Germany Emigration and Immigration

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Emigration and Immigration

How to Find the Records

Online Sources

• Online German Emigration Records, Lists and Indexes a comprehensive list of links to various local, regional, or province/state collections.
• Emigrants to and from Germany from the 18th to the 20th century
• Germans Immigrating to the United States. Index. ($)
• Deutsche Auswanderer-Datenbank (German Emigrants Database). Index.
• Transcribed Ships Manifests Departing from Germany
• Emigration Lists at Ahnenforschung/Genealogie
• Immigrant Ancestors Project
• Register of German military men who remained in Canada after the American Revolution, e-book
• 1712-1933 U.S., German Immigrants, 1712-1933, Ancestry.com composite collection of several small sources, index ($)
• 1727-1776 A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727-1776 : with a statement of the names of ships, whence they sailed, and the date of their arrival at Philadelphia, chronologically arranged, together with the necessary historical and other notes, also, an appendix containing lists of more than one thousand German and French names in New York prior to 1712, e-book
• 1750-1775 Le Havre - some passengers found in the crew lists 1750-1775
• 1750-1943 Zentrale Sippenkartei, 1750-1943 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, which provide information on date and place of birth, death, and marriage; names of spouse, parents, children (with their birth and death dates); and occupation for Germans who settled abroad, chiefly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• 1850-1934 Auswandererlisten, 1850-1934 (Hamburg passenger lists) at FamilySearch, images.
• 1850-1934 Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 at Ancestry, ($) index and images.
• 1855-1924 Hamburg Passenger Lists, Handwritten Indexes, 1855-1934 at Ancestry, ($) images.
• Hamburg, Germany Emigrants at Findmypast, ($) index.
• 1850-1923 Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 In German, includes ships coming to U.S., index only for 1850-1923. ($)
• 1892-1924 New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924 Search results for Germany
• 1907-1939 Bremen, Germany, Passenger Lists Index, 1907-1939
• 1920-1939 Bremen Passenger Lists, 1920-1939, indexed. With the exception of 3017 passenger lists for the years 1920 - 1939 all other lists were lost in World War II. Also at Ancestry.com, index ($); MyHeritage
• United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records

Refugees and Displaced Persons Records

• 1938-1939 UK, Selected Records Relating to Kindertransport (USHMM), ($). 1938-1939. Index and images. In German.
  
• 1938-1943 Palestine, Illegal Immigration from German-Occupied Europe, 1938-1945 (USHMM), ($), index
• 1943-1959 Index of Jewish Displaced Person and Refugee Cards, 1943-1959, index and images.
• 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.

Card Indexes

• 16th-17th Century Einwandererkartei, 16.-17. Jahrhundert Alphabetical Index of Huguenots immigration from France, the Netherlands and Switzerland to the Pfalz (Palatinate), Germany.
• 1750-1943 Auswandererkartei mit Familienangehörigen, 1750-1943. Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German emigrants and their family members. Provides information on nicknames, given names, and variant forms of surnames; ancestral home, earlier and later lands of allegiance, places and dates of birth and death, religious persuasion, date of emigration, earlier and later places of settlement, original occupation and later activity, name of spouse, places and dates of birth and death, place of marriage, occupation and later activity; names, places and dates of birth and death for children, places of residence, names of spouses.
• 1750-1805 Auswandererkartei der Deutschen nach Ungarn und Rußland, 1750-1805 (Emigration index of Germans in Hungary and Russia, 1750-1805).
• 1750-1945 Kartei der Auswanderer nach Ungarn, 1750-1945 (Index of emigrants to Hungary, 1750-1945).
• 1800-1900 Auswandererkartei 1800-1900, Hessen
• 1806-1920 Auswanderungsakten, 1806-1920, Stuttgart (Württemberg) Emigration from the district of Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany; includes internal migrations, emigration to European countries, the United States and elsewhere. Includes some indexes.
• 1817-1866 Registres des émigrés, 1817-1866, (Alsace emigration index) Card index to emigration records of Europeans traveling through the Alsace region of France. Many Germans either lived in Elsaß-Lothringen(Alsace-Lorraine) or passed through it to emigrate.
• 1840-1930 Auswanderkartei, 1840-1930: Cards of emingrants from Bavaria most of whom are born during the time frame 1870 to 1900; however, there are some emigrant dates from the late 1600's and from the 1840's. The cards contain surnames, maiden names, given names, places of birth, and addresses in the country to which the people are moving.
• 1870-1945 Auswandererkartei von Rußlanddeutschen nach China und Nordamerika : 1870-1945 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to China, North America, Argentina, elsewhere. Includes birthplaces and dates for both spouses and children, date of emigration and destination, place and date of marriage, children's names and documentary references.
• 1929-1930 Auswandererkartei der Rußlanddeutschen, 1929-1930 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to Germany, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, etc.
• 1935-1945 Kartei von Deutschen Experten im Ausland, 1935-1945 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German professionals residing abroad. Includes land and street address, area of expertise, membership in professional organizations, participation in the German Foreign Institute, and biographical information (place and date of birth, education, marital status, professional activities, etc.).

