Emigration from the Oldenburg Land to the USA – Individual Fates with Backgrounds, Letters and Photos (new book published Nov. 2023)

The history of European emigration to the United States up to 1930 is still fascinating today. In the age of prosperity, the once predominant reasons for emigration are fading from memory: economic problems, often in the form of poverty and the struggle to survive in the face of strong population growth.

Based on 40 case studies from the Oldenburg region between 1830 to 1930, this emigration will be made comprehensible through personal experiences. The reports are multifaceted and vary from joy: “For I thank God that I have laid aside the yoke of slavery”, to bitterness:

“I would rather never have seen America. Sweet imaginations I had, yet the opposite I found.”

It becomes clear how especially the early settlers had harder starting conditions than later emigrants. They had to endure a longer and at the same time more strenuous crossing under partly bad hygienic conditions. The subsequent difficult clearing of the land was often accompanied by a weak infrastructure. Sometimes they suffered severe setbacks due to deaths or serious illnesses. Later generations and emigrants were then able to benefit from the initial achievements of these pioneers, enabling many personal success stories that were inaccessible in the old homeland. About 290 illustrations loosen up the texts. In 2019 this book was published in a German version, due to the interest of the descendants of the emigrants it is now also available in an English translation.

The book is 426 pages long and deals with 40 emigrant fates. It is printed in softcover 17 x 22 cm and contains 290 illustrations. The book costs 27 € (approx. 30 $, plus approx. 20 $ shipping to the US, shipping for two books is the same price, please contact me for any additional discount).

Here some details:
– table of contents
– excerpts
– pictures

You can order the book here directly:

Hollwege, Moorburg, Felde and Hollwegerfeld
Old Villages in Lower Saxony in Germany (German books from 1999 and 2005)

After 1999 as we published the history-book „Hollwege – Geschichte eines Eschdorfes im Ammerland“ we produced from about 2002 to 2005 a new book, so that in November of 2005 the picture-book „Hollwege, Moorburg und Felde in Bildern von gestern und heute“ (Hollwege, Moorburg and Felde in pictures from the past and the present) was published. The villages Hollwege, Moorburg, Felde and Hollwegerfeld (in Westerstede/Oldenburg/Niedersachsen) are presented in many ways in this picture-book. Photos of houses and families from 1880 till to today are shown in the way of walking round the villages (going from one house/family to the next in the neighbourhoud and so on). Pictures from school, the clubs/societies, handicrafts, farming are giving insights into the lives of the inhabitants. 224 pages are showing 740 photos, so many inhabitants can find theirselves, ancestors, relatives, friends and insights into the villages. Short texts are explaining the pictures (written in german). The book is made in the size of 24 x 32 cm in hardcover and can be ordered at: www.hollwege.com/bestell2.htm . There you can also find examples for texts and pictures from the book: www.hollwege.com/buch.htm. If you contact me it is also possible to get some examples of pages of the book as a PDF-document. About 400 books have been sold till now in the villages.

This website deals about the historical book „Hollwege – Geschichte eines Eschdorfes im Ammerland“, available here via the internet. It is about the history, the inhabitants and old families of the villages Hollwege, Moorburg, Felde and Hollwegerfeld that formed the peasantry Hollwege. Hollwege belongs to the community of Westerstede, the district or county of Ammerland, the former dukedom of Oldenburg (now called „Oldenburger Land“) the administrative district of Weser-Ems in Lower Saxony (North-West Germany).

The book contains all old households that were founded before 1700 in Hollwege, Moorburg, Felde and Hollwegerfeld with all owners known from the beginning (starting in 1428 with names) till today. It contains a lot of old documents written down. The first third of the book deals with the time from 800 to 1700 (in about 800 the old families (our ancestors) started settling there, the time after peoples moved), the second third from 1700 to 2000, and the last third with the school (since 1714), farming, old stories from the people, quotes from the newspapers and so on. It has 491 pages and contains over 170 pictures.

Now this website contains a list of the families mentioned and or dealt within the book, photos, list of the emigrants of Hollwege, Moorburg, Felde und Hollwegerfeld to America, text-excerpts of the book, a text on how the book developed and contact information how to buy it. (more english texts will follow in the future)

List of the families mentioned and or dealt within the book (sorted alphabetical for each village)

Hollwege: Bicker, Blanken, Blankensiefken, Bleßen (Blessen), Brunken, Dierks (Dirichs), Festing (Festi, Festje, Festie), Folcken (Fohlken), Geschenbrunken, Hagens, Hobbie (Hobbeke, Hobby), Hobbieoltmanns, Hupens (Hupen), Kleeßenrenken, Kleßen (Cleßen, Clessen, Klessen), Kuleport, Langejohanns, Lanje (Langy, Langen), Meilahn (Meylahn, Meilan), Meinen, Meinenbrunken, Oeltjen (Öltjen, Kamping), Oltmanns, Piel (Pielen), Ploys (Plois), Restehusen (Restehausen), Siemens, Spasit (Spaßyt), Süsens (Eggeshusen, Suesens), Ulken (Ulleken), Vahrs (Vars, Varß, Vahrß), Warns (Warners), Werßman (Weseman), Wiemken (Wiembken, Wimeken), Wilken (Willeken), Willers

Felde: Dagerath, Heidkroß (Heydkroß, Heidkross), Kroßen (Kruse), Öltjendiercks (Oeltjendiers), Pfumpfey (Pfumpfei), Schuhmacher

Moorburg: Abels (Abelß, Abell, Abel), Brümken, Brunkendircks (Brunkendiers), Buhr, Buttelburg (Beutelburgh), Fircken (Firken), Hupens, Knuffstock (Knufstock), Lamken, Meinjohanns, Moorburg (Mohrburg), Schnupper, Schnuppergerdes, Tragemann (Dragemann), Voß, Wittke (Wittje, Witje)

Hollwegerfeld: Bellenius, Hellmers (Hellmerß, Helmers, Helmerß), Hobbensiefken, Kempermann, Ohlrogge, Siems, Spasit (Sitten, Spasitten), Stindt, Süsens (Suesens), Vahrs