The history of European emigration to the United States up to 1930 is still fascinating today. In the age of prosperity, the once predominant reasons for emigration are fading from memory: economic problems, often in the form of poverty and the struggle to survive in the face of strong population growth.
Based on 40 case studies from the Oldenburg region between 1830 to 1930, this emigration will be made comprehensible through personal experiences. The reports are multifaceted and vary from joy: “For I thank God that I have laid aside the yoke of slavery”, to bitterness: “I would rather never have seen America. Sweet imaginations I had, yet the opposite I found.”
It becomes clear how especially the early settlers had harder starting conditions than later emigrants. They had to endure a longer and at the same time more strenuous crossing under partly bad hygienic conditions. The subsequent difficult clearing of the land was often accompanied by a weak infrastructure. Sometimes they suffered severe setbacks due to deaths or serious illnesses. Later generations and emigrants were then able to benefit from the initial achievements of these pioneers, enabling many personal success stories that were inaccessible in the old homeland. About 290 illustrations loosen up the texts. In 2019 this book was published in a German version, due to the interest of the descendants of the emigrants it is now also available in an English translation.
The book is 426 pages long and deals with 40 emigrant fates. It is printed in softcover 17 x 22 cm and contains 290 illustrations. The book costs 30 $, plus approx. 20 $ shipping to the US - if exchange rate to € varies not too much [In Deutschland 27 € + 2,35 €]. Shipping price for 2 books is the same.
Here some details:
– Cover of the book and order form: https://www.hollwege.com/english-2 1
– table of contents: http://www.hollwege.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/contents.pdf
– excerpts: http://www.hollwege.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/excerpts.pdf 1
– pictures: http://www.hollwege.com/photos 1
Further information is available contacting me via http://www.hollwege.com 1
Kind regards
Dirk Oltmanns
