who married the mathematician Dirichlet
and the banker Paul
(b. 1812). In 1825 Abraham was elected a town councillor in Berlin.
Abraham and his wife are buried close to three of their children and their graves are preserved in the Trinity Church Cemetery No. 1 in Berlin.
to change his surname. Jakob had adopted the name Bartholdy after a property which he had acquired, and Abraham, too, chose to take this name. As he was to write later to Felix, (urging his son to drop the Mendelssohn name and use only Bartholdy), because of the fame of Moses Mendelssohn ´there can no more be a Christian Mendelssohn than there can be a Jewish Confucius´ . (Despite this, Felix continued to use both names himself, and his public tended to use only 'Mendelssohn'). Abraham's children were brought up at first without any religious education; they were baptised
in 1816, and Abraham and Lea were baptised on 4 October 1822 in Frankfurt am Main, that is, well away from their friends and relatives in Berlin.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 10 December 1776 – 19 November 1835 in Berlin) was a German Jewish banker and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He was the father of Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
and Fanny Mendelssohn
Fanny Mendelssohn
Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn , later Fanny Hensel, was a German pianist and composer, the sister of the composer Felix Mendelssohn and granddaughter of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn...
.
Early life
Son of the philosopher Moses MendelssohnMoses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
, Abraham is supposed to have complained to a friend, "Once I was the son of a famous father, now I am the father of a famous son."
By the time of Moses's death in 1786 the Mendelssohn family
Mendelssohn family
The Mendelssohn family are the descendants of the German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, and include his grandson, the composer Felix Mendelssohn....
was well established and wealthy. In line with Moses's ideas that German Jews should participate in German as well as Jewish culture Abraham had a liberal education. He was one of the founding members of the Jewish liberal society Gesellschaft der Freunde in 1792, but also of the Berlin Singakademie
Berlin Singakademie
The Sing-Akademie zu Berlin is a musical society founded in Berlin in 1791 by Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, harpsichordist to the court of Prussia, on the model of the 18th century London Academy of Ancient Music.-Early history:...
founded in 1793. In 1796 his future wife Lea Salomon, a granddaughter of Daniel Itzig
Daniel Itzig
Daniel Itzig was a Court Jew of Kings Frederick II the Great and Frederick William II of Prussia....
also joined the Akademie; but they had probably met before that.
In 1797 Abraham went to study banking in Paris
Paris
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...
at the behest of his brother Joseph, who had formed the banking house of Mendelssohn and Friedlaender in association with Daniel Itzig's grandson, Moses Friedlander. French life did not appeal to him. In 1804 Abraham married Lea in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, where he managed an office of the family bank. Somewhere around this time he seems to have acquired from Lea's acquaintance with the musician Georg Poelchau a number of manuscripts of C. P. E. Bach (of whom Poelchau was the executor), which he gave to his aunt, the musician Sara Levy
Itzig family
Many of the thirteen children of Daniel Itzig and Miriam Wulff, and their descendants and spouses, had significant impact on both Jewish and German social and cultural history...
, who subsequently donated them to the Singakademie.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1815 until the end of 1938, when it was liquidated under Nazi pressure.
Life in Berlin
In 1811 the French occupation of Hamburg and decline of trade caused Abraham and his family to return to Berlin. Both Felix and his elder sister Fanny, born 1805, showed signs of remarkable musical talent and this was encouraged in both of them, although Abraham felt, conventionally, that whilst it might lead to a career for Felix it could only be a pastime for Fanny. He entrusted Felix to the tuition of Carl Friedrich ZelterCarl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music.Zelter became friendly with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and his works include settings of Goethe's poems...
, who in 1801 had taken over the direction of the Singakademie. He later engaged the pianist Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles was a Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso, whose career after his early years was based initially in London, and later at Leipzig, where he succeeded his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as head of the Conservatoire.-Sources:Much of what we know about Moscheles's life...
to give his children some lessons, and this led to a lasting association between Moscheles and the family. When Felix made his first visit to England in 1829 Abraham entrusted him to Moscheles's care; and when Abraham himself later visited London he stayed with Moscheles. The Mendelssohn household in Berlin was often the setting for concerts and at many of these semi-domestic occasions the early music of Felix was performed and Felix and Fanny themselves played.
Abraham and Lea had two other children: Rebecka (b. 1811), who married the mathematician Dirichlet
Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet
Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet was a German mathematician with deep contributions to number theory , as well as to the theory of Fourier series and other topics in mathematical analysis; he is credited with being one of the first mathematicians to give the modern formal definition of a...
and the banker Paul
Paul Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Paul Mendelssohn Bartholdy was a German chemist and a pioneer in the manufacture of aniline dye. He co-founded the Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation , a German chemical company.-Life:...
(b. 1812). In 1825 Abraham was elected a town councillor in Berlin.
Attitude to Judaism
Abraham took an uncompromising attitude towards his Jewish origins. He felt that the day of Judaism was over and that it was necessary to take practical steps to assimilate with German society. To this end he and Lea took the (then) daring decision not to have their sons Felix and Paul circumcised after their births in 1809 and 1812 respectively, although this led to arguments with Lea's mother. He further took the advice of Lea's brother JakobJakob Salomon Bartholdy
Jakob Salomon Bartholdy was a Prussian diplomat, born Jakob Salomon in Berlin of Jewish parentage, and educated at the University of Halle...
to change his surname. Jakob had adopted the name Bartholdy after a property which he had acquired, and Abraham, too, chose to take this name. As he was to write later to Felix, (urging his son to drop the Mendelssohn name and use only Bartholdy), because of the fame of Moses Mendelssohn ´there can no more be a Christian Mendelssohn than there can be a Jewish Confucius´ . (Despite this, Felix continued to use both names himself, and his public tended to use only 'Mendelssohn'). Abraham's children were brought up at first without any religious education; they were baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in 1816, and Abraham and Lea were baptised on 4 October 1822 in Frankfurt am Main, that is, well away from their friends and relatives in Berlin.