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Gustav von Mevissen

1815 – 1899

German businessman and politician

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About Gustav von Mevissen

Lived 1815 – 1899 (aged 84). Gustav von Mevissen was a German merchant, entrepreneur, banker, politician, patron of the arts and autodidact.

Gustav Mevissen, after 1884 known as Gustav von Mevissen, (20 May 1815 – 13 August 1899), was a German businessman and politician.

Mevissen was born in Dülken, Rhine Province to a Catholic merchant family. He started by investing in textile industry and later in railway construction and heavy industry. He founded numerous banks, including the Darmstädter Bank, and insurance companies. He is considered a pioneer of the German credit and insurance industry.

As a politician he was a leading representative of Rhineland liberalism and he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Rhine Province, the Vereinigter Landtag, the Frankfurt Parliament. From 1866 he was a member of the Prussian House of Lords. He died in Bad Godesberg.

In 1879, on the golden wedding anniversary of the Kaiser, Mevissen set aside railway shares worth approximately 200,000 marks to establish a commercial college in Cologne.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium, Dreikönigsgymnasium, Gymnasium Kreuzgasse
Positions held
Member of the Prussian House of Lords, Member of the Frankfurt Parliament, President, Member of parliament
Awards
Order of the Red Eagle 2nd Class; Commander's Cross of the Order of the Crown of Prussia; Knight of the Legion of Honour; Honorary doctor of the University of Bonn; Honorary citizen of Cologne; Ennoblement
Also known as
Gustav Mevissen

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gustav von Mevissen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Gustav von Mevissen?

German businessman and politician (1815-1899)

When was Gustav von Mevissen born?

Gustav von Mevissen was born on 20 May 1815 in Dülken.

When did Gustav von Mevissen die?

Gustav von Mevissen died on 13 August 1899 in Bad Godesberg.

What was Gustav von Mevissen's occupation?

Gustav von Mevissen was a merchant, entrepreneur, banker, politician, patron of the arts and autodidact.

What nationality was Gustav von Mevissen?

Gustav von Mevissen was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gustav von Mevissen

· Wikidata: Q107795

· DBpedia: Gustav von Mevissen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gustav von Mevissen. https://biography.guide/gustav-von-mevissen/

MLA: "Gustav von Mevissen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gustav-von-mevissen/.

Chicago: "Gustav von Mevissen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gustav-von-mevissen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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