Inspection of Immigrants at Bremen - Norddeutscher Lloyd (1903)
A Letter from Mr. Henry W. Diederich to Mr. Herbert H. D. Peirce
Memorandum on the Consular Inspection of Emigrants At Bremen
On April I, 1903, the Hon. L. M. Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury, promulgated to the consular officers of the United States and medical officers serving at any foreign port the rules and regulations to be used and complied with by vessels in foreign ports to secure the best sanitary condition of such vessels, their cargoes, passengers, and crew before their departure for any port in the United States.
In the following, I propose briefly to set forth how said rules and regulations are enforced at the port of Bremen and Bremerhaven and how this consulate performs the duty of inspection of emigrants:
A.-Inspection of Vessels and Crew
The German Imperial Government has stationed at this port a commissioner whose special duty is to rigidly inspect all vessels and their crew immediately before their departure. There is ordinarily no necessity for this consulate to examine vessels further.
However, the consul regularly receives a full medical report of each incoming vessel, signed by the captain and the surgeon (see Exhibit A). When it is found that there was a case of a communicable disease on board, the consular agent at Bremerhaven is instructed to make assurance doubly sure by satisfying himself that the vessel is not only mechanically clean but that all portions liable to have been infected have been disinfected before he issues a bill of health.
B.-Inspection of Steerage Passengers
I have reported fully on this subject to the Department of State at various times, viz., on October 15, 1900, November 29, 1901, and February 15, 1903.
Most emigrants bound for the United States via Bremen came from Russia and Austria-Hungary. From the start, every precaution was taken to ensure that only such people left their country as may ultimately enter the United States under American immigration laws.
The Hamburg America Line and the North German Lloyd have entered into an arrangement with the Prussian railway authorities under which these companies refuse transportation to persons from Russia and Austria who fail to meet specific requirements.
Accordingly, Russian emigrants must have a passport, a steamer ticket to an American port, and a certain sum of money. Besides, every Russian emigrant is compelled, before crossing the border of his country, to submit to a physical examination, take a bath, and have his baggage disinfected at one of the following inspection stations: Memel, Tilsit, Eydtkuhnen, Prostken, Posen, Ottlotschin, Interburg, and Illowo.
The Austrian emigrant must also have a steamer ticket and money, not a passport. He must also present a certificate from the medical examining agents of the steamship companies at Myslowitz or Ratibor.
At Ruhleben, near Berlin, these two streams of Russians and Austrians flow together, and once more, every man, woman, and child must undergo a very strict examination. A part of them is taken to Hamburg for transportation to the United States, and the others come to Bremen to take a steamer here.
Upon their arrival in Bremen, they are taken in hand by a number of boarding and lodging housemasters, who are obliged to do their business under stringent police regulations. It certainly speaks well for the board of public health at Bremen to have succeeded in keeping up an excellent record of the city's sanitary condition even though for decades, this long, motley caravan of uncouth aliens, coming mainly from countries infected with disease, has been passing through its gates and lodging within its walls.
On the day before the sailing of each steamer, every one of these emigrants, who have already twice undergone the sifting process once on the border of their native country and again at Ruhlebenare, most carefully inspected for the third time under the supervision of this consulate in the following manner: Three to four steamers of the North German Lloyd Steamship Company leave this port every week, and each steamer requires from two to three inspections of the steerage passengers, making in all from nine to eleven sessions a week, each one lasting from two to three hours. My experience has been that three physicians cannot reasonably look over more than 200 people in one hour.
At first, all baggage of the steerage passengers is inspected and labeled under section 39 of the United States quarantine laws, which alone require a great deal of time and painstaking care.
Then, every man, woman, and child is inspected, and the women and children come first. With the left arm bared, each person approaches the line of physicians and is vaccinated according to the checkerboard or crisscross system.
