{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Franz Dominic Grassi | image = Franz Dominic Grassi Relief.jpg | caption = Relief at his grave on the ''Alter Johannisfriedhof'' | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1801|5|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1880|11|14|1801|5|11}} | death_place = Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire | burial_place = {{ubl|Alter Johannisfriedhof, Leipzig|{{Coord|51.336976| 12.389459|region:DE-SN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=inline}}}} | occupation = Businessman | known_for = Philanthropy | spouse = | children = | relations = | family = }} '''Franz Dominic Grassi''' (* 11 May 1801 in Leipzig; † 14 November 1880 Leipzig) was a merchant in Leipzig who was of Italian descent. As a result of his extensive heritage given to the city, numerous monuments and buildings were constructed.<ref name="Gartenlaube">{{Cite journal |work=Die Gartenlaube |title= without title |language=de |volume=1887 |pages=235 |url=https://www.google.de/books/edition/Die_Gartenlaube/tvi2mPxI2yQC?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=Franz+Dominic+Grassi&pg=PA235&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2025-09-13}}</ref>
== Life ==
He was born as the son of Franz Josef Grassi (merchant and financier) and his wife, Rossi née? The family originated from Lucca in central Italy and immigrated to Leipzig.<ref name="Unternehmer">{{Cite book |title=Unternehmer in Sachsen: Aufstieg - Krise - Neubeginn |language=de |isbn=3933240212 |editor-last=Hess |editor-first=Ulrich |editor-last2=Schäfer |editor-first2=Michael |publisher=Leipziger Universitätsverlag |location=Leipzig |year=1998 |pages=99–101 |url=https://www.google.de/books/edition/Unternehmer_in_Sachsen/AXjovFnV8KkC?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=Franz+Dominic+Grassi&pg=PA99&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2025-09-13}}</ref> After his commercial training and numerous trips abroad, he founded his own trading firm for Russian products, indigo dye and tropical fruits in Leipzig. After the death of his father in 1847, he operated mostly in the speculation and exchange business.<ref name="Unternehmer"/> After the death of his mother in 1854, he retired completely from active commercial life.
Grassi remained unmarried all his life. He was a theatre and horse lover,<ref name="Unternehmer"/> and therefore one of the founders of the Leipzig racing club. He also supported Leipzig citizens, who were in emergency situations. Grassi was also popularly called "The Wood Sucker"<ref name="Unternehmer"/> because of his habit of chewing on a toothpick.
== Legacy == thumb|Mendebrunnen at Augustusplatz in 1898 Although Grassi largely considered in his testament even distant relatives, godchildren and servants, he left the city a fortune of 2.327 million Gold Mark<ref name="Gartenlaube"/> (approx. 23 million euros).<ref name="fredriks">{{Cite web|url=https://fredriks.de/hvv/kaufkraft.php|title=Kaufkraft als Maßstab für den Wert des Geldes|editor=Rolf-Fredrik Matthaei|access-date=2012-06-23 |language=de}}</ref> From this property, numerous construction projects, parks and monuments have been supported, some of which were destroyed during World War II (New Gewandhaus and the museums on Augustusplatz. Of the remaining buildings is the Grassi Museum at Johannisplatz, the "Old Grassi Museum" (now Leipzig city library)<ref name="Gartenlaube"/><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Das Grassimuseum in Leipzig |work=Deutsche Bauzeitung |language=de |issue=14 |volume=1896 |pages=91 |url=https://www.google.de/books/edition/Deutsche_Bauzeitung/cOFLAAAAYAAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=Franz+Dominic+Grassi&pg=PA91&printsec=frontcover}}</ref> and the Mendebrunnen mention. Furthermore, parts of the money were used for the erection of the Völkerschlachtdenkmal, and the statues of Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
== Posthumous Honours == Since 1883, street C of the southwestern development plan in the then newly created ''Musikviertel'' quarter in Leipzig has borne the name Grassistrasse, in honour of Franz Dominic Grassi.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2025-09-13|date=2018|language=de|title=Verzeichnis Leipziger Straßennamen mit Erläuterungen|url=https://static.leipzig.de/fileadmin/mediendatenbank/leipzig-de/Stadt/02.1_Dez1_Allgemeine_Verwaltung/12_Statistik_und_Wahlen/Raumbezug/Leipziger_Strassennamen.pdf|website=Website of the city of Leipzig}}, the Grassistrasse ist on p. 1066</ref>
Since 2002, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Germany and the TU Chemnitz endow the "Franz Dominic Grassi Prize" for services to promote the German-Italian trade and economic.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/tu/pressestelle/2002/04.17-12.54.html |title="Franz-Dominic-Grassi-Preis" |access-date=2025-09-13 |work=tu-chemnitz.de |editor=Technische Universität Chemnitz |date=2002-04-17 |language=de}}</ref>
==See also== * Statue of J. S. Bach * Goethe Monument (Leipzig)
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150510230345/http://www.grassimuseum.de/grassi_en.html Grassi Museum] * {{Cite web |title=Verwaltungsbericht des Rathes der Stadt Leipzig für das Jahr 1885 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Verwaltungsbericht_/HUVIAQAAMAAJ?kptab=editions&gbpv=1 |language=de |access-date=2025-09-13 |pages=170, 395}} * {{Cite web |url=https://www.leipzig-lexikon.de/biogramm/Grassi_Franz_Dominic.htm |title=Grassi, Franz Dominic |access-date=2025-09-13 |work=leipzig-lexikon.de |language=de}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grassi, Franz Dominic}} Category:1801 births Category:1880 deaths Category:Businesspeople from Leipzig Category:German philanthropists Category:19th-century German philanthropists