Joachim Edler von Popper

Who was Joachim Edler von Popper?

Joachim Edler von Popper was Court Jew to the Habsburgs.

He was born Chajim Popper in Březnice, Bohemia. He was the son of Wolf Popper, Primator of the Jews of Bohemia.

Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor had a monopoly on tobacco in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Leopold divided the monopoly into leases awarded to Joachim, Israel Edler von Hönigsberg, and Salomon Dobruschka.

On 27 May 1790 Joachim was ennobled as the first "Edler von Popper." He was the second Austrian Jew to be ennobled as a Jew. In other words, he did not have to convert to Catholicism or be baptized in order to be ennobled.

Joachim founded the bet ha-midrash in Prague with Israel Fränkel, and funded the building of the Popper Synagogue.

Joachim did not have any children, but adopted Simon Popper, who inherited his title as Simon Edler von Popper. He also adopted his nephew Abraham Löbl Duschenes, who inherited his title as Andreas Josef Edler von Popper.