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Adler, David Baruch

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Danish banker and politician; born May 16, 1826, at Copenhagen; died there December 4, 1878. In 1846 he became a partner in a commission house (Martin Levin & Adler) in London, where, in 1849, he married Jenny Raphael, daughter of the banker, John Raphael. In 1850 he returned to Copenhagen and became a partner in the banking house of D. B. Adler & Company, in which position his operations were directed toward the transfer of the financial center of Jutland's monetary affairs from Hamburg to Copenhagen. This circumstance placed him in a very difficult position during the financial crisis of 1857. In acknowledgment of the support given him during this period of financial stress he established, in 1864, a fund of 20,000 kroner for widows and daughters of impoverished merchants. He was an outspoken free-trader and was one of the founders of the Free Trade Society.

Adler was a member of the administration of the Copenhagen Privatbank, 1857; of the Handelsbanken, 1876, and of several financial institutions in Jutland. After the war of 1864 he contracted for the Danish public loan through Raphael & Son in London, and, in 1868, for a Swedish public loan. As a politician, Adler belonged to the left wing of the National Liberal party, and occupied an influential position. As a member of the Danish parliament he had a seat in the Folkething, 1864-69, serving on the finance committee, on one occasion, as president. From 1869 he was member of the Landsthing. Among other public offices, he held the position of town councilor in Copenhagen, 1858-64 and 1869-72; was member of the Chamber of Commerce (Grosserer-Societetet), of which he was one of the founders, 1875-78; member of the Maritime and Commercial Court, 1862-78, and member of the Board of Representatives of the Jewish congregation in Copenhagen.

Adler's great interest in Danish art and industry made him a very active member of the committee for the decoration of the National Theater in Copenhagen and of that for Denmark's participation in the Paris Exposition, 1878. His activity in the administration of the charity organization of Copenhagen was also of great importance.