The New German
Emigration Center in Germany
By Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann
President, Society for
German-American Studies
Published August 2005
On
August 8, 2005, the Deutsches
Auswandererhaus/German
Emigration Center will be
officially dedicated in
Bremerhaven, Germany. This will be
the largest emigration museum in
Europe, and is appropriately
located in the north German city
of Bremerhaven. Since 1830, more
than seven million Europeans
departed from Bremerhaven on their
way to the New World. This will be
of great interest to Americans of
European ancestry, since the US,
as well as Canada are nations of
immigrants. In the US alone, there
are more than sixty million
Americans of German ancestry, and
many of their ancestors came to
America via Bremerhaven!
Going to Bremerhaven
to visit the German Emigration
Center offers the opportunity of
re-connecting with the Old Country
in Europe. The three focal points
of the new Center are:
experiencing emigration, tracing
roots, and understanding
migration. The Center itself is
located in the authentic location
of the Old/New Harbor (Alter/Neuer
Hafen), and the city of
Bremerhaven is well known not only
as an emigration port city. It is
also well known as the site of the
famous Auswandererdenkmal,
a monument paying tribute to all
German emigrants that was built by
means of contributions from
German-American donors.
In an entirely new
approach and based on stories of
individuals, visitors will
accompany the seven million
emigrants on the various stations
of their long journey to the New
World. They learn why the
emigrants wish to embark on this
dangerous journey, their account
of the ocean crossing and what
they hope to find on arrival in
the New World. Details on all the
important historical aspects of
emigration will be included: 19th
century emigration for economic
and political reasons, persecution
during the Third Reich and
emigration since 1950.
Visitors will relive
that moment when emigrants landed
in the New World, their home-to-be
– full of hope, apprehension and
anxiety. Spectacular historic
reconstructions, multimedia
productions and interactive
displays lend authenticity to the
depth of the visitor’s experience,
and the very unusual discovery
tour he or she is about to embark
on. At the end of the tour they
will meet the emigrants’ living
descendants and find out how much
they still know about the
language, tradition and culture of
their ancestors today.
The concept of
presenting historical background
information that is thorough,
absorbing and attractive to
tourists is designed to appeal to
the public in general while
meeting the demands of expert
authorities on migration as well.
As the leading
European center for emigration
issues the German Emigration
Center at Bremerhaven will feature
a special exhibition area focusing
on specific aspects of worldwide
migration. Furthermore, picture
and text material plus background
information and comprehensive
information on international
emigration regulations will
undoubtedly make the Center an
attractive destination for
visitors from all over.
The main target groups
at the German Emigration Center
will include interested visitors
from Germany and abroad as well as
authorities on the subject of
migration, school classes,
children’s groups and youngsters.
The overall concept takes the
differing needs of these various
groups into account.
As a member of the
Board of Trustees, who has worked
in the preparation of the new
German Emigration Center for some
time I highly recommend that
anyone going to Europe should plan
to go to Bremerhaven and visit the
German Emigration Center. It is
especially a valuable place to
bring the entire family and learn
more about the Old Country, and
emigration to the New World.
Anyone visiting friends and
families in Europe should also
include the German Emigration
Center in their planning. And when
there, also have your picture
taken at the famous
Auswandererdenkmal! For
further information, visit the
website of the Center at:
www.dah-bremerhaven.de.
©
2006 All content property of European Weekly unless where otherwise
accredited