Jean-Gabriel Eynard (28 December 1775 – 5 February 1863) was a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

and significant benefactor of the Greek independence movement.

Biography

Jean-Gabriel Eynard although belonging to a family who had settled in Switzerland since the 17th century was actually born in Lyon, France - where his father owned a business - on 28 December 1775. During the French Revolution the family fled France and took refuge in

Rolle Rolle () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Rolle (district), Rolle until 2006, when it became part of the district of Nyon District, N ...

, Switzerland. In 1795, Jean-Gabriel and his brother Jacques went to Genoa and both were soon heading a flourishing commercial concern. In 1800 Massena's troops entered the town and Jean-Gabriel was entrusted with their supply. In particular he furnished them with uniforms cut from the blue cloth called "bleu de Genes" whence later derives the famous garment known worldwide as "blue jeans". JGEynard-plaque

In 1801, he entered in a highly speculative and hazardous financial venture becoming the sole subscriber to a bond issued by the duke of Etruria. That audacious move was crowned with success and constituted the foundation of his immense fortune. Eynard3

In 1803, he moved to Florence called forth by the Queen of

Etruria Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...

, and thence he devoted much zeal and talent to the reformation and improvement of the finances of the Principality of Lucca and Piombino and he was also successful with those of the Tuscan state. Under the reign of Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, as Grand-Duchess of Tuscany he continued his work with much success and was showered with honours and privileges. In 1809, he spent a long time in Paris in order to await the Emperor's return having been entrusted with the mission of thanking him, on behalf of both the Mediterranean Department and the Chamber of Commerce of

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

, for the nomination of Elisa as Grand Duchess. In 1810 he moved to Geneva. He was ambassador of the

Republic of Geneva The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five Municipality, municipalities, and the seat of the governme ...

at the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

in 1815. In the following year he helped to organize the administration of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, which he represented at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818. Being a friend of

Ioannis Kapodistrias Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (; February 1776 –27 September 1831), sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias, was a Greek statesman who was one of the most distinguished politicians and diplomats of 19th-century Europe. Kapodistrias's ...

, he was very enthusiastic for the cause of the

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

. He was the chief of the

philhellenes Philhellenism ("the love of Greek culture") was an intellectual movement prominent mostly at the turn of the 19th century. It contributed to the sentiments that led Europeans such as Lord Byron, Charles Nicolas Fabvier and Richard Church to a ...

community in

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, and aided the revolutionaries financially. For his services to this cause, he was made a Greek citizen. He advised the new state. His recommendation of Otho of Bavaria for the throne of Greece was adopted. In 1842, he became one of the co-founders of the National Bank of Greece. In 1839, he was one of the first Swiss to use the

daguerreotype Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photography, photographic process, widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre and introduced worldwid ...

. He had this passion until his death in 1863. He bequeathed his fortune to various charitable enterprises. He was married to Anna Eynard-Lullin.

Writing

* ''Lettres et documents officiels relatifs aux divers événements de Grèce'' (1831) * ''Vie de la baronne Krüdener'' (1849)

References

* * This work in turn cites: * Rothpletz, ''Der Genfer Jean Gabriel Eynard als Philhellene'' (“The Genevan Jean Gabriel Eynard as philhellene,” Zürich, 1900)

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eynard, Jean-Gabriel 1775 births 1863 deaths Philhellenes in the Greek War of Independence Bankers from the Republic of Geneva Swiss bankers Swiss photographers 19th-century Swiss businesspeople Naturalized citizens of Greece