Immigrant Hotels in Europe
Max and Nellie Heilbron Were Owners of a Boarding House for Jewish Immigrants in Liverpool. The Image Above Dates From ca. 1917. Notice Is Hereby Given That the Partnership Heretofore Subsisting Between William Mosca Heilbron, George Heilbron, and Max Heilbron, Carrying On Business in Co-partnership Together at 1, 2, and 3, Great George Square, in the City of Liverpool, as Emigration Agents, Boarding-House Keepers, and Cigar Merchants, Under the Style of "a. Heilbron & Sons Has Been Dissolved by Mutual Consent as and From the 31st Day of December 1916, as From Which Date the Said George Heilbron and Max Heilbron and George Heilbron the Younger Have Carried on the Said Business, and They Will in Future Carry On the Business at 1, 2, and 3, Great George Square Aforesaid, Under the Style of "Heilbrons' Cunard Hotel."—Dated This Fourteenth Day of March 1917. William Rudd, Solicitor for All the Persons Mentioned Above, 10 Dale Street, Liverpool. (The London Gazette, 30 March 1917:3142) GGA Image ID # 2110df6eee
Hotels for Emigrants from Europe in Antwerp (1900)
Upon the arrival of the emigrant trains at Antwerp, the passengers are met by agents of hotels devoted entirely to the housing of emigrants. The thirteen different ones are conducted by individuals of the nationality of the people accommodated.
In this way, it is claimed that the emigrants are much better satisfied than with apparently excellent arrangements for housing and handling the same classes as those at Rotterdam.
I learned that some time ago, the Belgian authorities sent several persons to Rotterdam to stay in the companies’ hotel there as emigrants to learn from the passengers themselves how they liked being obliged to sleep in clean beds, take an occasional bath, and observe a decent degree of cleanliness.
The result of this investigation seemed to indicate that a clean hotel was so unpopular that—for business reasons, desiring as many emigrants as possible to sail from Antwerp—they decided to allow the plan of each one seeking shelter with those of his nationality to continue instead of directing the Red Star Line to erect one large, well-conducted hotel for its steerage passengers.
These hotels may be favored because they are small, and in the case of an epidemic disease outbreak, the infected house could be easily quarantined.
The physician for the Red Star Line inspects them frequently, and once each month, a member of the emigration commission visits them. Each one is disinfected with Sulphur dioxide once a month, whether there is apparent demand for it or not, and carbolic acid and lime chloride are freely employed in urinals, closets, etc.
The patronage of these hotels depends upon the steamship line, and the proprietors are anxious to please the company in every possible way. They act as guides for the emigrants to the dock, and they render valuable assistance as policemen and interpreters at the inspection.
Red Star Line Immigrant Hotel
The Red Star Line announces that it has just secured exclusive use of a large hotel in Antwerp for the reception of passengers arriving from Central Europe to take passage on the Red Star Line ships departing from Antwerp for New York.
The house is known as Hotel America and is in one of the best streets of the downtown section of Antwerp, not far from the Cathedral. It has a capacity for 660 beds, and through the fitting out of an annex, this total will be brought up to 1,000 beds.
One primary qualification for securing accommodation at this hotel is that the traveler shall first be declared clean by Dr. Van Daele, shore surgeon of the Red Star Line.
White Star Line Emigrant Hotel
The White Star Line reports the establishment of the Hotel Oceanic, an emigrants' hotel in Liverpool. Housed in a group of Georgian houses on Duke Street, formerly known as the Continental Hotel, it is known for its immaculate cleanliness. The same high standard of cleanliness, a prerequisite at the Red Star Line hotel in Antwerp, is maintained here, ensuring a comfortable and hygienic stay for all patrons.
One of the most appealing aspects of the Hotel Oceanic is its remarkably low rates. These rates are included in the charges paid by the traveler to the steamship company when securing a ticket for the United States, making it an affordable choice for budget-conscious travelers and emigrants.
Bibliography
Shipping: Marine Transportation, Construction, Equipment and Supplies, Volume XIII, No. 9, May 10, 1921, Page 40.
"Hotels for Emigrants," in the Annual Report of the Supervising Surgeon General of the Marine Hospital Service of the United States For the Fiscal Year 1900, Washtington: Government Printing Office, p. 482.
Heilbron's Cunard Immigrant Hotel, Liverpool," in The London Gazette, 30 March 1917, p. 3142.
Immigrant Hotels in Europe
A Crucial Piece of Emigration History
For teachers, students, genealogists, and family historians, this article provides a rare and detailed account of the vital role immigrant hotels played in the European emigration process. These establishments were not simply lodging houses but key transitional spaces where emigrants awaited their journeys to America, undergoing medical inspections, quarantine procedures, and logistical preparations. Understanding these hotels sheds light on ancestral migration patterns, immigration policies, and the social conditions of emigrants before their Atlantic crossing.
Why This Article is Essential for Immigration History Research
- Pre-Departure Experience of Emigrants – Discover the living conditions, services, and regulations that shaped the final days of emigrants in Europe before they set sail.
- Hotels by Nationality – Learn how hotels were segregated by nationality to accommodate emigrants in familiar cultural environments, influencing where specific ethnic groups settled.
- Health & Sanitation Regulations – Explore the hygiene and medical inspection protocols, including mandatory disinfections, quarantine measures, and health screenings before boarding.
- Influence of Steamship Companies – The Red Star Line, White Star Line, and Cunard Line played a dominant role in controlling accommodations, ensuring clean facilities, and preparing emigrants for U.S. entry requirements.
- Economic & Social Factors – Understand the business and governmental interests behind immigrant hotels, from competition between ports like Antwerp and Rotterdam to shipping line partnerships with lodging houses.
Who Should Read This Article?
- Genealogists & Family Historians – If your ancestors departed from Antwerp, Liverpool, or Rotterdam, this article provides essential context on where they stayed and what they experienced before sailing to America.
- Immigration & Social Historians – A detailed look at the infrastructure supporting mass migration, revealing how European authorities and steamship companies managed emigrant populations.
- Educators & Students – An engaging resource for history courses, perfect for research projects, discussions on migration logistics, and understanding immigrant life beyond Ellis Island.
By examining the role of immigrant hotels, this article fills a crucial gap in emigration history, offering a deeper understanding of what it meant to leave Europe for America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Whether you're researching family migration routes, immigration policies, or pre-departure living conditions, this article is a must-read for uncovering the hidden realities of European emigration.
