Welser Family | Vibepedia

The Welser family was a prominent German banking and merchant family that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century, controlling large sectors of the European economy and accumulating enormous wealth through trade and colonization. Along with the [[fugger-family|Fugger family]], they were key players in the European economy, and their influence extended to the Americas, including the [[spanish-empire|Spanish Empire]]. The family's history is marked by significant events, including their receipt of colonial rights to the [[province-of-venezuela|Province of Venezuela]] from [[charles-v-holy-roman-emperor|Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1528.