Esther Liebmann (née Schulhoff; 1649 – 15 April 1714) was a German financier. In Berlin, she served as court Jew to King Friedrich I of Prussia, inheriting the title and also the Münzregal from her second husband, Jost Liebmann.[1] She was the widow of Israel Aaron of Konigsberg.[2] She served as court jeweler, assisting the king in obtaining a large collection of gems and jewelry. When her husband was living, the couple worked together and were some of the most well-to-do Jews in Berlin. After Liebmann's husband's death in 1701, she carried on their business and became responsible for minting official coinage for the crown.[3] In her lifetime, she was known as the most powerful woman in the country.[4]
References
^Hertz, Deborah (1996). "The Despised Queen of Berlin Jewry, or the Life and Times of Esther Liebmann". In Mann, Vivian B.; Cohen, Richard I. (eds.). From Court Jews to the Rothschilds. Art, Patronage and Power 1600–1800. New York: Prestel. pp. 67–77. ISBN3-7913-1624-9.
