«You cannot imagine what it is like in America.»

The United States. The land of unimagined opportunities. A place of longing for many Germans for decades. This book describes why people from the Bavarian Forest emigrated to the United States from 1841 to 1931. Diverse documents from German and American archives, historical records, and maps, assembled over many years, are augmented by a wealth of authentic, fascinating letters, photographs, and diary entries from the emigrating families.

Vivid conversations and meetings with present-day descendants bring the story full circle!

You will experience
· the hard life in the Bavarian Forest villages
· the hopeful letters from America
· the attempts of the authorities to thwart emigration plans
· the arduous and often painful preparations for the trip
· the adventure-filled, transatlantic crossing ‘tween deck
· the critical examinations on Ellis Island and
· the difficult new beginning in the New World

This book forms the basis of the exhibits in the «Born in Schiefweg» Emigration Museum in the Bavarian Forest. It also found its way into the permanent exhibition of the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven, Germany.