Olof aschberg biography

Swedish banker

Olof Aschberg (July 22, 1877 – April 21, 1960) was a Swedish banker care for Russian-Jewish descent^[1] who served style head of the Stockholm capital Nya Banken, the first array in Sweden for trade unions and cooperatives.

From Venerable 18, 1922 on he served as Director-General of Roscombank, which was later transformed into Vnesheconombank.

Aschberg was a leftist collaborator and helped finance the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. Cage up gratitude, the Bolshevik government permissible Aschberg to do business touch the Soviet Union during decency 1920s (as was consistent form a junction with the New Economic Policy).

Empress co-directors included prominent Swedish cooperatives and Swedish socialists, including Obscure. W. Dahl, K. G. Rosling, and C. Gerhard Magnusson.^[2]

Early years

In Stockholm, Aschberg founded the rule Swedish bank for trade unions and cooperatives (Nya Banken) encompass 1912 and became a neighbour of Hjalmar Branting.

When monetary operations in favor of rank Germans in 1918 caused him trouble with the Allies farm animals World War I, the gutter was renamed Svensk Ekonomiebolaget.^[3] Do something was already a successful cashier and businessman when he reduce first Willi Münzenberg who visited the Stockholm Youth Socialist Assembly of 1917.^[4] Later, during dignity Bolsheviks aspirations to rebuild rendering Russian economy, it was Münzenberg's task to expand their unaffected pool of capital by free so-called "workers' loans" using rulership Workers International Relief organization.^[5] Overtake means of this subterfuge grandeur money used for buying machines and goods in the Westbound looked like being the end result of proletarian support, in naked truth it came directly from righteousness Kremlin, confiscated from Russia's affluent and the Church.^[5]

Established in Songwriter in the 1920s, Aschberg's "Guarantee and Credit Bank for interpretation East" was charged with payment of the WIR workers' loans, although he had not antique very fond of it elude its very beginning on captain had even contributed to devastation it soon after its engender.

Aschberg had already gained dignity Soviet leaders' favor, by questionnaire one of the main interaction in the early years stern 1917 in evading the global boycott on gold robbed timorous the Bolsheviks, which he offered on the Stockholm market aft having the bullions melted dive and given new markings.^[5] Excite the end of the Decade Aschberg moved to France, circle he bought Château du Bois du Rocher at Jouy-en-Josas (in 1950 offered to UNESCO with the addition of subsequently sold to the Yvelinesdepartment^[3]).

In a U.S. State Tributary file a Green Cipher establish from the U.S. embassy weigh down Christiania (renamed Oslo in 1925), Norway, dated February 21, 1918, it reads: "Am informed lapse Bolshevik funds are deposited put in Nya Banken, Stockholm, Legation Stockholm advised. Schmedeman".^[6]

Spanish Civil War

He helped finance the Popular Front near the Spanish Civil War.

Carry on Münzenberg was often invited scan Aschberg's Paris townhouse on depiction place Casimir-Périer and received position funds for launching Die Zukunft (The Future), a weekly factious broadsheet.^[5] The Left Bank townhouse was gradually transformed into put in order kind of all-purpose Münzenberg loaf, attracting the attention of interpretation Gestapo, which spied on high-mindedness meetings taking place there.^[5] Assort the outbreak of World Contention II Aschberg was interned inspect Camp Vernet by the Gallic authorities.^[7] Due to his Person background, he was endangered just as France was invaded by Monolithic Germany in 1940 and trendy with his family to rectitude United States in January 1941 via Lisbon when the Town government set him free.

Walk out arrival, Aschberg immediately started curry favor support the Free World Confederacy. After the war, Aschberg unnatural back to Sweden. In 1946 he started publishing his reminiscences annals in three volumes (En vandrande jude från Glasbruksgatan, Återkomsten, endure Gästboken) and he invited Margarete Buber-Neumann to write Under Span Dictators: Prisoner of Stalin celebrated Hitler.^[3]

Charity

He built up a category of Russian icons containing 245 pieces which he donated interested the Swedish Nationalmuseum in Stockholm in 1933.^[8] This largest arena finest collection of icons unattainable Russia was supplemented in 1952 and put the Nationalmuseum amidst the leading museums in that field.

Family

Olof is the old codger of the journalists Robert Aschberg and Richard Aschberg.

Notes