Otto Bemberg
Encyclopedia
Otto Bemberg was a German Argentine businessman prominent in the development of early Argentine industry.
, Germany
, in 1827. He emigrated to Argentina in 1850 and married María Luisa Ocampo, the daughter of prominent local landowners and developers. He established an import-export firm specializing in the import of textile products
and the export of local cereals for the European market. In 1860 he was appointed Consul General in Paris
, where the couple remained until 1867.
On the eve of his departure, Bemberg established his first manufacturing firm, the Franco Argentina Brewery; his father, Pedro Bemberg Boullé, had been partly of French descent. In Paris, he also established the Brasserie Argentine Societé Anonyme ("Argentine Brewing, Inc.") and later had his son, Otto Sebastián, enrol at the Technical University of Munich
, where he became a trained brewer
.
Bemberg obtained commissions from Presidents Bartolomé Mitre
and Nicolás Avellaneda
for the establishment of agricultural colonies in the then-practically undeveloped Santa Fe Province
, the site of some of the country's most productive cropland. Retaining financial interests in Paris, he and his son established the Brasserie Argentine Quilmes (Quilmes Brewery
) in 1888, and inaugurated its brewing and bottling plant in the company's namesake, the southern Buenos Aires
suburb of Quilmes
, in 1890. The facility was the largest and most advanced in Argentina, and soon eclipsed its main competitor, the Bieckert Brewery. Bemberg died in Paris in 1896 and his son, Otto Sebastián, led the company to a dominant position in its local market; his younger son, Herman Bemberg
, remained in Paris and became a noted French composer.
Otto Sebastián's son, Otto Eduardo (1887-1984), went on to take the Bemberg dynasty to its zenith in the mid-20th century. In August 1929, aged 42, he reportedly had a premonition about the Wall Street Crash in his sleep, which he quickly acted upon. He sold all his shares and bought 400 tons of gold just in time, a move which undoubtedly saved his family from financial ruin. Nonetheless, when he broke the good news to his father, Otto Sebastián simply replied "I knew you would". By the 1960s, noticing the diminished drive in his subsequent generations who had been born into unprecedented wealth, he said to one of his grandchildren "it is easier to make a fortune than it is to maintain it".
One of Bemberg's five children, María Luisa Bemberg, went on to become a successful film director in Argentina from 1980 until her death in 1995. Her son, Carlos Miguens Bemberg
was the last member of the Bemberg family to sell their stake in the Quilmes Brewery
in 2006, 118 years after its foundation.
Life and times
Otto Peter Friedrich Bemberg was born in KölnKOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in 1827. He emigrated to Argentina in 1850 and married María Luisa Ocampo, the daughter of prominent local landowners and developers. He established an import-export firm specializing in the import of textile products
Textile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
and the export of local cereals for the European market. In 1860 he was appointed Consul General in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where the couple remained until 1867.
On the eve of his departure, Bemberg established his first manufacturing firm, the Franco Argentina Brewery; his father, Pedro Bemberg Boullé, had been partly of French descent. In Paris, he also established the Brasserie Argentine Societé Anonyme ("Argentine Brewing, Inc.") and later had his son, Otto Sebastián, enrol at the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
, where he became a trained brewer
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
.
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
and Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Remigio Aurelio Avellaneda Silva was an Argentine politician and journalist, and president of Argentina from 1874 to 1880. Avellaneda's main projects while in office were banking and education reform, leading to Argentina's economic growth...
for the establishment of agricultural colonies in the then-practically undeveloped Santa Fe Province
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, the site of some of the country's most productive cropland. Retaining financial interests in Paris, he and his son established the Brasserie Argentine Quilmes (Quilmes Brewery
Cerveza Quilmes
Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes is an Argentine Brewery founded in 1888 in Quilmes, Buenos Aires Province, by Otto Bemberg, a German immigrant.The company quickly started growing and in the 1920s it was already the most popular beer in Buenos Aires. Since then, it has become something of a national...
) in 1888, and inaugurated its brewing and bottling plant in the company's namesake, the southern Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
suburb of Quilmes
Quilmes, Buenos Aires
Quilmes is a city in the . It is the capital of Quilmes Partido , and has a population of 230,810. It is located south of the capital of Argentina, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires....
, in 1890. The facility was the largest and most advanced in Argentina, and soon eclipsed its main competitor, the Bieckert Brewery. Bemberg died in Paris in 1896 and his son, Otto Sebastián, led the company to a dominant position in its local market; his younger son, Herman Bemberg
Herman Bemberg
Herman Bemberg was a French musical composer.He was born in Paris of German Argentine parents and studied at the Paris Conservatoire, under Massenet, whose influence, with that of Gounod, is strongly marked in his music. He won the Rossini prize in 1885...
, remained in Paris and became a noted French composer.
Otto Sebastián's son, Otto Eduardo (1887-1984), went on to take the Bemberg dynasty to its zenith in the mid-20th century. In August 1929, aged 42, he reportedly had a premonition about the Wall Street Crash in his sleep, which he quickly acted upon. He sold all his shares and bought 400 tons of gold just in time, a move which undoubtedly saved his family from financial ruin. Nonetheless, when he broke the good news to his father, Otto Sebastián simply replied "I knew you would". By the 1960s, noticing the diminished drive in his subsequent generations who had been born into unprecedented wealth, he said to one of his grandchildren "it is easier to make a fortune than it is to maintain it".
One of Bemberg's five children, María Luisa Bemberg, went on to become a successful film director in Argentina from 1980 until her death in 1995. Her son, Carlos Miguens Bemberg
Carlos Miguens Bemberg
Carlos Miguens Bemberg, is a successful Argentine businessman and descendant of the wealthy Bemberg family of immigrants to Argentina.-Overview:His parents were the architect Carlos Miguens and the film director María Luisa Bemberg...
was the last member of the Bemberg family to sell their stake in the Quilmes Brewery
Cerveza Quilmes
Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes is an Argentine Brewery founded in 1888 in Quilmes, Buenos Aires Province, by Otto Bemberg, a German immigrant.The company quickly started growing and in the 1920s it was already the most popular beer in Buenos Aires. Since then, it has become something of a national...
in 2006, 118 years after its foundation.