Paul Muehsam and Muehsam Family Collection
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of materials pertaining to Paul Muehsam (1876-1960) and the research of Else Levi-Muehsam (1910-2004), Paul Muehsam's daughter, on her family history.
Series I contains correspondence including extracts from letters of P. and Irma Muehsam (1908 to 1946) compiled by E. Levi-Muehsam titled "Briefe der Liebe" (typescript, 95 pp.), furthermore, several texts by P. Muehsam including "Ein Spiel vom getreuen Tod" (bound typescript, 68 pp.) from 1922, "Glaubensbekenntnis. Meinen Freunden zu meinem 70. Geburtstag" (bound typescript, 33 pp.) from 1946, "Der 2. Weltkrieg. Von Palaestina aus gesehen. Aus meinen Tagebuchnotizen" (typescript, 186+1 pp.) from 1957, various chapters from his diary (excerpts) later published by under the title "Mein Weg zu mir" (typescripts, circa 156 pp.), various shorter texts including riddles, children stories, a collection of letters titled "Humoristischer Briefwechsel zwischen Dr. Leo Landau and Dr. Paul Muehsam" (1944-1945) (compiled by P. Muehsam in 1958) and the short text "Warum ich nicht nach Deutschland zurueckkehren moechte" (typescript, 1 p.) (undated).There are also materials about P. Muehsam by his daughter E. Levi-Muehsam and various others (published and unpublished) collections of various materials pertaining to P. Muehsam's "Der ewige Jude" (1924), and materials about lawyers in Goerlitz (including correspondence, various texts by P. Muehsam, and photographs).
Series II reflects E. Levi-Muehsam's extensive research on the history of her family, the history of the Kaufmann, Blumenthal, and Strauss families (on her mother Irma Muehsam's (née Kaufmann) (1889-1946) side) and the history of the Muehsam and Pappenheim families (on her father's side) reaching back to the 17th century.
It includes correspondence of E. Levi-Muehsam with various individuals including family members and scholars, and with archives, in particular with the Staatsbibliothek Berlin and the Leo Baeck Institute, New York (also pertaining to donations of family documents by E. Levi-Muehsam to the LBI New York), manuscripts, family trees, various family documents, postcards, photographs, brochures, clippings and other printed materials pertaining to the Kaufmann (Wevelinghoven), Blumenthal (Rennertehausen), Strauss (Amoeneburg), Muehsam and Pappenheim (Pitschen and Pappenheim) families and their places of origin (genealogical research).
A compilation of materials by E. Levi-Muehsam titled "Unsere Altvorderen" contains birth and death certificates and other documents (originals and copies) pertaining to various family members.
The materials were given to the Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem by E. Levi-Muehsam.
Dates
- 1855-2002
Creator
- Levi-Mühsam, Else (Person)
- Mühsam, Paul, 1876-1960 (Person)
Language of Materials
This collection is in German and English.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Biographical Note
Paul Muehsam, writer, translator, and lawyer, was born in Brandenburg in 1876. He studied law in Freiburg, Munich and Berlin and opened a law firm in Goerlitz in 1905. He married Irma Kaufmann (1889-1946) in 1909, they had three daughters including Else Levi-Muehsam. In 1933, after losing his license as lawyer, he immigrated to Palestine from Nazi Germany. He continued writing in German after his emigration. He died in Jerusalem in 1960.
Else Levi-Muehsam was born in Goerlitz in 1910. She emigrated from Germany in 1933 and settled in Jerusalem. In 1964 she returned to Germany and lived for 25 years in Konstanz where she headed the Dr. Erich Bloch and Lebenheim library of the Jewish Community. In 1995, after over thirty years in Germany, she returned to Israel and died in Jerusalem in 2004. She published numerous articles and books about her father and edited several of his works including excerpts from his diary titled "Mein Weg zu mir. Aus Tagebuechern" (1992), "... seit der Schoepfung wurde gehaemmert an deinem Haus" (1970), a collection of poetry, and correspondence of her parents "Vollkommeneres wurde nie und wird nicht werden als die Liebe. Briefwechsel von Paul und Irma Muehsam" (1985).
The Kaufmann family, originally a family of merchants and horse dealers, originates from Welinghoven (Niederrhein), the Blumenthal family from Rennertehausen / Eder (Hesse), and the Strauss family from Amoeneburg (Hesse). The origins of the Muehsam and Pappenheim family lie in Pappenheim (Franconia) and Pitschen (Prussia).
Extent
24 Folders
Abstract
This collection consists of materials pertaining to Paul Muehsam (1876-1960) and the research of Else Levi-Muehsam (1910-2004), Paul Muehsam's daughter, on her family history.
Note
This collection is located at LBI Jerusalem. For information on accessing the collection please visit their website: http://www.leobaeck.org/
- Amöneburg (Marburg-Biedenkopf, Germany)
- Authors, German
- Autobiographies (literary works)
- Blumenthal family
- Correspondence
- Genealogical tables
- Genealogy
- German literature
- Kauffman family
- Manuscripts (documents)
- Muehsam family
- Muehsam, Siegfried, 1838-1915
- Pappenheim (Bavaria, Germany)
- Pappenheim family
- Photographs
- Rennertehausen (Germany)
- Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz
- Strauss family
- Wevelinghoven (Germany)
- Title
- Guide to the Paul Muehsam and Muehsam Family Collection, 1855-2002 LBIJER 23
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by LBI Staff
- Date
- © 2014
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
