Simon Deutz

Simon Deutz (1802-1844) was a German-born French courtier.

Early life Simon Deutz was born in 1802 in Koblenz, Germany. He emigrated to Paris with his family in 1806.

Career Deutz was an advisor to Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchesse de Berry.

Personal life Deutz converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism in 1828, and he received the Christian name Charles Gonzaga. However, as early as 1832, he made requests to the Consistory of France to be able to convert back to Judaism. Initially denied, he eventually converted back to Judaism after Adolphe Crémieux interceded in his favour. Meanwhile, he married in London, then moved to the United States, and finally moved back to France.

Death and legacy Deutz died in 1844. Professor Catherine Nicault of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne has argued that Deutz's betrayal of Duchess Berry, along with the support of many other French Jews for mainstream Republicanism in France, contributed enormously to the rise of antisemitism among Royalists, the French nobility, and the traditional political right during the 19th century.