David Steuss

David Steuss was a member and a head of a banking family in Austria known as the most prominent financiers of their time, serving Austrian and foreign rulers, ecclesiastical lords and noblemen.

His grandfather moved from Klosterneuburg to Vienna in 1241 and became the banker of the first Habsburgs in Austria. Characterized as an honest and wise man, David, son of the Hendlin, acted as financier of Duke Albert II and Archdukes Rudolf IV and Albert III, cities of Vienna and Bruenn; heads of the Church and government officials.

His relevance is evidenced in the fact that he was exempt from all jurisdictions except that of the Archduke himself. Steuss was in charge for collection and allocation of the contributions levied on the Jews, but in 1382 he was imprisoned by Albert III because he extorted an enormous sum of money.
His son-in-law was the celebrated rabbi Meir b. Baruch ha-Levi from Vienna. In 1420’s David’s son Jonah died as a victim of the Vienna persecutions (Wiener Gesera) and the Archduke confiscated properties of the Steuss.