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Daniel Frischmann
Frischmann in the uniform of colonel of the East India Company. Portrait by Johann Nikolaus Grooth, 1772.
Born(1728-05-20)May 20, 1728
Basel, Swiss Confederation
DiedJune 15, 1808(1808-06-15) (aged 80)
Basel, Swiss Confederation
OccupationsMilitary officer, merchant, politician
SpouseSybilla Heitz (m. 1773)
ChildrenJohann Albrecht Frischmann, Sibylle Frischmann
Parent(s)Johann Rudolf Frischmann, Johanna Burckhardt

Daniel Frischmann (20 May 1728 – 15 June 1808) was a Swiss mercenary, merchant, and politician from Basel. He served as an officer in the British East India Company forces in India and later became a prominent businessman and political figure in Basel.

Early life and education

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Daniel Frischmann was born on 20 May 1728 in Basel to Johann Rudolf Frischmann, a swordsmith, and Johanna Burckhardt.[1] His uncle, merchant Daniel Burckhardt, served as equerry to the British envoy in Constantinople.[1] After attending the gymnasium, Frischmann was orphaned at a young age.[1] In 1739, he travelled to Neuchâtel for language studies, and from 1741 he undertook a commercial apprenticeship in Basel.[1]

Military career in India

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In 1747, Frischmann travelled to the Dutch Republic, and in 1751 he entered the Swiss battalion of the British East India Company in Amsterdam as a cadet.[1] He was recruited for foreign military service by John Henri Schaub, without official authorization, on behalf of Swiss-born British diplomat Luke Schaub.[1]

Frischmann arrived in Madras, India in 1752, where he was taken prisoner by the French and kept for two years in Pondicherry.[1] After returning to Madras in 1754, he was again captured by the French for six months in 1758 while serving as lieutenant and aide-major at Cuddalore.[1] Frischmann was promoted to captain during the Siege of Madras in 1758-1759.[1] In 1763, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of a unit near Cape Comorin in 1764.[1] Frischmann reached the rank of colonel during active campaign and was appointed commander of Madras and Fort St. George in 1769.[1]

Return to Basel and commercial activities

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Frischmann returned to Basel in 1770 due to health reasons but maintained correspondence with officers from his regiment, including Noé Antoine Abraham Bonjour.[1] He had accumulated a considerable fortune of 150,000-200,000 florins during his final four years in India, according to his contemporary Christoph Adam Carl von Imhoff, a German officer in British East India Company service.[1]

He devoted himself primarily to managing his wealth and maintained correspondence with commercial partners.[1] His investments included international and colonial enterprises, notably Jean Duval & fils and Johann Friedrich Iselin in London, Senn, Bidermann & Co. in Paris, and the Société maritime suisse.[1]

In 1773, Frischmann married Sybilla Heitz, daughter of Johann Heinrich Heitz, a banker and director of Basel's Chamber of Commerce, and Charlotte Louise Ochs.[1] The couple had two children: Johann Albrecht and Sibylle Frischmann.[1]

Political career and death

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In 1784, Frischmann became a member of the Schlüsselzunft as a sizenier.[1] During the Helvetic Republic, he served as commissioner for the redemption of tithes.[1] From 1804 to 1807, he was a member of the Grand Council for the Basel district, and in 1808 he became a member of Basel's Small Council.[1] Frischmann died on 15 June 1808 in Basel, aged 80.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Susanna Burghartz: "Daniel Frischmann" in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 13 May 2025.

 This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-BY SA. Text taken from Frischmann, Daniel​, Susanna Burghartz, Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Translated by Laurence Margairaz.

Bibliography

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  • Burghartz, Susanna: «Aufbruch in den Kapitalismus, 1670-1810», in: Burghartz, Susanna (ed.): Aufbrüche, Krisen, Transformationen. Zwischen Reformation und Revolution. Basel 1510-1790, 2024, pp. 236-275.
  • Imhoff, Christoph Adam Carl von: Imhoff – Indienfahrer. Ein Reisebericht aus dem 18. Jahrhundert in Briefen und Bildern, edited by Gerhard Koch, 2001.
  • Kilchenmann, Johann Eduard: Schweizersöldner im Dienste der Englisch-Ostindischen Kompanie um die Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Englischen Unternehmungen in Vorderindien, 1911.
  • Lätt, Arnold: Der Anteil der Schweizer an der Eroberung Indiens, 1933.
  • Tzoref-Ashkenazi, Chen: German Soldiers in Colonial India, 2014.

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