Next, the general physical condition is carefully examined, with special care to detect diseases of the eyes, skin, lungs, mind, etc. This examination takes place in the presence of Dr. Peltzer, a German physician and a sworn medical officer of this consulate, assisted by two physicians employed by the Lloyd Steamship Company. As soon as trachoma, lupus, pulmonary phthisis, and certain other diseases or any mental trouble are discovered, the person so afflicted is rejected.
To avoid heartrending scenes, the unfortunate person does not receive the inspection card but a red slip stating that said person has been rejected and for what reason. (See Exhibit B.) The interpreter then instructs the bearer of this red card to show it to the lodging-house master, whose duty is to fully explain the sad situation to the person condemned to return to a, in many cases, home just deserted.
All steerage passengers vaccinated and found to be in good physical condition are passed by having their inspection card stamped with the consular seal. This card (Exhibit C) is very valuable to the bearer, as it not only admits him to the steamer but also guarantees immunity from detention at the quarantine and on the railroads in the United States.
The consul regularly sends a list of all rejected aliens to the commissioners of immigration at New York, Baltimore, or Galveston; either the steamer may be bound, together with a sworn statement from Dr. Peltzer. (See Exhibits D and E.) At the same time, the steamship company is also at once notified as to which passengers have been rejected at the consular inspection, whereupon they may if they choose, investigate the cases more closely and determine for themselves whether or not they will risk taking such rejected passengers to the American port.
In return, the commissioners of immigration of New York and Baltimore send me regularly the names of all deported immigrants, and in scanning those lists, I have the satisfaction of seeing that among the deported steerage passengers, there are but very few that have passed the consular inspection at Bremen. In reviewing those lists, I rarely find a person returned to Bremen because of some disease or physical disability. Still, in nine out of ten cases, the causes for deportation mentioned are "P. C." (public charge) and "C. L." (contract labor), which are matters that I do not look into.
That this inspection takes up much time and involves a great deal of arduous labor and grave responsibilities on the part of this consulate goes without saying. It is clear that, with each step of this sifting-out process, more thorough and painstaking work and vigilance are required to discover the few undesirable cases that were not noticed before. However, I think the records of the various United States immigration bureaus will show that the work done at this port by the present system of consular inspection of emigrants has been, in the main, successful.
Exhibit C: Immigrant and Steerage Passenger Inspection Card Issued at the Port of Bremen, 23 April 1910. GGA Image ID # 21ea0b5be3
C.-Inspection of Cargo or Freight
No bill of health is issued before the following requirements are complied with: All shippers are bound to produce positive proof at this consulate that their goods are above suspicion. After this is done, a note is issued to them on the strength of which the steamship company will receive their merchandise.
These notes are then sent to the consular agent at Bremerhaven, who can examine the cargo manifests to see at a glance whether all objectionable goods have been kept out of the vessel. The last thing this consulate does before the steamer train leaves Bremen for Bremerhaven is to examine and authenticate the freight manifests.
This is, in a nutshell, the inspection work done at this consulate under the United States quarantine laws.
In conclusion, most of this work has to be done outside of the consular office and outside of office hours, which are from 9 to 2. I am obliged to be on duty, not in my office, but in the Lloyd Halle at least three times a week from I to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m., and also three times a week early in the morning before office hours, before the last steamer train pulls out, at any time from 5 to 9 a. m., to supervise the inspection of emigrants, to have their baggage disinfected and labeled, to examine and sign manifests of freight, to authenticate the sworn statement of Dr. Peltzer, to sign lists of rejected passengers, etc.
All this hard work is done so late in the day or early in the morning-not from choice nor because my Government requires it, but to facilitate the business of a foreign steamship company, which is making vast fortunes out of its traffic with the United States.
I have vainly tried to get the North German Lloyd Steamship Company to do all its inspections and such other business as requires my official presence during my office hours, but I have become satisfied that this is impossible because they depend entirely upon the tide for getting their large passenger steamers in and out of the harbor.
