Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
December 2017
Christmas card from the 1950s
Historical Context
Christmas cards first appeared in the USA in the 1840s. However, they were unaffordable for the general population. At that time, they were still produced in their European country of origin, Britain. The first Christmas card produced in the USA was created in 1875 by the Prussian immigrant Louis Prang in Boston. During the 1920s, it became popular among the American population to create cards with Christmas motifs themselves. During this time, interest also grew in displaying the elaborately designed cards at home during the Christmas season to appreciate the detailed craftsmanship.
Short Biography
Hermine Levien, who hails from Schortens in Lower Saxony, takes the leap across the Atlantic in 1928. In New Jersey, she builds a new life with her husband Friedrich. In the following years, she acts as a guarantor for several family members who also emigrate.
Significance of the Object
Christmas in the 1950s: The traditions of the new homeland were adopted. Over 20 years after her immigration to the USA, Hermine Levien decorates and displays the Christmas cards, typically American, prominently in her household. This snapshot shows that a string has been stretched across the living room to showcase the many Christmas cards.
Do You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de