My Grandpa's family on my Father's side immigrated from Germany in the early 1900's. While most of the family stayed in Germany, they wrote letters back and forth for years, often sending pictures across the ocean. My Grandpa was the youngest child by about twenty years and didn't learn English until he was six years old, and while he never visited Germany it was a large part of his life when he was younger. These two photo albums have been in my family for generations and are filled with photographs, mementos, and postcards from all over (often written in German) and in their new home in Wisconsin. Photos are a huge part of my family, and although many of the faces in the photos are unknown to us now, the family and friends shown in the pictures were often brought out when we visited my Grandpa as he told us stories of his family and growing up. Both of these were brought over from Germany, and while they depict people and places we no longer know it is always fascinating to see what the family deemed important enough to preserve while coming to a new home.

– Maggie Stein

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more