Ekkehard Huebschmann

Using the example of the Kingdom of Bavaria, this lecture sheds light on the various aspects of Jewish emigration from Germany. Why did so many Jews emigrate in the 19th century to the USA? How did they travel to the harbors? All travelers and emigrants had to apply for the permition to leave the country. The documents, which they had to present to local officials, provide a lot of genealogical data: birth certificates from local rabbis, certificates for school education or for not being exempt for military service; and above all passage contracts by officially accredited agents. Jewish businessmen were among the first agents. A wide range of records in German city or state archives tells a most interesting story of Jewish emigration.