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.
July 2019
Poetry album from 1950
Historical classification
The poetry album traces back to the ‘Album of Friends’ (Album amicorum). This was a type of friendship book that became popular among the nobility from the mid-16th century. It established a tradition of friends, relatives, and patrons leaving their name, coat of arms, and motto in written form. In the 18th century, this custom evolved, with dedications and illustrations gaining popularity alongside poetic sayings, even among bourgeois families. The golden age of the poetry album was in the 19th century, when the original friendship book fell out of fashion and took on the role of a memory book. Particularly among girls and women, the poetry album remains popular and serves today as a testament to memory and an expression of friendship.
Short biography
Christel Leuker was born on the island of Soest in December 1940. She grew up there and learned the profession of a kindergarten teacher. She worked in this field for several years on the island until she was filled with a sense of adventure and decided to emigrate to the USA for a year and a half in 1964, moving to Cincinnati. She made the crossing on the ship ‘Bremen’. Upon her arrival, she was taken in by a German doctor’s family, and shortly thereafter, she met her future husband. After their wedding in 1965, the couple planned to remain in the USA for a few years due to promising career opportunities. With the birth of their children, they made the decision to spend their lives permanently in the USA. Christel Leuker still works as a kindergarten teacher today and is dedicated to teaching German to girls and boys with fun and creativity.
Significance of the object
On July 30, we celebrate the International Day of Friendship, which was established on April 27, 2011, based on a UN resolution from 2011. Friendship is an irreplaceable good, and this day is dedicated to giving it special attention. Christel Leuker receives the poetry album on Easter Sunday in 1950, as a gift from her grandparents for her first holy communion. At that time, this is a very valuable gift, and she takes great care of it, as her family and friends write special lines with wishes for her future in this book. On the day of her emigration to the USA, this album is among the items she takes with her on her journey. She particularly remembers a saying from the book:
“Never forget the homeland where your cradle stood. You will find no second homeland in a foreign land.”
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