Kurzfuehrer_Abt_1_5 1..21 - Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte

n The Crossing
Within only a few decades, progress in
shipbuilding had radically altered conditions
for emigrants. During the first half of
the 19th century, the reaction to the sudden
and immense demand for tickets to
America was slow at best. A new level
„between decks“ was created on
freighters in which the mass of emigrants
could be transported Ÿ in highly cramped
conditions, and with inadequate ventilation.
Many emigrants died as a result of
inadequate hygiene and bad food. The
new and far more spacious steamers
shortened the 8 to 12 weeks of a sailing
ship to just a few days. The first regular
Transatlantic connection was opened on
April 8, 1838 by the British steamer „Great
Western“, which took only 15 days and 5
hours to cover the distance from Bristol to
New York. Since this option was a very
expensive one, however, emigrants still
tended to travel by sailing ship until the
end of the century. Even with the advent
of the great passenger liners, an Atlantic
crossing was still a dangerous undertaking,
as shown by the tragedy of the „Titanic“
in April 1912.
n Die „Austria“ war mit 538 Passagieren auf ihrer dritten Reise von Hamburg nach New York, als sie am 13. September
1858 in Brand geriet und sank. Nur 89 Menschen überlebten, 449 fanden bei der Katastrophe den Tod.
n The „Austria“ was on its third voyage from Hamburg to New York with 538 passengers on board when it caught
fire and sank, on September 13, 1858. The Sinking of the „Austria“, Oil painting by Josef Carl Püttner, Vienna 1858
(Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin)
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