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.
February 2024
Currency Commemoration Package, 1966
Historical Context
The Australian Pound was introduced as a distinct currency in Australia in 1910. It was divided into 20 shillings, each containing 12 pence, just like the British Pound. In 1963, the Australian government decided to replace this English coinage system with a decimal system, as it had become outdated and overly complicated in international comparison. The start date for the new currency was set for February 14, 1966; on this day, the Australian Pound was replaced by the Australian Dollar.
Brief Biography
The post-war period is challenging for Hildegard and Wolfgang Störtenbecker. The Hamburg couple with their two children, Wiebke and Klaus, is forced to live with Hildegard’s parents in Berne. Seeing no prospects for improving their economic situation in Germany, and with Hildegard also dreaming of “seeing the world,” the couple decides to emigrate to Australia in 1953. Wolfgang finds work at the sewing machine repair company “Singer” in Sydney, while Hildegard eventually gets a job at the German Embassy. Wolfgang changes jobs several times, yet two years later the couple has saved enough money to buy their first house in Blakehurst.
As adults, children Klaus and Wiebke are drawn back to Germany. At the age of 23, Klaus begins traveling the world by ship as a mechanical engineer in 1966. In 1977, he settles in Hamburg with his partner. In contrast, his younger sister Wiebke initially goes to Hamburg University for a scholarship year but later decides to make the move permanent. The longing for her children and, later, grandchildren prompts Hildegard to return to Germany in 1988. Her husband Wolfgang follows her.
Significance of the object
Migration and money have always been closely linked. Money represents possession, work, and a (good) living. The hope of achieving all this is the motivation for many people to migrate – including Hildegard and Wolfgang Störtenbecker. For their son Klaus, however, the currency memory package represents a personal keepsake of Australia – a country where he spent a large part of his youth. In light of the examination of colonial history, the Australian government would likely refrain from using an Aboriginal symbol today.
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