De Neufville Family

The De Neufville family built their Frankfurt connections gradually over two centuries, but their 18th-century influence was the result of networks created earlier through trade, marriage, and banking partnerships.

Arrival and Early Foundations in Frankfurt

The Frankfurt branch of the family began in the late 16th century. After religious persecution in France, the family fled to Artois (France), Antwerp or Frankfurt.

In 1573, brothers Robert and Sebastian de Neufville settled in Frankfurt-am-Main and became citizens of the city. They initially traded in Flemish cloth, which quickly made them wealthy.

During the next generation, the family expanded their trading into silk, jewels, metals and luxury goods. They also began handling bills of exchange and shipping finance, the first step toward becoming bankers.

Transition from Merchant House to Bank (17th–early 18th century)

After the Thirty Years’ War, Frankfurt’s economy was rebuilding and merchant bankers gained influence. Around 1650, brothers Peter and David de Neufville transformed the family trading firm into a banking house. By 1690, the firm operated under the name “D. & J. de Neufville” and was active in foreign exchange, merchant credit, shipping finance, and brokerage of metals and commodities.

The family also helped found the Frankfurt stock exchange (Frankfurter Börse) in 1685, placing them at the centre of the city’s financial markets.

Partnerships with Other Frankfurt Banking Families

In the 18th century, the family strengthened their Frankfurt influence through partnerships and marriage alliances. One key connection was with the banking house Johann Mertens. The two families became linked through marriage around 1607, and by 1690 the Mertens bank passed through inheritance into related Huguenot families. The intermarried networks created trust-based financial partnerships across Europe and connected the De Neufvilles to Frankfurt’s broader Huguenot merchant community, including families such as:

• de Bary family
• other Protestant merchant houses involved in exchange banking

Expansion of International Networks

By the 18th century, the De Neufville network extended far beyond Frankfurt. Family and business connections existed in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Nuremberg, and Breslau. This allowed the Frankfurt branch to function as a clearing hub for European trade finance. For example, they financed trade in Austrian steel, Hungarian copper, luxury goods and textiles, and long-distance commodity trade. Major clients included German princes and the dukes of Lorraine.

Role in Frankfurt’s Financial Ecosystem

During the 18th century, Frankfurt became a centre for private banking houses, and the De Neufvilles were among the leading firms. Their role covered currency exchange (Frankfurt’s trade fairs required complex currency conversions),credit for merchants (loans allowed merchants to finance goods months before payment), and Government lending (e.g. the family financed princely states such as those in Nassau).

Connections to Emerging Banking Dynasties

Late in the 18th century, the De Neufvilles were already part of the network that produced later famous banking houses.

One striking example: the Frankfurt bank D. & J. de Neufville lent money to the young banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who later founded the Rothschild family. This illustrates how the De Neufvilles were part of the older generation of Frankfurt merchant bankers from which later financial empires emerged.