Felix Schuster

{{Short description|British banker, financier and politician (1854–1936)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}} {{Use British English|date=March 2014}} thumb|right|Felix Schuster [[File:Felix Schuster, Vanity Fair, 1906-06-28.jpg|thumb|Free Trade and Finance<br>Vanity Fair 28 June 1906]] '''Sir Felix Otto Schuster, 1st Baronet''' (21 April 1854 — 13 May 1936) was a British banker, financier and Liberal politician.

==Biography== Schuster was born in the Free City of Frankfurt in 1854. His father was a merchant banker who converted from Judaism to Christianity.<ref name = ODNB>{{cite ODNB|title = Schuster, Sir Felix Otto, first baronet (1854–1936), banker|last = Davenport-Hines|first = Richard|date = 2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/35977}}</ref> His mother died when he was around four years old.<ref name = ODNB/> He was educated in Frankfurt, Geneva, and after his family moved to England in 1869, at Owens College, Manchester.<ref name = ODNB/> He then went into business in London.<ref name = ODNB/> He was on the Royal Commission on London Traffic 1903-5, Board of Trade Commission for the Amendment of Company Law 1905, India Office Committee on Indian Railway Finance and Administration 1907-8 and Treasury Committee on Irish Land Purchase Finance 1907-8. He was chairman of the Council of the Institute of Bankers, 1908-9, and of the Central Association of Bankers, 1913–15.<ref name = ODNB/>

In 1906, as a staunch supporter of free trade at the time, he stood as a Liberal candidate at the general election for the constituency of the City of London.<ref name = ODNB/> He was subject to antisemitic attacks from right-wing forces due to his political views and personal background.<ref name = ODNB/>

In 1879, Schuster married Meta Weber, and they had five children.<ref name = ODNB/> His grandchildren include the philosopher Mary Warnock and the diplomat Duncan Wilson.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Andrew|title=The practical philosopher|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/jul/19/society1|accessdate=2013-10-27|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 July 2003}}</ref>

On 13 May 1936, Schuster died at Ruthin Castle in Wales, from complications of anaemia and hypertension; he was 82.<ref name = ODNB/>

==Works== His works include: *''Foreign Trade and the Money Market'' *''Our Gold Reserves''

==See also== {{wikisource|works=or}} * Schuster Baronets * Arthur Schuster (older brother)

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== *{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Schuster, Sir Felix}}

{{s-start}} {{s-reg|uk-bt}} {{s-new|Creation}} {{s-ttl|title=Baronet<br />'''(of Collingham Road)''' | years=1906–1936}} {{s-aft|after=Victor Schuster}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuster, Felix}} Category:English bankers Category:1854 births Category:1936 deaths Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Category:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Category:German emigrants to England Category:19th-century British businesspeople Category:19th-century German businesspeople Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:Businesspeople from Frankfurt