A family of French Huguenots who took refuge in Neuchâtel at the beginning of the 18th century and became citizens of Berne and Neuchâtel, the Pourtalès family distinguished themselves in many fields, including commerce, finance, diplomacy, the army, science and literature. Collecting castles throughout Switzerland and Europe and weaving a vast network of alliances, this family spread to Switzerland, Germany and the United States of America. In the 19th century, the Pourtalès family was referred to as the "kingdom of Pourtalès", such was its wealth and power. Descended from a Cévennes family from Saint-Roman-de-Codières, the first Pourtalès representatives are mentioned in the hamlet of Castanet des Perdus in Saint-Roman-de-Codières, in the Gard department. They were foresters before going into the cloth trade and moving to Lasalle, a neighbouring village. Around 1717, after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, Jean Pourtalès (1669-1739) and four of his sons left the Languedoc region and travelled across Europe in search of a more welcoming land for followers of the Reformed religion. In 1720, Jérémie de Pourtalès joined forces with Jean-Jacques De Luze - whose daughter Esther he married - to set up an Indian factory, thus founding the Pourtalès company. The Pourtalès family forged ties with the kings of Prussia, who ruled over the town of Neuchâtel. In 1750, Jérémie was ennobled by King Frédéric II.
Jacques-Louis de Pourtalès (1722 - 1814)
Born in Geneva in August 1722, Jacques-Louis de Pourtalès was trained in the practices of international trade.
In 1753, he founded Pourtalès & Cie, which expanded rapidly with the creation of a network of factories and trading posts throughout Europe and overseas.
Present at all the major trade fairs, bursting with activity and constantly jumping from ship to mail coach, he quickly established himself as the "king of merchants". Moving from trading to banking, he built up one of the largest fortunes in Europe while contributing to the prosperity of the Neuchâtel region.
In 1808, at the end of his life, he founded the Pourtalès Hospital and the Foundation of the same name. He died in Neuchâtel in 1814, leaving three sons to carry on his charitable work.
The Pelican
The Pourtalès family coat of arms, carved on the door of the house that houses the Caves de Troub in Cressier, features a pelican.
This bird is the emblem of charity and devotion to others. Even today, it is a reminder of the creation of a hospital in Neuchâtel by Jacques-Louis de Pourtalès, a fitting illustration of the family motto "Quid non dilectis", which means "what we wouldn't do for those we love".
