Mecklenburg-Schwerin Emigration and Immigration

Emigration Records
Between 1850 and 1890, Mecklenburg with a population of only 420,000 people had some 148,000 people emigrate, the majority to the United States. Most of these emigrants were peasants, struggling in poverty, looking for opportunities for a better life.

Most Mecklenburg emigrants left through the port of Hamburg. The port of Hamburg maintained records of departures starting in 1850. These departure records are called the Hamburg passenger lists. The records of Hamburg have been microfilmed and are available in the collection of the Family History Library.

Emigrants were required to request permission from the government to leave. There are some emigration records available at the following address:

Staatsarchiv Schwerin

Graf-Schack-Allee 2

19053 Schwerin

Germany

There are emigrants listed in Archiv für Sippenforschung by Karl Schomaker. ''Die Auswanderung aus Mecklenburg, speziell im 19. Jahrhundert'' pages 260-266 and 337-340 available in the Family History Library, call number 943 B2as yr. 27-28.