Handschriften
Item
Country
DE
Name of institution (English)
Emden Municipal Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
deu
Contact information: postal address
Kirchstrasse 18, 26721 Emden
Contact information: phone number
0049 492187 - 1401
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
rolf.uphoff@emden.de (Dr. Uphoff - Director, Archivist)
mschneider@emden.de (Mr. Schneider - User support, genealogist, photo archive)
bubacz@emden.de (Mr, Bubacz - Press and Newspapers, filing and repositioning)
mschneider@emden.de (Mr. Schneider - User support, genealogist, photo archive)
bubacz@emden.de (Mr, Bubacz - Press and Newspapers, filing and repositioning)
Reference number
MS
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Manuscripts
Title (official language of the state)
Handschriften
Language of title
deu
Creator / accumulator
Emden City Council
Date(s)
1568/1945
Language(s)
deu
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The collection includes among others: the toll for Jews (“Judengeleit“) with a register of Jews from 29 June 1740, bound as a book (no. 6); approval and decree of mayor and council of the city of Emden to the Portuguese Jew Joshua Henriques because of a “Lombard“ (credit) to be issued, c. 17th/18th century, 3 sheets (no. 103).
Archival history
The manuscript collection is arranged chronologically. In cases where the date of the manuscript could not be ascertained, it was classified in the period in which the manuscript was probably produced. Both typescripts and manuscripts are included. The manuscript collections of the city syndic and mayor Djurko Andree (1665-1691), as well as those of the city archivist Louis Hahn (1934-1945), are listed separately within the finding aid to the archive's manuscript collection.
The Municipal Archive Emden dates back to the collection of municipal documents and privileges which were kept in the secretary chamber of the old town hall in the 16th century. During the tenure of city alderman, Johannes Althusius in the 17th century the archive was of particular importance, as it was the source of his arguments in his fight for the political independence of Emden. In this context, the first file directory of the Municipal Archive was created in 1618. From 1576 to 1942 the archive was located at the town hall on the Delft. After the transition of Emden to Prussia in 1744 and the abolition of some of the existing city rights Emden's archive lost its previous importance as an "arsenal" in the struggle for the independence of the city and was redesigned after the Prussian model. From 1763 to 1794 the archive was managed by the registrar Scipio Nellner, who created further extensive file directories. The files of the Dutch-French reign were arranged and listed by his successor in the system of the French decimal classification. In the years of Hanoverian rule, the Municipal Archive fell into disarray so that, in 1859, the archive provided "the picture of a complete confusion for which the memory of two persons provided the only key.” In 1861, therefore, at the instigation of the Hannover district administration (Landdrostei) in Aurich, the registrar Ernst August Gebest took over the management of the archive. This brought the extensive files back in order. Gebest remained in post until 1914. In the years 1934-1945, under National Socialist rule, Dr Louis Hahn became the head of the archive after it had been neglected for 20 years. He brought the archive into a new order. In the years 1939-1945, the archive was moved several times to different places, which caused the largest part of the file directories as well as a number of files to be lost. The municipal archive's location in the old town hall on the Delft was destroyed in the bombing of 6 September 1944, when 90% of Emden’s city centre was lost to fire. In 1952, the director of the Museum of the East Frisian Region (“Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum“) Wolfgang Schöningh was entrusted with the reorganisation of the archive and created several directories. From 1962 the archive was stored in two storage rooms of the museum. Between 1967 and 1997, Dr Helmut Eichhorn was in charge of the Municipal Archive. In 1995-6, the archive moved from the town hall at the Delft to new, larger premises in Kirchstrasse. Since then, the archive has been stored in a former World War bunker, which was prepared as a storage unit. Documents are housed on shelves that meet modern storage requirements, the rooms are air-conditioned and there is room for growth. The files were packaged in archive boxes and rearranged. Since 2001, Dr Rolf Uphoff is the head of the Emden Municipal Archive. Since then, an inventory of all files has taken place. All archival materials are re-recorded with the help of EDP. Today the archive contains about 500 documents, 150 manuscripts, 8,000 printed publications, 10,000 books and 70,000 files.