Regional Online Records

• Bavaria and Pfalz Emigration Database
• Schaumburger emigrants directory
• Auswanderer-Nachweise Hessen State Archives
• Male immigrants from Rheinland and Westfalen, Prussia
• Female immigrants from Rheinland and Westfalen, Prussia
• Emigration lists of the former Duchy of Braunschweig
• Emigrants from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
• Niedersachsen Archives Search Page, enter "Auswanderer" and surname.
• Emigration from Lippe to the USA
• The emigration from Mecklenburg-Schwerin to overseas countries, especially after the United States of North America
• Thuringian Emigrates Database
• 1636-1667 Schleswig-Holstein Immigrants in New Amsterdam/New York, 1636 - 1667.
• Das Nordfriesische Auswanderer-Archiv (North Friesland Emigrants), Images and no index.
• 1650-1800 Swiss emigrants to the Palatinate in Germany and to America, 1650-1800 and Huguenots to the Palatinate and Germany, e-books, 6 volumes.
• 1751-1920 Auswanderung aus Südwestdeutschland, (Emigrants of Southwestern Germany, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, 1751-1920. Index.
• 19th century Emigration out of Schleswig-Holstein, 19th century, index.
• 1800's-early 1900's Brandenburg, Prussia Emigration Records (Auswanderungsakten, Brandenburg, Preußen), ($). 1800's-early 1900's. Index. In German. Incomplete.
• 19th Century Network Westphalian America emigration since the 19th century, Index. Incomplete.
• 1808-1890 Württemberg, Germany Emigration Index - at Ancestry,index, ($) Coverage information Links to original records digital form
• 1834-1914 Index of all emigrants from Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen, 1834-1914, index.
• 1844-1915 Names of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Emigrants 1844-1915
• 1851-1929 Reisepaß-Protokolle, 1851-1929, Hamburg Passport applications recorded by the police information office in Hamburg. Indexed.
• 1866-1911 Baden, Germany Emigration Index, 1866-1911
• 1869-1901 Pomerania, Germany, Passenger Lists, 1869-1901
• 1880s Index of all emigrants from Sachsen-Meiningen, for the 1800's, index.

Palatine Germans Online Records

• Ancestor Search, Palatine German Ship Passenger Lists to PA
• 1700-1749 SHIPS TO PENNSYLVANIA 1700-1749
• 1704-1717 Swiss and German Mennonite immigrants from the Palatinate, 1704-1717, e-book
• 1709 Palatines from England to New York 1709
• 1710-1714 Palatine Children Apprenticed by Gov. Hunter in New York 1710-1714
• 1710 Palatine Arrivals in New York in 1710
• 1712, 1737, 1787 Emigrants from West-German Fuerstenberg Territories (Baden and the Palatinate) to America and Central Europe, ($). 1712, 1737, 1787 Index.
• 1724-1749List of Pfalz Immigrants to America, 1724-1749
• The Birkenhördt Project
• 1727-1808 Ships carrying Palatines from Germany to Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808
• 1727-1808 Pennsylvania German Pioneers Passenger Lists, Palatine German Immigrant Ships to Philadelphia 1727-1808
• The Book of Names, Especially Relating to The Early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley, index

German Brazilians Online Records

• Brazilian Families of German Origin Martius-Staden Institute of Sciences, Letters and Brazilian-German Cultural Exchange genealogy online collection
• German Immigration Archive Martius-Staden Institute of Sciences, Letters and Brazilian-German Cultural Exchange German Immigration online collection
• 1815-1850 1815-1850 Emigrations to Poland, Brazil, the United States, etc. and internal migrations from Kusel, Bavaria Royal State Commissioner
• Coleção da Sociedade Histo-lógica Cruzeiro do Sul A collection of essays and works chiefly written in German which deal with German immigration to Brazil, see Film Notes for German localities and specific families covered.
• 1859 Lists of Germans immigrating to Brazil, 1859, in Portuguese.
• 1890-1901 Auswanderung nach Brasilien und Venezuela, 1890-1901 Civil records relating to the migration to Brazil and Venezuela of inhabitants of Bromberg, Posen, Germany

German Argentinians Online Records

• 1870-1945 Auswandererkartei von Rußlanddeutschen nach Argentinien, 1870-1945, images of index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to Argentina. Provides information on place of origin, state of allegiance, birth and death date and place, religion, date of emigration, destination abroad, profession, full name of spouse, birth and death date and place, place and date of marriage; names, birth places and dates of children, their residences and spouses' names. Information often incomplete.

