German Businessman, Banker, and Politician. Born Gustav Mevissen in Dülken, in the Krefeld region of the Rhineland, to a merchant family, he became a major businessman and banker in Cologne. He founded many companies, organizations, and banks, including the Rheinische Railway Company, the Agrippina Insurance Group (now part of Zurich Financial Services), the Darmstaeter Bank (now part of the Dresdener Bank), and the Rheinische Zeitung (newspaper), which he used to popularize his liberal, democratic politics (including publishing work by Marx and Engels). He was active in liberal German politics, and was a member of various state and national parliaments and advocated universal suffrage. In 1848 and 1849, he was a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly, the first freely elected all-German parliament, which wrote a constitution to unify the then separate German states, which came about as a result of the March Revolution in many German and Austrian states. The revolution failed as the then King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm IV refused the crown and the constitution that offered it. Maintaining his beliefs but disillusioned by the failure of the revolution, Mevissen retired from active politics, preferring to work through his business interests and within the system for the betterment of the German people. He was rewarded by being raised to the Prussian nobility in 1884, adding the "von" to his family name, was named as Privy Commercial Councilor, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bonn. In 1897, shortly before his death, he was named an Honorary Citizen of Cologne, and a city street was named after him. He was selected as one of the 124 significant citizens of Cologne honored with a statue on Cologne City Hall.
German Businessman, Banker, and Politician. Born Gustav Mevissen in Dülken, in the Krefeld region of the Rhineland, to a merchant family, he became a major businessman and banker in Cologne. He founded many companies, organizations, and banks, including the Rheinische Railway Company, the Agrippina Insurance Group (now part of Zurich Financial Services), the Darmstaeter Bank (now part of the Dresdener Bank), and the Rheinische Zeitung (newspaper), which he used to popularize his liberal, democratic politics (including publishing work by Marx and Engels). He was active in liberal German politics, and was a member of various state and national parliaments and advocated universal suffrage. In 1848 and 1849, he was a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly, the first freely elected all-German parliament, which wrote a constitution to unify the then separate German states, which came about as a result of the March Revolution in many German and Austrian states. The revolution failed as the then King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm IV refused the crown and the constitution that offered it. Maintaining his beliefs but disillusioned by the failure of the revolution, Mevissen retired from active politics, preferring to work through his business interests and within the system for the betterment of the German people. He was rewarded by being raised to the Prussian nobility in 1884, adding the "von" to his family name, was named as Privy Commercial Councilor, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bonn. In 1897, shortly before his death, he was named an Honorary Citizen of Cologne, and a city street was named after him. He was selected as one of the 124 significant citizens of Cologne honored with a statue on Cologne City Hall.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
Family Members
Spouses
Advertisement
See more von Mevissen memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
