German Immigration Patterns
Since the 17th century, millions of German-speaking emigrants were leaving Europe for places far and wide, especially North America. Who were they? Why did they leave? The answer? It’s complicated. This talk explores waves of emigration in historical context, including wars, religious oppression, human and civil rights, weather, economics and other factors. Presentation also includes a look at patterns of settlement of German migrants on arrival in North America.
Claire Gebben is a public speaker and teacher on writing family history, German genealogy and migration patterns, and 19th-century history. She is the author of The Last of the Blacksmiths, a novel based on the true story of her great-great grandfather, a 19th-century German immigrant blacksmith to Cleveland, Ohio. The book was named a Notable Book by Cleveland State University’s Michael Schwartz Library and Book of the Month (April, 2015) with the German American Heritage Foundation. Her memoir How We Survive Here: Families Across Time recounts the discovery of 19th-century letters in an attic in Germany written by her ancestors, which propels her on a transatlantic quest to trace and write about their lives. The memoir was honored as a Finalist in the 2019 Indie Next Generation Book Awards. The book includes three dozen rare letters written by German immigrant blacksmiths and wagon-makers to Cleveland, Ohio. Gebben’s articles have appeared in German Life magazine, Your Genealogy Today, Seattle Genealogical Society Newsletter, and numerous other publications. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts.
