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Bremen, Bremerhaven and the North
German Lloyd Company
Bremerhaven was founded in 1832 at the
delta of the Weser River, just downstream from the Hanseatic town of Bremen.
"Bremerhaven" would soon rival those other European port cities of LeHavre,
Hamburg, Rotterdam, Liverpool or Cobh as a popular embarkation point enroute
to the New World. More then 7 million people bed a final farewell
here. The city issued so many emigrants to New York that it soon earned
itself the nickname "the outer harbour of New York". Bremerhaven's rise
started with the cotton and tobacco trade. Soon afterwards, Bremen merchants
opened up businesses in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. In 1796 the
first American Consulate was set up in Bremen.
Bremens ties to America's cities along the
eastern seaboard are still as strong as ever. Whether it be the famous
Columbus Pier and the legendary ocean liners of the North German Lloyd
Company that once docked in Bremerhaven, the remains of the many emigrant
agencies and hostels, the tribute to the successive Atlantic crossings
as seen in the reliefs and heard in the chime music in Bremen's Boettcherstraße,
or simply a glimpse at the banks of the Weser River - the cities continue
to emanate an atmosphere deeply steeped in the migration experience. The
fact that the famous tale of the Bremen Town Musicians actually borrows
from that ever-enduring theme of the search for greener pastures should
come as no surprise.
Research and Travel offers:
Heritage tours that
cover Bremen and Bremerhaven
Guided tours in Germany
Research services for your roots in Germany
Bremen and Bremerhaven's historic significance
to millions of American families may be discovered by visiting the numerous
museums, exhibits and by taking advantage of our guided
tours and research services. Be sure to include
Bremen and Bremerhaven in your itinerary on your next trip to Germany.
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Monument to the Emigrants in Bremerhaven. Designed
by Detroit sculptor Frank Varga in 1986. The names of the many contributing
German and American individuals and organizations can be found inscribed
on the pedestal of the statue.
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