Museums that explore European emigration

of the company’s passengers taken across the Atlantic. The 10-day steamer journey transported cargo, luxury travelers and “steerage-class” peasants alike. Before boarding, emigrants underwent humiliating health exams and nervously waited while clerks processed their paperwork.

The Red Star Line Museum fills the hall that processed many who passed through Antwerp on their way to a new life. The museum combines personal stories with high-tech presentations to detail the “other end” of the Ellis Island experience. One powerful exhibit — using wraparound video screens — drives home the point that immigration remains as common today as it was in the heyday of Ellis Island. Displays profile immigrants throughout history — from the first humans who left Africa in 40,000 B.C. to migrant workers of today.

In Hamburg, Germany, the engaging BallinStadt Emigration Museum tells the story of those from Germany and beyond who went first to Hamburg, by train or even on foot, before boarding a ship to cross the ocean. Creative themed exhibits give a look at the origins of the 5 million German emigrants who passed through here, the reasons they chose to leave (from poverty to persecution), their experiences on the trans-Atlantic ships and their challenges forging a new life in the new land. It offers a dynamic and kid-friendly look at a powerful topic.

Finally, the House of Emigrants in Vaxjo, Sweden, is a fascinating stop for anyone with Swedish ancestors. The inspiring “Dream of America” exhibit captures the experiences of the 1.3 million Swedes who sought a better life in the American Promised Land in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Economic woes (and, much like in Ireland, a potato famine) wracked Sweden from the 1850s to the 1920s. Roughly 20 percent of the men and 15 percent of the women who were born in Sweden during the last half of the 19th century left the country. Rounding out the exhibit, homage is paid to prominent Swedish-Americans, including aviator Charles Lindbergh, union organizer Joe Hill and the second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin.

With so many of us owing our lives to ancestors who risked theirs emigrating to the U.S., it’s important to learn about their epic journey. Adding a visit to an emigration museum in Europe can also give us greater understanding toward those currently seeking refuge on our own soil.

RED STAR LINE MUSEUM Emigrants at a dock in Antwerp, Belgium, en route to New York. Red Star was one of the biggest carriers on the Atlantic.

VIKING CRUISES The new Viking Sun docks in Shanghai for its christening last month.