Conrad Kersten

Conrad Kersten (sometimes written as Konrad Kersten ) (born March 4, 1683 in Spangenberg ; † April 12, 1759 in Elberfeld ) was a co-founder of the first Elberfeld banking house Gebrüder Kersten .

Conrad Kersten immigrated from Spangenberg to Elberfeld in 1722 and ran a trading business with, among other things, yarn, linen ribbon and colonial goods. On August 30, 1711, he married Anna Christina Teschemacher, the daughter of Kaspar Teschemacher , who came from an influential Elberfeld family that provided several mayors. He thus belonged to the upper class of society. In 1735 Kersten returned to Spangenberg - presumably because his business collapsed - and tried to start a new life there. Due to lack of success, he moved back to Elberfeld in 1746 and founded a new business. He mainly traded in raisins, cinnamon, coffee, oil, oil and soap.

The company was taken over by his two sons Abraham Kersten and Caspar Kersten (1734–1808) under the name of Gebrüder Kersten on October 1, 1754. While trading in goods of all kinds was initially in the foreground, the focus gradually shifted to financial transactions, for example trading in bills of exchange. From around 1780, the financial affairs were the more important part of the business. Conrad Kersten had gradually retired from the business for years and died a few years later. In 1827 Gebr. Kersten was renamed Bankhaus von der Heydt-Kersten & Sons .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Konrad Kersten
2. ↑ Konrad Kersten, Notes
3. ↑ Kaspar Teschemacher himself was mayor of Elberfeld in 1720 and later city judge.
4. ^ Wolfgang Stock: Wuppertal street names . Thales Verlag, Essen-Werden 2002, ISBN 3-88908-481-8

literature

• Detlef Krause, yarn, money and bills of exchange. 250 years of Heydt-Kersten and Sons , Wuppertal 2004