Johann EMIL ZOLLINGER

Johann Emil Zollinger was born in 1854 in Beit Meri, Israel, and as the only son, he was expected to take over the family business holdings, and so was the automatic heir of the Zollinger business and wealth. He likely joined the business as a young man, and by the time of his father's death in 1901, he must have been well versed to step in as the new owner of the Zollinger Bank in Aleppo, as well as all their other enterprises. Between 1900 and 1905 he also was German Consul in Aleppo, and he was instrumental in the resettlement of Armenian refugees from Turkey. He was still on record in Aleppo in 1911, but by 1914 he had sold out all his holdings in Syria, and had moved to Marseilles, obviously as an extremely wealthy man. Emile Zollinger never married, and so had no family, and no offspring to inherit his wealth. In 1927 a relative from Brazil was invited to spend his summer holidays with uncle Emile, and he has fond memories of the next few summers he was allowed to spend with his uncle at the French Riviera. But by the mid 1930ies the situation changed. It is family lore that Emile Zollinger came under the influence of a group of criminals of Arab origine, who were able to slowly drain his wealth. The Swiss embassy tried to intervene, but in the end Emil lost his whole fortune, and died a pauper in Marseilles in 1939.

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