In old Dutch documents (16th to 19th century), and even today in the Low Saxon dialects, Emlichheim is called Emmelkamp.

Over a million metric tons of potatoes delivered from within a region with a radius of some 150 km are processed here every year, thereby making Emsland-Stärke the community’s largest employer.

Some 8 km west of Emlichheim lies the border-straddling industrial park within the communities of Laar in Germany and Coevorden in the Netherlands called EUROPARK.

Here, a hotly disputed rubbish burning site, the Müllverbrennungsanlage Emlichheim, is supposed to be built by a private Dutch investor.

These schools supply basic educational needs, but further needs must be sought either in Neuenhaus (Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium) or in the district seat of Nordhorn.