The Rothschild family is arguably the most famous European banking dynasty in modern history.
In the late 18th century, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the family patriarch, founded his first banking house in the German town of Frankfurt. His sons expanded the bank into a multinational enterprise, and, with their newfound wealth, the Rothschilds were able to influence their local economies.
However, the Rothschild family’s rapid accumulation of wealth and power was met with one odious reaction: rampant anti-Semitism.
As a Jewish family, the Rothschilds have been targeted by conspiracy theorists as a prime example of Jews allegedly using their money to control global financial institutions.
These claims have been roundly condemned and proven false, but they continue to persist.
What are the origins of the anti-Semitism directed at the Rothschild family, and how have these conspiracy theories resurfaced in the 21st century?
