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.
January 2019
Fabric Koala around the year 1990
Historical Context
On January 26, Australia celebrates its national holiday, also known as Australia Day. This date marks the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney. The First Fleet refers to the group of ships that left Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787, to settle Australia. Although the Aborigines, the indigenous people of Australia, had inhabited the continent long before European migration, the arrival of the First Fleet is considered the most significant settlement event. The crew of the First Fleet reached Australian soil on January 26, 1788. This event marks for many in the population the beginning of modern Australia. Initially, most newcomers were convicts from Europe. However, over the years, Australia emerged as a popular destination for migrants and adventurers. On the national holiday, extensive celebrations take place all over Australia. The largest event for Australia Day is held annually in Perth.
Short Biography of Fritz Winkler
The native Bremerhaven resident Fritz Winkler set off for Australia in 1954. Together with his then-wife, he wanted to escape the hopelessness and unemployment that both had felt in Germany since the end of World War II. In Australia, the resourceful Fritz quickly found a job at Projust. In the early years, he lived in Melbourne, Bunbury. Later, he moved to the west coast, to Perth, where he worked in an electronics laboratory. Back home in his house in Perth, Fritz had two workshops where the born tinkerer crafted and repaired various items: clocks, radios, and even windmills. He planted lemon trees in the garden of his house. The lemons from his trees tasted so sweet like oranges due to the many sunny days and were a popular gift for his family back in Germany. The eager craftsman has returned to Bremerhaven for his current partner and first love, Carola. However, he wants to retain his Australian citizenship – after all, he lived more than half of his life down under.
Significance of the object
The object showcases a koala holding the Australian flag. Carola, the partner of the Australian emigrant Fritz Winkler, also spent some time in Australia. She visited Fritz as often as she could. The retiree tried unsuccessfully to obtain Australian citizenship so that she could live with her Fritz in the Australian city of Perth independently of visitor visas. Through her numerous trips Down Under, she brought back several stuffed koalas from Australia as souvenirs, resulting in a complete collection of stuffed koalas.
Do you also …
… to share a migration story of your family and would like to donate it along with the related objects and documents to the German Emigration Center for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau at the phone number 0471 / 90 22 0 – 0 or via email at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de
Archive: Previous Objects of the Month
Show all objectsDo 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