Jewish family of bankers and merchants, initially in Prague, later also in Vienna.

The family

The Thorsch family bank was established in Prague by Markus Isak Thorsch (1770‒1819). The business, which also encompassed a wholesale goods company, passed to Markus's son Ephraim Markus Thorsch (1800‒63), and subsequently jointly to the latter's sons, Philipp Thorsch (1831‒1905) and David Eduard Thorsch (1832‒83). This last married Anna Behrend (1844‒1923), and the couple had four children: Marie Charlotte, Melanie, Alfons, and Nanette.

David Eduard Thorsch moved with his family to Vienna in 1871 and established a branch of the business there at Vienna I, Schottenring 12, while Philipp remained in Prague. The banking arm of the business rapidly became the second largest and most important privately owned bank in Vienna after the Rothschild Bank. Following the death of Philipp, David Eduard's son Alfons became the sole proprietor, and the company continued to thrive until the late 1930s. Alfons and his wife emigrated in February 1938, and the business was seized by the Gestapo in May 1939, along with the Thorsch Palace in Vienna III, Metternichgasse.

The Thorsch family and Schenker

The name Thorsch is mentioned four times in Schenker's diary for 1906 and 1907. It would seem that Schenker was trying to obtain 400 florins in financial support from Mrs. Thorsch for his friend Moriz Violin (Floriz). Schenker was at the Thorschs' home on December 19, 1906 ("desultory music-making at the Thorsch family place"), January 5 (a quartet evening) and April 10, 1907 ("evening at the Thorschs'"); then on April 17, 1907 he wrote an angry note in his diary that Mrs. Thorsch had disregarded the needy and gifted Floriz and given large amounts of money to a less worthy cause (OJ 1/6, p. 38).

In 1931 and 1932, Schenker invested money in Thorsch & Klein.

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