The ''Auswandererdenkmal'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

for ''Emigrant Memorial'') is a statue in the port of

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, that depicts an

emigrant Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

family. Cast in bronze, it shows an emigrant family with the father looking forward toward the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

and the mother looking back as she leaves the old country. The statue stands by one of the city's main dikes, the Weserdeich, on the site of one of the original docks from which early emigrants departed. The statue is one of the most acclaimed works of sculptor

Frank Varga Frank Varga (born Ferenc Csaba Varga; June 18, 1943April 14, 2018) was a Hungarian-American sculptor. He was the only child of the artist Ferenc Varga and his wife Anna Pázman Varga. Biography Varga was born in Budapest, Hungary. In 1951, w ...

. At more than tall, the statue faces towards the United States.

Background

The United German-American Committee began raising funds to erect the Auswandererdenkmal in Bremerhaven in 1985. The statues were cast at

Modern Art Foundry The Modern Art Foundry is an historic foundry in Astoria, Queens, New York, founded in 1932 by John Spring. His descendants continue to operate the business in what used to be the carriage house of the Steinway Mansion. Modern Art Foundry special ...

in New York City. Bremerhaven is an appropriate site for the statue as it was the largest port for emigration from Germany. Between 1830 and 1974, some 7.2 million Europeans traveled to Bremerhaven to board ships bound for the New World. On 8 August 2005, 20 years after the memorial was completed, a new museum was erected to re-create the history and routes of emigrants. The

German Emigration Center The German Emigration Center (german: Deutsches Auswandererhaus) is a museum located in Bremerhaven, Germany dedicated to the history of German emigration, especially to the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), comm ...

in Bremerhaven offers visitors one of the largest theme experiences in Germany. The museum, designed to replicate an ocean liner, includes special exhibits, films and cultural events. Appropriately, the cornerstone of the museum was laid on 6 October,

German-American Day German-American Day (german: Deutsch-Amerikanischer Tag) is a holiday in the United States, observed annually on October 6 under . It celebrates German-American heritage and commemorates the founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania (now part of Phil ...

, 2004. At the ceremony, the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

, Robert K. Scott, noted, "By commemorating the millions of men and women who sailed to the New World, the German Emigration Center is making an invaluable contribution to the historic portrayal of my county."

External links

Deutsches Auswanderer Haus - German Emigration Center BremerhavenGerman-American Heritage Foundation of the USA

References

{{reflist 2005 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Germany Monuments and memorials in Germany Sculptures of men in Germany Sculptures of women in Germany Statues in Germany

Background

See also

External links

References