Bremen

Coordinates: 53° 4' N 8° 48' E

German city used during 19th and 20th centuries as departure port to emigrate from Europe to the rest of the world, particulary America.

The "Ordiance Concerning the Emigration Traveling on Domestic or Foreign Ships" from 1832 in Bremen was the first state law with the purpose to protect emigrants. Among other things it required that the shipowners must maintain passenger lists.

In 1851 the Bremen Chamber of Commerce established the "Nachweisungsbureau für Auswanderer" (the Information Office for Emigrants), where the ship captains had to deliver their lists. .

The rules and regulations of the ´Nachweisungsbureau´ considerably improved the quality of both the stay at Bremen prior to the sailing plus the seaworthiness of the ships. .

Unfortunately, all lists from 1875 - 1908 older than 3 years were destroyed due to lack of space in the Bremen Archives. .

With the exception of 3017 passenger lists for the years 1920 - 1939 all other lists were lost in World War II.

Source: http://www.schiffslisten.de/index_en.html. At this site you can search on the passenger lists that survived the destruction.

Links:
link Germany - Bremen passenger lists (1920-1939)