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.
Each object in the collection of the German Emigration Center tells a very personal story of emigration or immigration. In this section, we present a different object each month – a photograph, a document, or a personal keepsake.
May 2026
Ship plan, 1930
| Size | 60.9 x 87.4 cm (unfolded) |
| Material | Paper |
| Collection | Dirk Langerenken |
Historical Classification
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a mail steamer referred to steamships that transported mail as well as frequently additional freight and passengers on regular routes. The object of the month is the ship plan of the “Dresden,” one such twin-screw mail steamer from the North German Lloyd from 1930.
The North German Lloyd was founded in Bremen in 1857 and exclusively used steamships for overseas traffic from the start. In 1858, the shipping company began its regular service from Bremerhaven to New York, and in 1860, it managed to conclude mail contracts with England and the USA.From the late 1860s, the North German Lloyd expanded its network: Regular shipping connections to Baltimore, New Orleans, the West Indies, Brazil, and finally Galveston were established. The heyday of the North German Lloyd was accompanied by the height of imperialism, closely linking its history with colonial history. As the German Empire continued to enforce its colonial policy, shipping companies like the North German Lloyd were also involved. In 1885, the German Empire announced subsidized imperial mail steamer services to East Asia and Australia. The North German Lloyd received the approval and ultimately developed into a global shipping company by taking over these services in 1886.
However, after the First World War, the shipping company found itself reflecting on its beginnings: The majority of its ships had to be surrendered as reparations to the victorious powers. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles stipulated that the company had to forgo all larger ships. But gradually, Norddeutscher Lloyd recovered, expanded its fleet again, and established line services for cargo and passengers – and began transporting mail once more.
The restoration of Lloyd’s overseas shipping occurred, for example, in collaboration with the United States Mail Steamship Company. With compensation paid by the Reich, a new fleet was rebuilt: in 1920, traffic with South America resumed, followed by North America, Asia, and Australia in 1922.
The History of the Ship
The ‘Dresden’ was originally built under the name ‘Zeppelin’ at the Bremer Vulkan shipyard and was delivered to Norddeutscher Lloyd on January 21, 1915. Before its sinking in 1934, the ship was sold multiple times, used for different purposes, and renamed.
During the First World War, this ship was temporarily laid up in Bremen, and afterward, it had to be surrendered as reparations. The ‘Zeppelin’ made a few trips as a troop transport for the US Navy before being acquired in 1920 by the Orient Steam Navigation Co. Ltd in London.
This time, the ship was named ‘Ormuz’. Finally, in April 1927, it was repurchased by Norddeutscher Lloyd and renamed ‘Dresden’. On August 5, 1927, the ‘Dresden’ made its first voyage from Bremerhaven to New York after a refurbishment.
In 1934, it was one of the first ships chartered by the NS organization KdF (“Strength Through Joy”) for holiday trips with German workers. On its journey to Norway, the ‘Dresden’ ran aground near Utsira on June 20, 1934, and capsized. Four people died in this accident. In August 1934, the wreck of the ‘Dresden’ was scrapped. Thus, the story of this ship ends in 1934 under the name ‘Dresden’.
Significance of the Object
This ship plan reflects the travel conditions for emigrants around 1930 and mirrors the development of shipbuilding technology of that time.
Under what conditions did people emigrate by ship at that time? What activities could one undertake on such a journey? What was the difference between first and third class when emigrating?
The ship plan reveals five decks, each equipped differently with shared cabins, bathrooms, a gym, smoking rooms, social lounges, dining halls, and additional functional spaces. Even details like wardrobes, dressing tables, folding wash tables, nightstands, and other furniture pieces were carefully planned. The plan illustrates the layout of living spaces on the ship and shows what daily life aboard while emigrating might have looked like. This clarifies how well the everyday needs aboard were met. Information like the planned number of beds and passengers also highlights the capacities and organization of emigration journeys during this period.
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