Baron Alexander Ludwigovich von Stiglitz, born in 1814 and died in 1884, was an outstanding Russian financier, banker, and industrialist. He served as the manager of the State Bank of Russia from 1860 to 1866 and was actively involved in patronage and charity. His father was a court banker and founded the banking house 'Stiglitz & Co.' Alexander was married to Carolina Loginovna Miller, who was also engaged in charity and was a member of the St. Petersburg Council of Children's Shelters. Their only son, Ludwig Stiglitz, died in infancy. In 1844, the couple adopted a girl, Nadezhda Mikhailovna Iyunova, who later became Polovtseva.

Alexander Ludwigovich was born in St. Petersburg and graduated from Dorpat University. In 1840, he began working in the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire, becoming a member of the Manufacturing Council. After his father's death in 1843, he inherited his fortune and the affairs of the banking house, becoming a court banker. In 1846, Stiglitz was elected chairman of the Stock Exchange Committee, holding this position for 13 years. He participated in all major financial operations of the Russian government and maintained connections with banking houses in Amsterdam, London, and Paris. In 1848, he was appointed a member of the Commercial Council of the Ministry of Finance, and in 1854 he became a state councilor, and in 1855, an actual state councilor.

Stiglitz's charitable activities were a continuation of his father's work and mainly focused on education and support for his employees. In 1853, in honor of the anniversary of the trading house 'Stiglitz & Co.,' he generously rewarded all his employees. During the Crimean War, Stiglitz made two significant donations for the needs of the army. In 1858, he contributed a substantial amount for the maintenance of students in educational institutions in memory of Emperor Nicholas I. In 1859, he donated capital in honor of the heir apparent's coming of age. His most significant contribution was the establishment of the Central School of Technical Drawing in St. Petersburg, which included an art and industrial museum and a library.

Alexander Ludwigovich died of pneumonia in October 1884 and was buried in Ivanгород in the Church of the Holy Trinity, which he built over his wife's grave. His will was a model of care for the institutions he created and for those close to him. He bequeathed 30,000 rubles to the employees of the State Bank, and his valet received 5,000 rubles. The total amount distributed according to the will was about 38 million rubles. Stiglitz, being an independent person, preferred to invest his funds in Russian funds, despite the skeptical remarks of other financiers.