Walter Simon (philanthropist) facts for kids

Walter Simon (born April 30, 1857, in Königsberg – died April 1, 1920) was an important German banker, a city councillor, and a philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who gives money and time to help others and good causes. Walter Simon was active in the cities of Königsberg (which is now Kaliningrad, Russia) and Tübingen.

Walter Simon's Life Story

Walter Simon was the second son of Moritz Simon, who was also a banker in Königsberg. As a young person, Walter went to the Altstadt Gymnasium, which was a high school. After that, he studied many subjects like law, medicine, and philosophy at two universities: the University of Tübingen and the University of Königsberg.

After finishing his studies, Walter Simon became a banker in his hometown of Königsberg. He also served as a city councillor until 1901. In this role, he worked hard to help people who were poor and to improve public education for everyone.

Walter Simon received special honors for his work. In 1899, he was made an honorary professor at the University of Königsberg. He was also given the title of Geheime Kommerzienrat, which meant he was a special advisor on business matters for the German Empire. In 1908, Königsberg made him an honorary citizen. This happened during the 100-year celebration of the 1808 reforms that changed how cities were run. Walter Simon passed away in his home in Königsberg in 1920.

How Walter Simon Helped Others

Walter Simon was known for his generosity and for helping his community. He gave money and land to support many important projects in both Königsberg and Tübingen.

Helping Königsberg

In 1892, Walter Simon gave a large piece of land, about 6.83 hectares, in an area called Mittelhufen. This land was used to build a sports field named Walter-Simon-Platz. This field was used by the Königsberger STV sports club in the early 1900s. Later, during a difficult time in history, the field's name was changed to Erich-Koch-Platz because Walter Simon was Jewish. Today, this sports field is known as Baltika Stadium and is located in Kaliningrad, Russia.

In 1894, Walter Simon also helped fund a public bath near the Oberteich. This bath offered free swimming lessons for schoolchildren. He also donated money for books and to help build the Luisenkirche church in Amalienau. He supported the Farenheid Poorhouse in Hinterroßgarten, which helped people in need. Simon also contributed to the Bismarck Memorial at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz.

Helping Tübingen

Walter Simon also supported many projects in Tübingen. In 1890, he started a special fund called the Dr. Walter-Simon-Stiftung für Tübinger Weingärtner. This fund was created to help winemakers in Tübingen.

In 1907, he created another fund specifically to help female university students. He even donated more money to this fund in 1932 after its value went down because of inflation. In 1912, Simon started a fund to help young couples, especially brides, who were not wealthy. He also gave money to the Uhlandbad indoor swimming pool. Today, a street in Tübingen, Walter-Simon-Straße, is named after him to honor his contributions.