This spectacular museum stands on the spot where more than 7.2 million emigrants set sail for the US, South America and Australia between 1830 and 1942, and does a superb job commemorating some of their stories. The visitor relives stages of their journey through high-quality re-creations, beginning at the wharf where passengers huddle together before boarding the ship, clutching the biographical details of one particular traveller and heading towards their new life. Everything is available in both German and English.
A second exhibit reverses the theme and tells of immigration to Germany since the 17th century. Contributions these new arrivals have made to German society are explained in the setting of a 1970s shopping mall. The museum provides free access to two international online databases where you can try tracing your German forebears. There's also a retro cinema screening related short documentary films.