Germans from Russia Online Records

In 1763 Catherine the Great of Russia offered free land, no taxes for thirty years, freedom of religion, and other incentives to encourage Germans to settle her vast, sparsely populated domain. Dozens of German colonies were established and grew until World War I. Many Russian Germans moved to the United States, Canada, or South America beginning in 1874.

• From the steppes to the prairies : the story of the Germans settling in Russia on the Volga and Ukraine, also the Germans settling in the Banat, and the Bohemians in Crimea : their resettlement in the Americas, North and South America and in Canada, e-book
• 1750-1943 Namenskartei von Siedlern in Russland und Rücksiedler nach Deutschland, 1750-1943 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by governmental jurisdiction, village, and then surname, of German immigrants residing in Russia. Many cards provide birth and death dates, marriage dates, names of spouses, the number of children, when and from where they emigrated, and other genealogical information. A separate set, arranged alphabetically by former Russian town of residence, indicates those who moved back to Germany, but gives no information on where they eventually settled in Germany. Some cards are out of order, and include localities in Hungary, Rumania, Poland, and other countries outside of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union.
• 1750-1943 Bestandskartei der Rußlanddeutschen, 1750-1943 Index cards of ethnic Germans in Russia, arranged alphabetically by surname. While not all the cards contain the same amount of information, many of them supply the given name, present address, birth place and date, place and date of death, earlier and present citizenship; place of origin, year of emigration, and names of ancestors who first emigrated from Germany; places of residence in Russia; year of emigration from Russia; earlier occupation and later activities; religion, whether pedigrees exist; name, places and dates of birth, marriage, and death, occupation for spouse; names, birthplaces and dates for children; and documentary sources.
• 1807-1810 Kartei der Auswanderer aus Elsaß und Baden nach Rußland, 1807-1810 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German emigrants from Baden and Elsaß-Lothringen (the latter now Moselle in France) to Russia. Includes ages for spouses and children, year and place of emigration, where family settled, children's ages, and documentary references.
• 1870-1945 Auswandererkartei von Rußlanddeutschen nach China und Nordamerika : 1870-1945 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to China, North America, Argentina, elsewhere. Includes birthplaces and dates for both spouses and children, date of emigration and destination, place and date of marriage, children's names and documentary references.
• 1870-1940 Auswandererkartei der Rußlanddeutschen nach Brasilien, 1870-1940 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to Brazil. Includes information about dates and places of birth and death (or age) for both spouses and children, place and date of marriage, religion, homeland, date of emigration, profession, and documentary sources. Though most destinations were for Brazil, a few settled in Argentina, Canada, and the U. S. A.
• 1870-1940 Auswandererkartei von Rußlanddeutschen nach Kanada, 1870-1940 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to Canada. Includes information on places and dates of birth and death for both spouses and children, homeland, state of allegiance, religion, date of emigration, place of settlement, occupation, place and date of marriage, wife's full name.
• 1899-2012 United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012, index.
• Odessa Digital Library
• 1929-1930 Auswandererkartei der Rußlanddeutschen, 1929-1930 Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German-speaking emigrants from Russia to Germany, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, etc.

• 1899-2012 United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012, index.
• Odessa Digital Library

Finding the Town of Origin in Germany

If you are using emigration/immigration records to find the name of your ancestors' town in Germany, see Germany Finding Town of Origin for additional research strategies.

Emigration From Germany

Significant numbers of German emigrants can be found on every continent and in many countries around the world. Millions of people left Germany in several waves of migration. For more details, see several Wikipedia articles:

• German diaspora
• German Americans
• German Canadians
  

Records that document emigration from Germany include passenger lists, passports, permissions to emigrate, German and French emigration indexes, published emigration lists, police registration records, and other departure documents, as well as sources in the emigrant's new countries. Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in Germany. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants' names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birth places. Sometimes they also show family groups.

Most emigrants left Germany during the following periods:

• 1683 to 1820. Emigrants left Germany and migrated to Southeastern Europe, North America, Russia, England, Scotland, and Ireland. This wave of emigration was caused by economic hardships and religious persecutions after the Thirty Years' War. Many of these emigrants were Protestants from Southwestern Germany, primarily the Rheinland, Westfalen, Hessen, Baden, Württemberg, and Elsaß-Lothringen. Read more about Pre-1820 Emigration from Germany
• Starting in 1722, the Austro-Hungarian monarchs encouraged Germans to settle their lands, especially along the devastated border with the Turks. Colonies developed in what later became Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Initially, twice as many Germans moved to this area as went to America. Following World War II, most returned to Germany or Austria, but many also moved to the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other countries.
• 1820 to 1871. This wave of emigration was caused chiefly by economic hardships, including unemployment and crop failures. Many Germans also left to avoid wars and military service. In some cases, government entities encouraged poor citizens to emigrate. Helpful websites for 19th Century German Emigration

• 1871 to 1914. The number of emigrants increased dramatically during this time period. Emigration had become more affordable while political and economic problems continued. Emigrants came from all areas of Germany, including large numbers from the eastern provinces of Preußen (Prussia). Emigrants included not only ethnic Germans but also Poles and Jews. Helpful websites for 19th Century German Emigration.

