Jost Liebmann

Court Jew and court jeweler of Elector Frederick III. of Brandenburg (King Frederick I. of Prussia), and one of the elders of the Jewish congregation of Berlin; died 1701. As court Jew Jost succeeded Israel Aaron, whose widow he married. His wealth and standing at thecourt enabled him to exercise a great influence in the early period of the Jewish congregation. He acquired the privilege of having his own synagogue, to which he appointed as rabbi his nephew and son-in-law, Aaron ben Benjamin Wolf. By his quarrels with Marcus Magnus, court Jew of the crown prince, the congregation was split into two factions, and after his death the quarrel was continued by his widow and his sons Israel and Liebmann Jost (see Jew. Encyc. iii. 71, iv. 317). Among his numerous descendants are the brothers Giacomo Meyerbeer, Michael Beer, and Wilhelm Beer.

Bibliography:

  * Geiger, Gesch. der Juden in Berlin, i. 7, 21-23, Berlin, 1871;
  * Grätz, Gesch. x. 309, 350, Leipsic, 1868;
  * Kaufmann, Samson Wertheimer, p. 86, note 1, Vienna, 1888;
  * idem, Vertreibung der Juden aus Wien, p. 217, ib. 1889;
  * Emil Lehmann, Berend Lehmann, pp. 32-33, Dresden, 1885;
  * Landshuth, Toledot Anshe ha-Shem, pp. 6-8, Berlin, 1884.



D. S. Man.