"Gold and Iron," the masterful dual biography of Bismarck and his Jewish banker Gerson von Bleichröder, is the main work of Fritz Stern. The internationally renowned historian paints a picture of political power and high finance, Prussianism and Judaism in the rising German Empire of the second half of the 19th century. Two worlds collide in his book: the world of the aristocratic, agrarian gentry and the modern industrial society. For Gerson von Bleichröder was not only Bismarck's private banker for thirty years, but also his confidant in politics and diplomacy. In brilliant prose, Stern narrates the story of a mutually influential relationship: psychological factors and material interests gain power.