• 1914 to 1945. Even though the quota system reduced German emigration to the U.S. significantly, it did not stop entirely. Emigrants included political dissenters, Jews, and others who were uncomfortable with post World War I developments.

Records of German Emigrants in Their Destination Nations

One option is to look for records about the ancestor in the country of destination, the country they immigrated into. See links to Wiki articles about immigration records for major destination countries below. Additional Wiki articles for other destinations can be found at Category:Emigration and Immigration Records.

• United States Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Canada Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Australia Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Brazil Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Hungary Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• England Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Scotland Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans
• Ireland Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Germans

Types of Records

Passenger Lists

The earliest German emigrants went down the Rhine River and left Europe from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. As passenger traffic increased, Dutch, Belgian, French, and Danish ports were used. From 1850 to 1891, 41 percent of German and east European emigrants left via the port of Bremen (Germany), 30 percent via Hamburg (Germany), 16 percent via Le Havre (France), 8 percent via Antwerp (Belgium), and 5 percent via several ports in the Netherlands. For further information see German Ports: Gateway to America by Raymond Wright III.

Only a few Germans emigrated from other European ports. Southern and western Germans tended to emigrate through the ports of Bremen or Le Havre. Northern and eastern Germans tended to leave through Hamburg.

The records of departures from these ports are called passenger lists. Information given in passenger lists varies but usually includes the emigrant's name, age, occupation, last residence or birthplace, and destination. The records also name the ship and the date of departure.

Permission To Emigrate Records

Germans had to apply for permission to emigrate from most areas. They can list the emigrant's birthplace, residence, assets, and indebtedness. Many records consist of applications and accompanying documents that were collected by district offices.

Published Emigration Records

Lists of emigrants are often published. These usually focus on the emigrants from one town, principality, or state.

• Online German Emigration Records, Lists and Indexes
• Emigration Lists
• Dozens of other published emigrant lists are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under the town, state, or province from which the emigrants came.

Police Lists or Registrations

German towns began keeping records of each person's residence in the 1840s. Citizens were required to tell the police or the Einwohnermeldeamt [resident registration office] when they moved. These records are discussed further in Germany Population Records.

Passports

Passports became important in Germany during the 19th century as a control measure. Before that a passport was a form of recommendation. A letter given to the traveler made his passage within and outside of German territories easier, depending on the influence the issuer had. Passports were both status symbol for uninterrupted travel and legal documentation for members belonging to fringe groups. Mandatory passports were required only in times of crises, when there were epidemics and political or military conflicts. Such documents were restricted to time and space.

Other Records of Departure

Church Records (Annotations). Often the local pastor or priest noted peoples' departures in the parish registers next to birth or marriage entries. Sometimes these notes include the year of emigration and names of those who went with the person. Where family registers were kept, the departure was sometimes noted there. See Germany Church Records for more information.

Probate Records of Relatives Who Stayed. Wills or testaments of relatives who stayed in Germany occasionally mention their relatives in foreign lands. For more information, see Germany Probate Records.

Newspaper Announcements. Local newspapers often told of residents in their area moving to other lands. See Germany Newspapers for more information.

For Further Reading

Other Wiki Articles

• Germans from Russia Genealogy
• German Research: Hansel and Gretel: Finding our German ancestors' trail home
• Internet Resources for Finding 19th Century German Emigrants
• Hamburg Passenger Lists

FamilySearch Catalog

There are additional sources listed in the FamilySearch Catalog:

• Germany - Emigration and immigration
• Germany - Emigration and immigration - Indexes

These links lead to listings of emigration records for several provinces/states of the German Empire:

Independent From Prussia Baden Bavaria (Bayern) Brunswick (Braunschweig) Elsass-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine Hesse (Hessen) Lippe Oldenburg Saxony (Sachsen) Schaumburg-Lippe Waldeck Württemberg

Prussia (Preussen) Brandenburg East Prussia (Ostpreussen) Hanover (Hannover) Hesse-Nassau (Hessen-Nassau) Hohenzollern Pomerania (Pommern) Posen Province of Saxony (Provinz Sachsen) Rhineland (Rheinland) Silesia (Schlesien) Schleswig-Holstein Westphalia (Westfalen) West Prussia (Westpreussen)

Thuringia (Thüringen) Reuss Younger Line (jüngere Linie) Reuss Elder Line (ältere Linie) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha) Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) City-States Bremen Hamburg

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