The exhibition transports visitors back to an era when Bremerhaven was the port of departure for millions of European passengers and the luxurious express steamers of the Norddeutsche Lloyd shipping company dominated the scene at the port. During the peak era of industrialisation, Bremerhaven developed to become a maritime hub for international liner traffic, the main destination being New York. This explains why the expanding port on the Weser estuary was given the nickname “Suburb of New York”. The exhibition not only looks at the development of shipping technology and the docks, but also the effect this had on the town. Residential areas, public buildings, squares, shops and cultural institutions evolved and changed in close connection with the development of the port. The cross-cultural relations between the Atlantic ports of New York and Bremerhaven played an important role in this process. Historical photographs taken from the museum’s permanent collection present the most vivid picture of this time
