Simon von Sina or Simon Sinas (Greek: Σίμων Σίνας; 1810–1876) was an Austrian-Greek banker, aristocrat, benefactor and diplomat. He was one of the most important benefactors of the Greek nation together with his father Georgios Sinas.[1]
Simon Sinas was born on August 15, 1810, in Vienna.[2] The Sinas family came from the Aromanian settlement of Moscopole in southern Albania.[3] The son of Georgios Sinas, also a benefactor and diplomat, Sinas expanded his father's business. His ethnic origin has been described as Aromanian,[4][5][6][7][8]Hellenized Aromanian,[9] or Greek.[10][11][12][13][14] Regardless of his ethnic origin, Sinas was part of the social-cultural Greek merchant class which maintained close relations with the newly founded Greek state of his era. He served as Greek consul in Vienna, and later as minister to Austria, the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Germany. He also made major donations to various educational and scientific foundations in Austria, Hungary, and Greece.[12] During his time as Greek ambassador in Vienna, Johann Strauss II composed the Hellenen-Polka (Hellenes Polka) op. 203, at Simon's request, in 1856, for an annual ball of the ethnic Greek community in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.[15]
Sinas became director of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank and established the Simon Georg Sina banking house in Vienna.[2] Following the end of the Second Schleswig War (or German-Danish War) in 1864, he funded the return transport of Austrian forces from the region of Schleswig-Holstein.[2] From 1874 onwards, Sinas held a position in the Herrenhaus of Austria.[2]
^ abcdeKilly & Vierhaus 2005, p. 346: "Sina, Simon Georg, from 1832 onwards Baron von Hodos und Kisidia, Austrian banker, * 15.8.1810, Vienna; † 15.4.1876, Vienna. S., the son of Georg Simon → S., founded the banking house of Simon Georg Sina in Vienna and was director of the Austrian National Bank. In 1864 he financed the return transport of the Austrian troops from Schleswig-Holstein following the German-Danish War. S. was a member of the board of management of the General Hungarian Credit Bank and the board of administration of the Rossitz mining company. He was also a member of the executive senate of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. S. held a seat in the Austrian Herrenhaus from 1874 onwards."
^Chatziioannou, Maria (2010). "Mediterranean Pathways of Greek Merchants to Victorian England". The Historical Review. 7: 218. The success of the migrant-entrepreneur is not only illustrated by such impressive careers as the Rothschilds of Jewish background, or, in the Greek case, that of S. Sinas in Vienna, originally from the Vlach-populated Moschopolis, or A. Syngros and the Ralli brothers from Chios, but can be identified in strategic choices of medium-sized merchants as well
^ abRükl & Rackham 1991, pp. 98: "Sinas [8.8°N, 31.6°E] Simon Sinas, 1810–1876. Greek merchant, patron of astronomers, bequeathed Athens Observatory. Circular crater (12.4 km/2260 m)."
^ abcMoscow Patriarchate 1978, p. 84: "A son of the rich Greek family of Sina, Simon Sina the Younger did many good works, contributing large sums of money for the building of Athens University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Art Gallery, the Institute for the Blind, hospitals, schools and in particular Orthodox Churches and other ecclesiastical institutions."
^Dent 2007, p. 9: "...Count Simon Sina, a banker, aristocrat and landowner of Greek origin, and one of the wealthiest men of his day. His father, George Sina had been a chief financier backing the construction of the Chain Bridge."
^Gill, John (2011). Athens. Andrews UK Limited. p. 47. ISBN978-1-908493-48-4. The expatriate Greek millionaire Baron Simon Sinas, then living in Vienna, [...]
1 Includes localities with a substantial ethnic Greek population, or otherwise with any kind of cultural or other type of significance, historical or current, for the Greek minority in Albania. 2 Includes individuals not necessarily of Greek ethnicity but with important contributions to Greek civilization.