The Municipal Archive Emden dates back to the collection of municipal documents and privileges which were kept in the secretary chamber of the old town hall in the 16th century. During the tenure of city alderman, Johannes Althusius in the 17th century the archive was of particular importance, as it was the source of his arguments in his fight for the political independence of Emden. In this context, the first file directory of the Municipal Archive was created in 1618. From 1576 to 1942 the archive was located at the town hall on the Delft. After the transition of Emden to Prussia in 1744 and the abolition of some of the existing city rights Emden's archive lost its previous importance as an "arsenal" in the struggle for the independence of the city and was redesigned after the Prussian model. From 1763 to 1794 the archive was managed by the registrar Scipio Nellner, who created further extensive file directories. The files of the Dutch-French reign were arranged and listed by his successor in the system of the French decimal classification. In the years of Hanoverian rule, the Municipal Archive fell into disarray so that, in 1859, the archive provided "the picture of a complete confusion for which the memory of two persons provided the only key.” In 1861, therefore, at the instigation of the Hannover district administration (Landdrostei) in Aurich, the registrar Ernst August Gebest took over the management of the archive. This brought the extensive files back in order. Gebest remained in post until 1914. In the years 1934-1945, under National Socialist rule, Dr Louis Hahn became the head of the archive after it had been neglected for 20 years. He brought the archive into a new order. In the years 1939-1945, the archive was moved several times to different places, which caused the largest part of the file directories as well as a number of files to be lost. The municipal archive's location in the old town hall on the Delft was destroyed in the bombing of 6 September 1944, when 90% of Emden’s city centre was lost to fire. In 1952, the director of the Museum of the East Frisian Region (“Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum“) Wolfgang Schöningh was entrusted with the reorganisation of the archive and created several directories. From 1962 the archive was stored in two storage rooms of the museum. Between 1967 and 1997, Dr Helmut Eichhorn was in charge of the Municipal Archive. In 1995-6, the archive moved from the town hall at the Delft to new, larger premises in Kirchstrasse. Since then, the archive has been stored in a former World War bunker, which was prepared as a storage unit. Documents are housed on shelves that meet modern storage requirements, the rooms are air-conditioned and there is room for growth. The files were packaged in archive boxes and rearranged. Since 2001, Dr Rolf Uphoff is the head of the Emden Municipal Archive. Since then, an inventory of all files has taken place. All archival materials are re-recorded with the help of EDP. Today the archive contains about 500 documents, 150 manuscripts, 8,000 printed publications, 10,000 books and 70,000 files.
Administrative / Biographical history
From 1464 to 1806, the region East Frisia (Ostfriesland) formed the county of East Frisia, becoming the Principality of East Frisia in 1667. During this time, it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1744, the area fell to Prussia; from 1806 to 1810, it was a part of the Napoleonic satellite state "Kingdom of Holland"; from 1810 to 1813, a part of Napoleonic France, until finally from 1815 to 1866, Prussia again became a part of the kingdom of Hannover. With the annexation of Hannover by Prussia, the area was again administered by Prussia and, in 1871, also became part of the Prussian-dominated German Empire. This remained the case beyond the time of the Weimar Republic. During National Socialism from 1939 to 1945, it formed part of the so-called “Gau Weser-Ems“. After the Second World War, it became in 1946 a part of the newly formed federal state of Lower Saxony in the administrative district Aurich. Since then it has been a part of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The city of Emden already existed as a harbour settlement in the early Middle Ages. Trade was the main factor in the growth and prosperity of the city, making the settlement the largest city in East Frisia. Since 1885, it is district-free. According to a legend, Jews are said to have settled in East Frisia as early as the 14th century, but evidence exists only from the middle of the 16th century for the port cities of the region. In Emden, it is attested for the year 1530. From 1842, Emden was the seat of a district rabbinate (“Landrabbinat“). From 1933, on a large part of the East Frisian Jews emigrated, those who remained were persecuted and murdered in the Holocaust. After the Second World War, only 13 Jews returned. They founded a new synagogue association in 1949, which lasted until 1984. Today, only a few Jews live in East Frisia; they are part of the Jewish congregation of Oldenburg.
The city of Emden already existed as a harbour settlement in the early Middle Ages. Trade was the main factor in the growth and prosperity of the city, making the settlement the largest city in East Frisia. Since 1885, it is district-free. According to a legend, Jews are said to have settled in East Frisia as early as the 14th century, but evidence exists only from the middle of the 16th century for the port cities of the region. In Emden, it is attested for the year 1530. From 1842, Emden was the seat of a district rabbinate (“Landrabbinat“). From 1933, on a large part of the East Frisian Jews emigrated, those who remained were persecuted and murdered in the Holocaust. After the Second World War, only 13 Jews returned. They founded a new synagogue association in 1949, which lasted until 1984. Today, only a few Jews live in East Frisia; they are part of the Jewish congregation of Oldenburg.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The material is arranged in chronological order.
Finding aids
Schöningh, Wolfgangh. 1966. “Verzeichnis der Handschriften-Abteilung des Stadtarchivs Emden“. A printed copy of this book exists in the archive: “MS – Handschriften“ (loose sheets in a folder).