The Rothschild family /?r??s.t?a?ld/,[SUP][1][/SUP] also known as the Rothschilds, is a family descending from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a court Jew to theLandgraves of Hesse-Kassel, in the Free City of Frankfurt, who began his banking business in the 1760s.[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP] Unlike most previous court Jews, Rothschild managed to bequeath the wealth he acquired, and established an international banking dynasty through his five sons, that came even to surpass the most powerful families of the era such as the Barings and the Berenbergs.[SUP][4][/SUP][SUP][5][/SUP]
Five lines of the Austrian branch of the family have been elevated to Austrian nobility, being given five hereditary titles of Barons of the HabsburgEmpire by Emperor Francis II in 1816. Another line, of the British branch of the family, was elevated to British nobility at the request of Queen Victoria, being given the two hereditary titles of Baronet (1847) and Baron (1885).[SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][7][/SUP]
During the 19th century, when it was at its height, the Rothschild family is believed to have possessed by far the largest private fortune in the world as well as by far the largest fortune in modern world history.[SUP][7][/SUP][SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP] The family's wealth is believed to have subsequently declined, as it was divided amongst hundreds of descendants.[SUP][10][/SUP] Today, Rothschild businesses are on a far smaller scale than they were throughout the 19th century, although they encompass a diverse range of fields, including finance, mining, energy, mixed farming, wine, and charities.[SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12]
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The two most powerful families and their agenda ..
