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.
Coffee cup, Beyer & Bock, from the 1920s
Historical Context
The porcelain factory Beyer & Bock was founded in 1853 in Volkstedt-Rudolstadt, Thuringia, as a painting establishment. From 1890, the company also manufactured porcelain, including decorative porcelain, figures, gift items, as well as coffee and tea sets. Between 1905 and approximately 1931, the trademark was a ‘B’ – for the two founders Ferdinand Beyer and Theodor Bock – in a coat of arms with a crown. In 1948, the company was nationalized and was called VEB Porzellanfabrik Rudolstadt-Volkstedt until 1990.
Short Biography
Renate Hills, née Dewosch, was born on October 12, 1936, in Berlin. The family lives in Berlin-Adlershof, which becomes part of the Soviet sector after World War II. In 1947, Renate’s parents decide to emigrate to the USA. However, the authorities are obstructive. The US authorities require a move from East to West Berlin before processing the emigration application. The Soviet authorities demand an apartment swap. Months pass before they find an appropriate family and gather all the necessary documents. Finally, on February 7, 1952, Renate and her parents board the SS ‘Homeland’ in Cuxhaven to New York. The 15-year-old student quickly adjusts to her new life. After high school, Renate first works as a secretary at an insurance company in Manhattan before switching to the New York Telephone Company in Queens. There, she meets her husband Don, with whom she is married for 32 years. Now retired, Renate still lives in New York.
Significance of the Object
The Dewosch family arrives in New York on February 18, 1952, with a total of eleven suitcases. Among Renate’s luggage is also the delicate espresso cup. It is a gift from her beloved Aunt Martha – every time Renate visited her in Berlin-Tempelhof, she was allowed to drink from the small cup. Renate has kept it all these years. Thanks to this passed-down anecdote, the almost hundred-year-old cup is not only a rare collector’s item but also a unique memento of Renate’s childhood and youth in Berlin.
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