The Emigration Halls Additional Info
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The Emigration Halls Landmarks of Jewish History
Mass emigration from Eastern Europe necessitated new organizational structures. Since the 1890s, HAPAG (Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt- Actien-Gesellschaft) and other shipping companies had set up stations at the German border. From there, direct onward travel to the ports was organized.
The large crowds led to chaos and discontent in the city. Emigrants were blamed for diseases, and antisemitism and xenophobia spread. To counteract this – and not jeopardize business – HAPAG had large emigrant barracks built in 1892. This was intended to counteract the spread of disease and illegal immigration. Ten years later, the modern “Emigration Halls” in Veddel offered travelers more comfort and better care than before. It stands for the simultaneity of aid and economic considerations: Migration became a business model.
Aid Organizations
The transit of hundreds of thousands of Eastern European Jews was soon organized by a network of aid initiatives, such as the Relief Committee for Russian Jews and the Israelite Support Association for the Homeless. Departing and returning travelers were provided with clothing and kosher food. The aim was also for the impoverished people not to become a burden on the city and to continue their journey inconspicuously.
Eastern European Emigration
For Eastern European Jews, the port of Hamburg was mostly a transit point between 1880 and 1914. They fled poverty, but also anti-Jewish legislation and pogroms, and hoped to find work in North America. Locals and so-called ‘Ostjuden’ (‘Eastern Jews’) differed greatly in their cultural practices and social status. They were reserved toward each other. Only a few changed their plans and stayed in Hamburg permanently.
Antisemitism and World War I
Before the war, the transit of Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe had led to an increase in antisemitic hostility. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Hamburg initially lost its importance as a port of emigration. Shipping traffic came to a virtual standstill. Defeat in the war, fears of revolution, and economic collapse radicalized antisemitism after 1918. Accusations of poor participation in the war and economic enrichment affected the entire Jewish community.
