Things continue to move along here in Bremen. Last week my classes were particularly interesting (which makes a nice change).
My History class (History – Writing Beyond the Nation State) went on a field trip to the Deutsches Auswanderer Haus (German Emigration Museum) in Bremerhaven. I was extremely excited about the trip because my great-grandmother left from Bremerhaven to go to America. The day of the trip I actually wore a scarf that belonged to her.
The museum was very interesting. I learned that over 7 million people left from Bremerhaven – 90% going to America, 10% going to other destinations, particularly South America. The museum is designed to show what emigrants experienced as they left Germany and to help personalize it for visitors the museum gives each an ID card of an actual emigrant and so they could track their story through the museum. Ironically I got the ID card of a 17 year old young women, Martha, who left the year after my great-grandmother and for similar reasons. Listening to Martha’s story choked me up at different parts of the tour, particularly the area designed to look like the ship’s docks and the Ellis Island area. I also saw different examples of life on the ship, heard about the examinations at Ellis Island, and saw example of what emigrants packed in luggage. The last thing at the museum was an area for people to look up ancestors or other family members. I did a search for several family names and found my grandma’s record of birth, my sisters’ birth certificates, and several other documents with family names on them. It was a really awesome experience.
The very next day I gave a presentation on Oscar Wilde’s play Salome in my Literary History class and the next evening the class went to see Richard Strauss’s opera Salome. Salome is the story of the girl who asks for John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter. The opera was done very post modernly and rather peculiar in my opinion (I really know nothing about opera though). Still, getting dressed up and going to the opera was a fun experience.
Plans are underway for an American style Thanksgiving here – I’m looking forward to that, but sad to miss my family’s Thanksgiving at home. It’ll be okay though – we’ll skype so I won’t be left out completely.
I hope things are well with each and every one of you. I’d love to hear from you if you have any time!
Love,
Elizabeth
Found my Grandma's Record of Birth!
Me, Blake, and Maria freezing in Bremerhaven
Outside of the German Emigration Museum there are these stones with people's names, the year they left Germany, and where they went to.
The Deutsches Auswanderer Haus or German Emigration Museum
4 comments:
I was doing pretty well till you got to the scarf part... choked me all up! good work!
Hi Elizabeth,
How interesting that you were at the spot where my Mom left Germany.
I am always very sorry that I didn't ask Mom more about her experience. Elizabeth (Guenter's Mom) told me that her Dad (My uncle August)told her that when Mom left she said "Oh August I'll never see you again." That brought home to me how difficult it was for her to leave everything and everybody she knew.
I am so glad that you are making the most of your experience there.
Sounds like you are having a wonderful time. We're looking forward to seeing you at Christmas.
Love Aunt Char
That's really neat E! I am taking mom to Argosy tomorrow and want to see if she remembers anything about the experiences described by grandma. Moving as it was when we said goodbye to you at Max and Irma's, can you imagine what she was feeling when she thought she'd NEVER see August again? (Thanks Aunt Char!) I wonder if grandma did ever see August again. See you this Thursday! It will be very chaotic with no one knowing where to sit. See ya...
Well done. I'm glad you were able to pin down where your family was in Germany. I had such a hard chore of that in Ireland. I figured out where my great great grandmother left from, but I couldn't find anything else ... and then I found the WAY back ancestors. I'd prolly do better to search the archives at New York for my family than to go through Ireland again... I'm sure if I threw money at it, I'd turn more up...but where's the fun in that? Glad you're having good times. Like the pictures of you in front of German stuffs....all we need are more "toms" ;-} I've got some music for you when you get back, I think you'll like. Let me know. I can host the holiday/birthdays this year, or Ali if she likes to... Let's get one together! I had to open your letter...more happened and I wanted to write it for you...soo.....a little longer...sorry! Well worth it! Well worth it.
*hugs*
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