FORTUNES OF GERMANS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 15 August 1929, Page 8

FORTUNES OF GERMANS.

SHOW RECORD GAINS IN FIVE YEARS.

In the midst, of Ike discussion of Germany's capacity to pay the reparations recommended a! Paris, Rudolf Martin, writing in “ West ermanu : -s Monthly.’’ a widely read periodical, emphasises that in Ihe five years just, past the weallli of the German people has increased as perhaps never before in a similar period, writes the Berlin correspondent of the “S San Francisco Chronicle. .Just before the World War -there were, he -says, 15,547 mark millionaires in Germany. In lim’d, after the inflation period, the number had dwindled to 3017. But in 1928 that number had been doubled, and -lie predicts that if no -catastrophe -occurs the millionaires will be as numerous in 1933 as they were before the war. These -conclusions followed a survey of big individual fortunes, which revealed flic former Emperor. Wilhelm Hohenzollorn, as what lie was in 1914. the wealthiest man in the Fatherland. ■Not being allowed to reside in his own country. lie maintains a. H-obcnzollcrn family administration in Berlin to manage his fortune. The ex-Kaiser's wealth to-dav is

placed at 430,00ft,000 marks (about £20,(540,000), of which roughly 200,000,000 marks is represented by landed I property. This category includes 81 castles, situated in Pomerania, Saxony. Silesia, West, Prussia and SchleswigHolstein. That was the nominal real estate value in 1925, when -the final settlement was made by the Prussian State with, the 'Hohcnzollcrns. But since muck of the royal domains consists -of well-matured woodland and wood -has gone up tremendously in price in the last few years, it, is estimated that t-he estates, if sold to-day. would reach at least 500,000,000 marks, or £24,000,000.

Of the rest of the Hohenzollorn family, the ex-Crown Prince "William alone is a big landowner in his own right. He possesses besides other realty the 25,000-acre estate, of Gels in Silesia, estimated to be worth 0.720.000 dollars (£1,344,000).

After the ex-Kaiser came the late Hugo Stiimes, whose wealth, estimated at 100.000,000 marks, is now scattered. His place is taken by Frau Bertha Ivru-pp von Bolilen and Halbnch. whose fortune is said to have been reached •pre-war figures of more than 72,000,000 dollars (£14,400,000).

The Prince of Thurn and -Taxis is war Hi -15,000,000 dollars (£9,000,000). while fortunes of around 24,000,000 -dollars (£4,8001000) are those -of Prince Hohcnlolic-Oehringcn, Prince a Fuersteinlberg, and Prince Henkel von Donncrsinarck. Big landowners, bankers, and industrialists have -suffered least by the havoc of war and inflation, according fo' Martin. Brewers and big newspaper owners have lost little, if anything, while the -chief' proprietors of the big department stores of Werthoim, Teitz, and Knrsbadt are all richer than in

1914. The Blciehroders. Mendelssohns, pppeitheims. Warburgs and Goidseh mist-Rothschilds have made more money in banking than they ever did in pre-war times.

As for Hie industrial magnates. Fritz Thyssen is said to be worth -today as much as his father was before the war. His annual income is estimated at 3.000,000 marks (about £144,000), -which is about the highest personal cash income in Germany. Another big income is that of -Hr. ICarl Bosch, president of the German Bve Trust. 2,000.000 marks annually, equivalent -to £96.000. The brothers Carl and Arthur von Weinberg, who are also in the chemical industry and whose racing stable® are •probably the finest in 'Germany, enjoy similar incomes, as does Hr. Ivarl Duis-

berg, an industrial magnate or '-Lever la; sen.