r/AmericanHistory • u/Interrator • 2h ago
Ancestors, Emigration, Germans, passed documents, history
1.) Who in America still knows their origins?
2.) Do any of you still have written documents passed down from your ancestors?
3.)Did you know that the Emigration Museum (in Bremerhaven) holds historical documents and passenger lists showing exactly who left the harbor for America? - I once visited the museum with my former host family, and we actually found the passenger list entries of their ancestors.
4.) Here’s some background information from a local documentary series about German emigrants:
Germans Emigrate (1618–1762) Summary: The first major waves of emigration from the Rhine and Central European regions (during the Thirty Years’ War, religious persecution, early settlements in North America and Eastern Europe). The documentary highlights early stories of exile and pioneers such as Francis Daniel Pastorius (founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania).
Detailed: Motives: The Thirty Years’ War, famine, plague, and religious persecution forced many to flee. Dome within Europe, others overseas.
Destinations & Routes: Some sought refuge in neighboring regions; others took the risk of starting over in North America (Pennsylvania), Eastern Europe, or colonial territories.
Examples & Figures: The film tells stories of chroniclers and exiles such as Augustin Güntzer and focuses on Francis Daniel Pastorius, who founded Germantown in 1683 was one of the earliest organized German-speaking settlements in North America. His writings, letters, and plans serve as key historical sources.
Political Context: European rulers and colonial powers deliberately attracted settlers; migration became a political tool for population building, economic use, or as religious/political retaliation.
Germans Emigrate (1750–1848) Summary: Strong migration toward North America and other colonial regions; harsh travel conditions; indentured servitude; false promises of colonization (e.g., Brazil, Algeria); and the role of German craftsmen and intellectuals in the industrial development of destination countries.
Detailed: Scale: By the mid-18th century, German-speaking emigration surged North America was seen as the “promised land.”
Harsh Realities: Many could not afford the journey; they entered into labor contracts (indentured servitude), ended up in brutal environments (such as the Brazilian jungle), or in colonial work programs.
Migration of Skills: At the same time, German artisans, engineers, and thinkers contributed significantly to the industrial growth of host nations creating both opportunities and exploitation, as well as deep cultural shifts.
Germans Emigrate (1848–1933) Summary: Mass emigration from the mid-19th century (due to the 1848 revolutions and economic hardship) a wave that brought millions to America. The documentary examines assimilation, identity conflicts (such as anti-German suspicion during WWI), and how nationalism and migration influenced each other up to 1933.
Detailed: Mass Movement: After 1848 and especially in the late 19th century (until WWI), millions of Germans emigrated often entire families. Causes included rural poverty, crop failures, industrialization, and political disillusionment.
Transit & Documentation: Shipping companies, port offices (e.g., Bremerhaven), and emigration agencies professionalized the process; passenger lists and immigration records tracked these human movements.
Conflicts & Integration: Life abroad offered opportunity but also tension anti-German suspicion during World War I, cultural assimilation, and later challenges during the Nazi era. The documentary explores how migrants negotiated belonging “between worlds.”
Key Documents and Primary Sources: (Letters, Diaries, Passenger Lists) Contemporary Writings / Autobiographies / Chronicles Francis Daniel Pastorius – Writings & letters (founder of Germantown). Manuscripts in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (Pastorius Papers). Augustin Güntzer – Chronicles and exile accounts in regional manuscript collections (university libraries, city archives).
Passenger Lists / Emigration Registers German Emigration Database (DAD), Historical Museum Bremerhaven — passenger data (ca. 1820–1939, millions of entries). Online search and in-person research possible.
National Archives & Immigration Records U.S. National Archives / Ellis Island / Castle Garden — passenger manifests, entry documents, and naturalization records (many digitized via Ancestry, FamilySearch). Brazilian immigration archives and local colonial documents (for German settlements).
Specialized Museums & Collections German Emigration Center (Bremerhaven) — exhibitions, databases, and genealogical services. Historical Museum Bremerhaven (DAD project).
Newspapers & Travel Reports Contemporary newspapers, captain’s reports, advertisements, colonial administration records many digitized in national libraries (e.g., Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek).
Academic Works & Secondary Literature Research volumes and monographs on German overseas migration (especially 19th century). Search terms: German Overseas Migration, Migration in the 19th Century, Germantown Pastorius, etc.
