Gustav Gebhard

Consul Gustav Gebhard (August 18, 1828, at Elberfeld to May 6, 1900 in Berlin) was the eldest son of Franz-Joseph Gebhard, President of the Board of Trade, at Elberfeld, Germany.

He owned a silk manufacturing factory in his native city, was co-rounder of the German Bank and of the Bergisch-Märkische Bank, and Persian Consul. He acquired much of his business experience travelling abroad, lived in Paris and London, and made trips to the U.S.A., Constantinople and Asia Minor. On his first journey to America, he met in New York Mary L’Estrangge whom he married on September 4, 1852. The newly-married couple settled in Elberfeld, Germany, where their seven children were eventually born.

Noted as a linguist, he spoke French and English without accent. A far-sighted business-man, he was also known for his warm hospitality, broad-mindedness, and readiness to help others, even when their views differed from his own.