Alfred Beit
The Hamburg Diamond King

Alfred Beit
The Hamburg Diamond King

Authors

Henning Albrecht

Keywords

Hamburg, diamond dealing, patron, Cecil Rhodes, The Patrons of Science

Synopsis

Alfred Beit (1853–1906) has been called a financial genius. When he went to South Africa in 1875, no one could imagine that the son of converted Hamburg Jews would soon become one of the richest men of his time – thanks to the diamonds of Kimberley and the gold of the Witwatersrand. As a co-founder of De Beers Ltd. and close friend of Cecil Rhodes, the charismatic promoter of British imperialism in southern Africa, Alfred Beit became one of the colonial fathers of Rhodesia. A British subject from 1898, he tried to mediate politically in the conflicts that developed between Germany and Britain with their respective empires, but failed to achieve a reconciliation between the two powers. Alfred Beit was himself a very prominent art collector and throughout his career he generously supported countless nonprofit-making institutions. The Hamburg Scientific Foundation itself owes its founding to one of his major donations. Beit’s will passed on his wealth to a trust, which has financed development aid projects since 1906. This is the first comprehensive biography of this outstanding businessman, art collector and internationally active philanthropist.

Other Editions

1. Ausgabe (2011): ISBN 978-3-937816-82-1, URN urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-3-1073

2. Ausgabe (2015): ISBN 978-3-937816-82-1, DOI 10.15460/HUP.MFW.9.174

Published

05.11.2012

Printed Version

ISBN: 978-3-943423-01-3

148 pages, 68 fig., hardback,
size: 155 x 220 mm, 27,80 €

Language(s)

english

Series

Mäzene für Wissenschaft , Bd. 9, ISSN (online): 2627-8987, ISSN (print): 1864-3248

Copyright (c) 2012 Henning Albrecht

How to Cite

Albrecht, H. (2012). Alfred Beit: The Hamburg Diamond King (Vols. 9). Hamburg University Press. https://doi.org/10.15460/HUP.MFW.9en.127