Reflecting on Family Migrations
Woke up to a beautiful day in Bremerhaven, and I was keen to go for a walk bright and early...others, not so much. Off I go: this is our house from the outside.
I went up the road in search of money and food. Up the street we were near a supermarket and bakery, which is where I bought our food supplies for the day after finding the bank machine a little meander away.
View of our street from the corner. I wish I had taken more pics on the streets while we were here; as it turns out, Bremerhaven is a place on google maps that you can’t see in street view yet! I remember it all though. :)
After returning with the groceries, we had breakfast and got ready to go out for another day of adventure. Our home was on the edge of this vast green space with trails around a little lake, along fields, and past about a dozen windmills.
Once out of the more wild green space, we walked the tree lined road that crosses the freeway and then brings us to the border of this municipal park, which we walked through to get to the train station/bus loop area on the other side.
We stopped at this bench in the sunshine to eat our picnic lunch and relax a while in a beautiful garden.
We gave our legs a rest and took the bus, and soon enough we were back at the waterfront, just past the Klimahaus we visited yesterday.
We were here to visit the Deutsches Auswanderer Haus, a museum exploring emigration from, and immigration into, Germany since the 1800′s. Millions of people sailed out of Bremerhaven up to the 1970′s when it became cheaper to fly than cross the ocean on a ship.
As my family sailed out of Bremerhaven in the 50′s to live in Canada, this was a story I felt connected to, and a place I felt I had to see when we made it to Germany.
When you have purchased your tickets you are given a boarding pass which has a card that will enhance the experience by making it multi-media.
Your card also allows you to hear more details on two particular story lines. The first is someone who emigrated out of Germany; the second is someone who immigrated into Germany.
Then you are in a holding space, where they have a display of how the harbour front has changed over the centuries. After a few minutes some doors open, and you find yourself on a pier next to a ship soon to leave port.
Some luggage was open so you could see examples of toiletries and other things people packed.
Then a gallery full of archives and artifacts sharing stories of many people who left the country over time, and the many reasons why they left.
The emigration story I was following was that of Justina Tubbe. All 3 of us had different life stories we were following, which allowed us to absorb even more from this experience.
I found examples of the paperwork for people leaving for Canada around the same time as my family.
Then you go up the walkway into the entrance of the ship, looking down on the pier we passed when entering.
Models of the 3 ships used in the museum to convey life on board for emigrating passengers.
The 3 people we followed traveled across the Atlantic in 1855, 1872 and 1923.
There were examples of cabins, dining areas and other spaces from these 3 ships, and you could hear stories from passengers and see artifacts common to travel in each time period.
After exploring 2nd class life on board a few different ships, you land on Ellis Island in New York. This is a space that would have been full of travelers looking for permission to carry on the journey.
After a long wait, this is where one wait to be tested on whether you can stay... or have to board a ship sailing back to Europe.
After being processed on Ellis Island, many migrants moved on to other parts of the US, and beyond.
A space with details on immigration rates over the decades, and brochures, books and other things that were used to help immigrants ease into their new country.
In the Grand Central Station exhibit we found the modern day update to the stories of the people we had been learning about along the way. Displayed are tales from the grandchildren or other ancestors, along with pictures and artifacts donated to the museum.
Justina Tubbe and her two sons settled in Texas, and there are still living relatives in the south.
Martha’s life didn’t turn out as well in America, and she ended up moving back to Germany to live with her sister into old age.
Ottmar invented the Linotype machine in Baltimore which revolutionized the art of printing.
Having wrapped up the emigration experience, the focus now switches to the people who have immigrated into Germany.
At this little convenience kiosk, we were given information and new cards to guide us through the search of the immigration stories we were following.
We searched the 70′s style mall for clues to find more and more of the story for each of our people.
Serife Seyitler immigrated into Germany in 1965 from Turkey.
She is now in her 80′s and has raised a family in Bremerhaven, pictured here in 2009.
Plenty of information on how the borders have changed around Germany over the centuries, and the bureaucracy behind people coming and going.
Left this place with a few boatloads of things to think about. Not only about my family emigrating out of Germany, and Mark’s parents emigrating from England, but also thinking even more about the boat loads of people who have left their home lands to escape war and other horrors, especially the many thousands seeking refuge today.
Positively amazing experience, and I was happy I had planned our trip around visiting this museum.
With our minds full, we walked through a pedestrian plaza, found a place to buy a few postcards, and wandered til we found the bus that would take us home.
We made dinner when we got back to the house and had a game night to end the day. One of the best days on this trip for me.
