The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-15
WEALTHIEST WOMAN.
Bertha hrupp Won Bohlen's Claim to
the Title.

COLerle deScrlDeQ SeFerally as Ine
richest woman in the world has
more substantial claim to the title
than Frau Bertha Krupp Won Bohlen
and Halback-and no one, perhaps
is more Indifferent to it. A directory
of ratings just published at Hamburg
credits her fortune with an increase
of 25,OO0,OO0, or from S45,000,000
to S70,000,000 in three years. This
is in solid German values without
doubt, for the fabulous estimates of
her riches have run to 1925, 100000.
Her income has been set down, ac-
cording to mathematics or fancy, at
s1,25O,O0O to S3,OO0,O00 and s5,-
100000 year.
But whether or not Bertha Krupp,
as she is more widely known, even
since her marriage in 1906, is worth
more or less than some other women
in digits or in the appurtenances of
wealth, she is undoubtedly the rich
est woman in the world. For she
has enough to satisfy any taste she
may have for display, with an abund-
ance for charity, and a social stand
ing on a par with the noblest blood.
There is left to her in even greater
degree the primary attribute of
wealth-power. She is described as
a queen, or more eXtravagantly as an
empress, in the midst of her enor-
nous holdings. Other rich women
may enjoy the domination of their
households, but the rest of it they
may be content with clipping cou-
pons Even the financial activities
of Mrs. Hetty Green must be in the
face of circumstances which prove
primarily the limitations of her
wealth
To Bertha Krupp was left the con-
troll of the gigantic enterprise of her
father. Her sister, Barbara, shared in
the money, but not in the authority.
Although relieved by board of di
rectors of the details of management,
Bertha Krupp, before and since she
married the diplomat, DR.. Won Boh-
len, has been the mistress of $4,000
employees, involving perhaps, with
their families, 100000 persons. She
owns $50 mines in Germany alone.
She owns the steel and gun works,
with the ship yards at Kiel, and the
world-famous gun and armor works
at Madgeburg. And whereas the kai-
ser, or any other ruler is running the
government, is confronted with poll
tics and a legislature, Bertha Krupp
realizes the undisputed power of
possession.
Her palace at Essen, built by her
father, took 500 men four years to
erect. 1t includes a personal suit for
the kaiser, who with the empress has
honored it yearly. This is distinc-
ton usually reserved for the highest
nobility.
The same exception was made by
the emperor in attending her we'd
ding, although it was said he resent
ed her love for a poor diplomat, when
there were so many penniless princes
at hand. But Bertha Krupp was suf-
ficient enough unto herself to brook
the imperial frown.
One of the noteworthy features
of her wedding, which was considered
an international event, was that her
family kept down the expenditures
on her trousseau to $3.50. The trades
men, who expected the nuptials to
spell a golden harvest for them,
grum bled at the. simplicity; but the
whole ceremony was in accordance
with the modest manner in which
Bertha and Barbara Krupp had been
reared. And the charges of stinginess
soon were hushed, when Bertha
Krupp made gifts of some 100000
to charity in honor of her wedding
day.
Bertha Krupp and her sister were
educated at home by tutors and were
attached to country life and exercise,
although they looked forward expect
antly to the yearly tour which their
mother gave them to some centre of
art or culture. In turn they became
familiar with Rome and Paris, Wen
ma and London, as we'll as the social
life of Berlin.
By the time she had reached wo-
manhood Fraulein Krupp had acquir-
ed an aversion for fortune hunters.
She had met them everywhere. No.
bles and bill-ridden gentlemen whose
only business seemed to be a search
for matrimony became almost un-
bearable to her. Although she was
beautiful she was inclined to look
askance at every attention and to