Person    | Male  Born 7/12/1865  Died 7/12/1930

Sir Otto Beit

Categories: Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues

Countries: Germany

Financier, philanthropist, and art connoisseur. Born Berlin. Younger brother to Alfred and made his fortune the same way: mining diamonds. Came to London in 1896 and took British citizenship. Governor and benefactor to Imperial College of Science & Technology where he founded the Beit Fellowships for Scientific Research. Died at home at 49 Belgrave Square on his birthday.

2021: The Guardian reported that Imperial College's independent history group investigated the college's historical links to the British empire. The subsequent report has flagged up concerns over endowments from Alfred and Otto Beit and Julius Wernher, three of the college’s most important financial donors, due to the oppressive treatment of the largely Black migrant workers in the diamond and goldmines from which they made their fortunes. One recommendation is that the university rename buildings named after the Beit brothers.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir Otto Beit

Commemorated ati

Sir Otto Beit

"The munificence of his benefactions" - we just don't write plaques like that...

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Other Subjects

Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company

Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company

This originated in 1882 from the power supply set up by Agostino and Stefano Gatti in the cellars of one of their restaurants. From Covent Garden: "... established in 1888 to provide lighting for ...

Group, Industry

2 memorials
Chelsea Electricity Supply Co. Ltd

Chelsea Electricity Supply Co. Ltd

At British History we found this: "The Chelsea Electricity Supply Company, with premises in Draycott Place, empowered to supply electricity in 1886, commenced supply in 1889, in competition with th...

Group, Industry

1 memorial
Shoreditch Electricity Generating Station and Refuse Destructor

Shoreditch Electricity Generating Station and Refuse Destructor

An early purpose-built undertaking to generate electricity from steam created by burning rubbish. From Geograph: " The generated electricity powered street lights and some adjacent washhouses, si...

Building, Industry

1 memorial
unidentified mill in Great Sutton Street

unidentified mill in Great Sutton Street

Where there are six millstones surely there must have been a mill?

Building, Food & Drink, Industry

1 memorial