11 Facts About Moritz Hochschild

Moritz Hochschild was a leading mining industry businessman in the first half of the twentieth century.

Moritz Hochschild was the eldest son of a general trader, Louis Hochschild Altschul who had two cousins involved in the metal industry: brothers Berthold Hochschild, who founded the American Metal Company and Zachary Hochschild, a partner in Metallgesellschaft.

Moritz Hochschild then was the company's agent in Spain and Australia.

In 1920, his son, Gerardo Moritz Hochschild Rosenbaum, was born; his wife died in 1924.

In 1938, using his influence with German Busch, Bolivia's military president from 1937 to 1939, Moritz Hochschild pushed Bolivia to open its doors to Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany.

Moritz Hochschild funded the transport of the refugees and their housing once they arrived in the South American country.

In both 1939 and 1944, Moritz Hochschild was arrested by the Bolivian government and sentenced to death.

In 1961 Moritz Hochschild inaugurated Mantos Blancos copper mine in Antofagasta, Chile, which became his most successful mining operation, although its best results were to come after his death.

Moritz Hochschild has been called the "Bolivian Schindler," after it was discovered that the Bolivian business tycoon facilitated the escape of between 9,000 and 22,000 Jews from Nazi Germany and occupied Europe.

Moritz Hochschild died in 1965 in Paris, and was buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Moritz Hochschild is the great uncle of billionaire Eduardo Hochschild, who is the Chairman of Hochschild Mining PLC.