Explore Your German Roots
New Emigration Museum in Hamburg
Edited by Jennifer L. Price
 Hamburg has a new attraction: The Port of Dreams -
BallinStadt - Emigrant World Hamburg opened July 4th in the presence of
500 invited guests. In his opening address, Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust
commented that, "The BallinStadt is more than a museum. It stands for everything
that embodies American independence: liberty, equality and the right to seek
one's fortune. For over five million people, the Emigrants' Halls, today's
BallinStadt, were the starting point on their journey to the New World, coupled
with their hope for a better life and the realization of their own dreams."
The BallinStadt Port of Dreams tells the moving story of
more than five million people who left their homes between 1850 and 1939 via the
port of Hamburg to start a new life in America. 81 % of them stayed in the
United States – today every fifth U.S. citizen has German roots. Hamburg made
emigration history.
 Apart from Germans, many came from Central and Eastern
Europe. For all of them, Hamburg was the "Gateway to the World". They left their
homelands to find fortune in the "Country of Unbounded Possibilities". All of
them made a stopover in the Port of Hamburg.
Hamburg has dedicated the Emigration Museum "BallinStadt" –
named after Albert Ballin, director-general of the great shipping company HAPAG
– to all of these emigrants.
In addition to providing fascinating glimpses of the
different phases of leaving one's former life and traveling to start a new one,
the exhibition also examines what made people choose to leave their home and
traces their fortunes after their arrival in New York. The interactive
edutainment exhibition allows visitors to relate to the past and present aspects
of emigration; innovative technology enables them to slip into the role of an
emigrant and embark on a journey to a new life. Children can accompany their
parents on this journey, allowing them to experience the topic from their own
perspective. The exhibition will offer special school programs for varying age
groups.
 There is also a public research section with computer
workstations for visitors interested in tracing the emigration history of their
ancestors. BallinStadt employees specially trained in genealogy are on hand to
provide assistance.
Visitors can search the passenger lists from 1850 to 1934
and the MyFamily database which includes, among other information, U.S. census
lists that can help the millions of emigrants' descendants pinpoint where their
family originally came from. The Hamburg passenger lists provide a wealth of
information about the five million emigrants who left from Hamburg and are a
unique source of information for researchers.
To learn more about this unique museum, visit
www.ballinstadt.com |
