Alexander von Stieglitz
Alexander von Stieglitz (1814–1884) was a Russian financier of Jewish descent and the first governor of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, the precursor to Russia’s central bank.
He was born in Saint Petersburg to Ludwig von Stieglitz, a banker who founded the Stieglitz and Co banking house. He studied at the University of Dorpat (now Tartu, Estonia) and began his career in the Russian Ministry of Finances, in the Manufacture Council. After his father's death, he inherited the family banking business and became the Emperor’s banker.
From 1840 to 1850, Stieglitz helped finance major projects: he sold six 4% government loans to fund the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway and secured a significant foreign loan during the Crimean War. He also owned factories in Narva and Catherinehof.
In 1846 he was elected chairman of the Exchange's committee, playing a key role in the government’s financial operations. In 1857 he co-founded the Society of the Russian Railways. In 1860 he liquidated his commercial enterprises and stepped down as chairman of the Exchange.
On 31 May 1860, Emperor Alexander II established the State Bank of the Russian Empire, and Stieglitz became its first governor. He left state service in 1866. In 1878 he funded a museum of applied arts for students of the Central School of Technical Drawing, which he had helped create earlier.
Stieglitz received several awards, including the Order of St. Stanislav (3rd degree), the Order of St. Vladimir (4th degree), and the Order of St. Anna (2nd degree).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:09 (CET).