Meyer Ems Family Collection

The Meyer Ems Collections primarily consists of the papers of Meyer Ems and his father Abraham Leeser Ems. The collection includes official statements and certificates as well as a number of letters, a family tree and other papers on the family.

The first folder holds two letters that established Abraham Leeser Ems' position as a Schutzjude (protected Jew) in Rheda, one by Graf Moritz Casimir in 1804 and again in 1806 after his death by his son Emil Friedrich Karl. Two other letters relate to the sale of a portion of Moritz Casimir's gardens in Rheda to Abraham Leeser in 1805 and permission for him to build the family home on this land the following year.

Three folders hold letters almost entirely from Emil Friedrich Karl zu Bentheim-Tecklenburg in Hohenlimburg to Abraham Leeser Ems in Rheda, although there are a few letters by Abraham Ems to the Fürst in folder 5. Since the letters of the Fürst often have varying handwriting they may have been written by his subordinates on his behalf. Many letters seem to relate to payments or items commissioned by him. They frequently appear friendly in tone, with some mention of the Ems family members or events such as balls that were given for the Fürst's birthdays. The few letters by Abraham Ems, all addressed to Carl zu Bentheim-Tecklenburg, concern payments, possibly of a loan.

Three folders contain papers of Meyer (sometimes spelled Meier) Ems. Folder 3 consists of certificates relating to his apprenticeship in silver and goldwork and establishment in 1835 in this career. An 1829 certificate of good conduct is also present. Folder 6 holds similar papers, including an 1837 registration for practicing the trade of jeweler and goldworker. Folder 7 includes statements regarding payments by the Rath von Roppard as well as a list that records payments and calculations of interest from July 1841-December 1842.

The final two folders relate to the rest of the Ems family. The family tree (Stammbaum) lists the descendants of Abraham Leeser until 1922, while the final folder includes a letter to the LBI with some context of the collection and an article. The article is a typed copy of a humorous newspaper article ("Dörchläuting in Westfalen" - "Highness in Westphalia") that originally appeared in the local Hohenlimburg newspaper in 1902 about Marcus Ems, retainer and horse handler for an unnamed Fürst.