Ulrich Fugger

German merchant

Also known as: Ulrich Fugger von der Lilie

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June 29, 2026

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Ulrich Fugger was a key figure in the rise of the Fugger family, a prominent German mercantile and banking dynasty that significantly influenced European business and politics in the 15th and 16th centuries.1

The Fugger family's success began with Hans Fugger, a weaver who established the family in Augsburg in 1367. His sons, Andreas and Jakob I, expanded the business. Jakob I's sons, Ulrich and Georg, further developed the firm's international trade. Ulrich, along with his brother Georg, established an agency in Venice, where their brother Jakob II the Rich later studied modern bookkeeping.1

Ulrich and Georg were instrumental in expanding the Fugger business, laying the groundwork for the family's immense wealth and influence in European finance and trade.1

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Fugger family
The founding fathers
…two of his seven sons, Ulrich and Georg, profitably expanded the firm’s international trade. In 1473 they were granted a coat of arms with a lily, causing this branch of the family to be called Fugger von der Lilie. With the help of their brother Markus in Rome, they handled…
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…two of his seven sons, Ulrich and Georg, profitably expanded the firm’s international trade. In 1473 they were granted a coat of arms with a lily, causing this branch of the family to be called Fugger von der Lilie. With the help of their brother Markus in Rome, they handled…
Read More