Heine, Solomon
HEINE, SOLOMON
HEINE, SOLOMON (1766–1844), German banker and philanthropist. Heine was born in Hanover, but moved to Hamburg where he opened a successful banking house. After the crisis of 1825 and the great fire of 1842 Heine, the only banker in Hamburg, continued to discount legitimate bills at the usual rate of 4% thus saving the credit of the city's trading community. Despite this public service, a substantial subscription to the city's rehabilitation loan, and numerous charitable contributions, including the establishment of Hamburg's Jewish hospital, he was refused citizenship and denied admission to the Chamber of Commerce. Heine made a provision that gentiles could use the hospital when civil rights were granted to the Jews of Hamburg, a condition fulfilled in 1864. His heirs moved the bank to Paris where it became one of the leading financial institutions. He was the uncle of Heinrich *Heine, whom he supported with an annual subsidy in his Paris period.
bibliography:
E. Lueth, Der Bankier und der Dichter… (1964); A. Landsberg, in: ylbi, 1 (1956), 360–9; G. Wilhelm (ed.), Heine Bibliographie, 2 (1960), index; F. Kramer and E. Lueth, Salomon Heine und seine Zeit (1968).
[Joachim O. Ronall]