Baron Horace (Naftali Herz) de Gunzburg Papers

Baron Horace (Naftali Herz) de Gunzburg Collection consists of diverse materials that pertain to the state of Jews in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century and to the philanthropic activities of Horace and Joseph Gunzburgs. Materials comprising the collection shed light on the Gunzburg family's involvement in improving Jewish education, civil rights movement, and their efforts to improve general well being of the Jews in the Russian Empire.

The collection consists of correspondence with high ranking Government officials, religious and political figures, and individuals seeking assistance. There are also petitions, memoranda, and recommendations sent to the high ranking government official by Joseph Gunzburg and other prominent Jewish merchants. Additionally, there are petitions by Jewish doctors, government resolutions, official memoranda, minutes of meetings, reports, speeches, and statements.

Bulk of the collection consists of materials pertaining to the activities of the Hevrah Mefitsei Haskalah (Society for the Promotion of Culture Among the Jews of Russia, Rus. Обшество для Распространения Просвещения Между Евреями в России) which was founded by Joseph Gunzburg in 1863. These materials include correspondence between E. Levin and Joseph Gunzburg, correspondence with individuals seeking financial assistance, minutes of meetings, correspondence related to the Russian-Jewish press and book publications, and a proposal to change the mission of the Society.

There are also materials dealing with the Committee for the Improvement of Daily Life of Jews in the North-West Region (Комиссия по Улучшению Повседневной Жизни Евреев в Северо-Западном Регионе) that includes reports by the delegates of the meeting, speeches, minutes of meetings, and statements.