Meet the Barons Ludwig and Alexander von Stieglitz ...

Looking at photos of lavish and luxurious home libraries, I discovered this photo, which led me on a search for the house in which it came from. Thus I discovered the palace of the Baron Ludwig von Stieglitz, of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Ludwig von Stieglitz was born December 24, 1779 in Arolsen, Waldeck – March 18. He was a Jewish Russian  commersant and founder of banking house Stieglitz & Company.

 Detail of library

As a young man Stieglitz moved to Russia as a representative of his merchant house, and eventually was appointed court banker to the Czar Alexander I, gaining influence and receiving various Russian decorations. After adopting Christianity he was raised to the dignity of a Russian hereditary baron on August 22, 1826 as Ludwig von Stieglitz.

 Ballroom of the von Stieglitz palace

 Detail of the Ballroom

Stieglitz continued as court banker to Czar Nicholas I and took an active part in many financial affairs of his adopted country, investing in range of enterprises including steam navigation between Lübeck and St. Petersburg. He purchased the Estate of Gross-Essern in Courland, and on May 3, 1840 his name was inscribed in the register of the nobility of Courland.

 Study of the Baroness von Stieglitz

A contemporary has noted: "He was the German Rothschild of St. Petersburg, but in reality more; for he was not only rich in money, he was still richer in heart, and a noble benefactor in the best sense of the word."

 Family Dining Room

Formal Dining Room

 

 Supper Room

                                                                 Detail of the Supper Room
Ludwig von Stieglitz married Amalie Angelica Christiane Gottschalk (July 26, 1777, Hannover – February 20, 1838, St.Petersburg), their descendants were confirmed in the dignity of Russian hereditary baron penunts by ukaz of the Senate of April 3, 1862.

Daughter, Nathalie (October 17, 1803, St.Petersburg – May 17, 1882, Frankfurt)

Son, Alexander was his successor as head of the bank (until the firm went into voluntary liquidation in 1863) and became head of the State Bank of the Russian Empire established in 1860.

 Baron Alexandeer von Stieglitz

 The Concert Hall

 Detail of the Concert Hall

 The Blue Drawing Room

 The Main Drawing Room

 

Detail of the Main Drawing Room (I love the alcove large enough 

to house a billiards table!)

 The White Drawing Room

Detail of the White Drawing Room

The second Baron von Stieglitz received numerous awards, including the Order of St. Stanislav of the 3rd degree, the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree and the Order of St. Anna of the 2nd degree.

In 1878 he donated funds to build a museum for the benefit of students of the Central School of Technical Drawing, which had been established by him earlier. 

The magnificent von Stieglitz palace was ransacked during the Russian Revolution in St. Petersburg in 1905. Although the uprising in St. Petersburg was short, the palace was emptied of its splendors and has been left to decay until this day.

 The von Stieglitz palace as it appears today 

on the English Embankment in St. Petersburg.

 The Ballroom

 The Ballroom

 The White Drawing Room

The White Drawing Room

The Main Drawing Room

 Hand-carved mouldings in the library today.

And, because I can't bear to leave you with the tattered remains of such finery ... one final photo of the palace in its grandeur - The Golden Drawing Room.

Interestingly, though I searched for quite some time, I could find no images of the bedrooms in this palace either before or after the Revolution. I'm sure whoever lived in such grand style had bedrooms fit for - well - a palace!

Be sure to see the offerings of the other participants on this week's Beverly's Pink Saturday blog hop!

Now go make something beautiful!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•´? Tristan

 My first two albums of 2018 ... "Fairy Dust" will be listed for sale in
my online shop soon - "Paris Flea Market" has been sold.