One of the best stops on this trip was the Deutsches Auswanderer Haus - The German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven.
They have it set up so you are issued an identity of German heading off to America. Depending on the time of emigration, you could have traveled by sailing ship (think of Columbus), steamship (most of our Ancestors who came to America in the mid- to late-1800s traveled by steamship) or ocean liner (think of the Titanic). Sailing ships took months to reach America, steamships took weeks and ocean liners only take days.
At the Center, they have realistic displays to show you what our Ancestors would have experienced as they set out on their journey to America. Very well done - if you are anywhere near Bremerhaven, this is a must do experience.
At the end of the outbound journey, they have a room where you can search for your immigrant ancestors. I was a bit disappointed that the computers were using Ancestry! They did have an additional database you could search if your Emigrant left Germany 1920 or later.
They have it set up so you are issued an identity of German heading off to America. Depending on the time of emigration, you could have traveled by sailing ship (think of Columbus), steamship (most of our Ancestors who came to America in the mid- to late-1800s traveled by steamship) or ocean liner (think of the Titanic). Sailing ships took months to reach America, steamships took weeks and ocean liners only take days.
At the Center, they have realistic displays to show you what our Ancestors would have experienced as they set out on their journey to America. Very well done - if you are anywhere near Bremerhaven, this is a must do experience.
At the end of the outbound journey, they have a room where you can search for your immigrant ancestors. I was a bit disappointed that the computers were using Ancestry! They did have an additional database you could search if your Emigrant left Germany 1920 or later.
We stopped here for lunch before heading onward to Oldenburg. Germany knows how to do giant hamburgers, and also a pretty salad. Did not go hungry on the trip! We did have more than a healthy share of waffles on this trip - and Belgium beer!