Fritz Mannheimer

Fritz Sjölin Mannheimer (19 September 1890 – 9 August 1939) was a German-born and, from 1936, Dutch banker and art collector who was the director of the Amsterdam branch of the Berlin-based investment bank Mendelssohn & Co. that was for some time the main supporter of the Dutch capital market. Known as the "King of Flying Capital", he was one of the main organisers of credit for post-war Germany. His international financial work brought him recognition, such as being awarded Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur. His collection was bought by Hitler in 1941, but it was returned to the Netherlands after the war.

Birth and youth

Born in to a Jewish family in Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany, he was a son of Max Mannheimer, a wine merchant, and his wife, Lili Sara Fränkel. He attended the University of Heidelberg where he obtained a PhD in law and became a Dutch citizen in 1936.

Career and lifestyle

According to an obituary of the banker published in the 21 August 1939 edition of Time: