Day 10 Cuxhaven - Bremerhaven

Day 10 Bremerhaven - German Emigration and Immigration Centre

We are staying with Maritta's Aunt and Uncle (Traute and Hans Jurgen) in the picturesque fishing village of Cuxhaven.  This is situated right on the meeting point for the Elbe River and the Nordsee.  There are a steady stream of large ships and tankers on their way to and from the massive shipping port of Hamburg some 4 - 6 hours upstream.  Again the day started wet however it is not windy and therefore not cold either. Given the weather today we decided to visit the German Emigration Centre in Bremerhaven with Edina, Torben and Hans Jurgen.

This is a fascinating display following the progress of German Emigrants and Immigrants to and from all corners of the world including Australia.

Emigration room - each individual draw represents a single person and their particular story

As part of your entry you are given a boarding pass which contains a key card and the names of two people which you follow through the display as they leave (first name) or then enter (second name) German society. 

The interactive display also includes scenes on the wharf at Bremerhaven over the years.  Germany’s (in fact Eastern Europe’s) main emigration port and a walk through first a late 1800’s sailing ship and then an early 1900’s Steam ship.

Bremerhaven port scene with models dressed in costume from across the last 100 years.  Center visitors can also be seen.

The various displays show how harsh early travel conditions where and also how they quickly improved even for 3^rd class passengers. 

Then after being processed on Ellis Island (USA) you travel through Grand Central Station, New York, from where you would have ventured into your new life.

Representation of New York Central station

 This is well worth a visit and gives a detailed view of life for emigrant as well as immigrants.