Esther Schulhoff Aaron Liebmann

Ester Schulhoff was a member of learned and distinguished Prague family. Her first husband was Israel Aron who was given permission in 1657 to conduct business in Berlin. In 1665 he became Court Jew, but was not very successful and has died indebted in 1673. After his death Ester had to support his family and pay his debts.

After a few years she married again, this time to Jost Liebman, Arons’s successor to the post of Court Jew. Her dowry was humble but she brought to Jost her first husband’s business connections, the right to live in Berlin, and her contacts with Prussian King Frederick I and his court. She managed to obtain letters of safe conduct for doing business in other cities, win trade concessions, and was even so influential to have influence over rabbinical appointments.

After the death of her second husband in 1702 she continued his business, supplying gems to King Frederik. She supplied jewelry in such quantities that because of the great debt, that the royal family owned her, she was given the right to mint and distribute coins.