Albert von Rothschild (1844-1911) banker in Austria-Hungary - Autograph signed letter with printed gilden crown and initials - dated Paris, 2nd October 1900 Albert Salomon Anselm Freiherr von Rothschild (29 October 1844 – 11 February 1911) was a banker in Austria-Hungary and a member of the Rothschild banking family of Austria. Businesses that he owned included Creditanstalt and the Northern Railway. Rothschild was born in Vienna on 29 October 1844. He was the youngest son of Anselm von Rothschild (1803–1874) and Charlotte von Rothschild (1807–1859). After his father fell ill in 1866, Albert took over as head of the Rothschild family business in Austria. Upon his father's death in 1874, Albert's elder brothers Nathaniel and Ferdinand inherited most of their parent's real estate and art collection. The family business, however, passed to Albert including the S M von Rothschild bank, the single largest shareholding in the Creditanstalt, and the shares in the Northern Railway. After two generations in Austria, communications between his family and the Rothschilds in England had diminished considerably but Albert wisely reinstated the regular exchange of vital information on current economic matters and politics in their respective countries. Rothschild owned several large properties including the Palais Albert Rothschild at Prinz-Eugen-Straße 20–22, in the 4th Wieden district of Vienna, designed by the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur and built between 1876 and 1882. When his unmarried and childless brother Nathaniel died in 1905, Albert inherited his Palais Nathaniel Rothschild at 14-16 Theresianumgasse in Vienna along with its large collection of art. He also continued the family's involvement in the arts and with philanthropic projects. He was a chess patron who helped to finance the Vienna tournaments of 1873, 1882, 1898, 1903 (Gambit) and 1908. He was also President of the Vienna Chess Association 1872–1883 and a strong amateur player. He took a special interest in institutions that provided assistance to Jewish artists and musicians. Albert was awarded the Iron Cross of Merit in 1893 for his role in Austro-Hungarian monetary reform. #C213 Provenance: Untouched private collection, circa 1900. Mounted on a 19th-century album leaf (can be easily disassembled). L'âge et l'origine sont garantis