In view of these facts, I am of the opinion that when the business of a foreign steamship company requires the services of a United States consul at any and all hours of the day and night, outside of his office and office hours, he should be entitled to compensation from the company for extra services so rendered, as is being done in a regular business way in every other line of human activity.
R C 5--4
Henry W. Diederich,
United States Consul.
The Hamburg America Line: A Critical Gateway in the Immigration Process
For teachers, students, genealogists, and family historians, Inspection of Emigrants by the Hamburg America Line (1903) offers a rare and essential glimpse into the rigorous pre-departure inspections of European emigrants before they reached Ellis Island. This meticulously documented report from Deputy Consul-General Otto W. Hellmrich highlights the intensive medical screenings, quarantine measures, and bureaucratic oversight that shaped the immigrant experience.
If you are researching immigrant ancestors from Russia, Austria-Hungary, or other European nations, this article provides firsthand insights into the journey before arrival in the United States—an often-overlooked but crucial piece of the immigration story.
Why This Article is a Must-Read for Immigration Researchers
✔ Unseen Side of Immigration – The Hamburg America Line wasn’t just a transport company; it played a major role in screening, quarantining, and inspecting emigrants before they ever left Europe.
✔ Exhaustive Medical and Legal Inspections – From disease control at Russian border stations to baggage disinfection and police checks in Hamburg, emigrants faced multiple layers of scrutiny before being allowed to sail.
✔ Tracing Your Ancestors’ Journey – If your family history includes immigrants from Russia, Poland, Galicia, Austria-Hungary, or Germany, this article reveals the specific routes, procedures, and challenges they encountered before arriving in America.
✔ Ellis Island Begins in Europe – The U.S. consulate in Hamburg played a direct role in rejecting unfit emigrants to avoid deportations from Ellis Island, showing how immigration control started long before U.S. soil.
Key Highlights from the Article
1. The Three Categories of Emigrants Processed in Hamburg
Emigrants were divided into three classes, each with its own set of regulations and inspection procedures:
- (A) Russian Emigrants – Passed through stringent control stations at the Russo-German border, where they were bathed, their clothing disinfected, and placed under medical observation before continuing to Hamburg.
- (B) Austro-Hungarian Emigrants – Faced medical inspections at control stations in Ratibor or Myslowitz, but were not subject to quarantine or forced disinfection like Russian emigrants.
- (C) Other European Emigrants – Entered Hamburg freely without passing through control stations, often lodging in licensed emigrant boarding houses.
2. The Rigorous Health and Quarantine Measures in Hamburg
- Emigrants from Russia were quarantined in the Hamburg America Line’s emigrants’ barracks, divided into “dirty” and “clean” sections.
- Medical examinations took place daily, with an official government surgeon overseeing health conditions before emigrants could proceed.
- If a contagious disease like measles or smallpox was detected, the affected individual was immediately hospitalized, and further disinfection measures were enacted.
3. The Final Medical and Police Inspections Before Departure
Before boarding the ship, emigrants had to pass three final checks:
- Medical examination – Each emigrant was stamped as “medically examined” if they passed.
- Baggage inspection – Personal effects were disinfected and labeled per U.S. Quarantine Regulations.
- Police screening – Officers prevented the departure of military deserters, criminals, human trafficking victims, and underage emigrants without parental consent.
Those deemed unfit were sent back to their home country, ensuring that only those likely to be admitted into the U.S. were allowed to board.
4. The Hamburg America Line’s Role in U.S. Immigration Control
- The company worked closely with the U.S. consulate to enforce American immigration laws before departure, reducing Ellis Island deportations.
- Rejected emigrants were turned away at multiple checkpoints, including border stations, the Hamburg medical barracks, and final embarkation screenings.
- The company refused to sell tickets to those unlikely to pass U.S. inspections, showing how private steamship companies played a major role in immigration enforcement.
5. The U.S. Consulate’s Hands-On Oversight
- American officials personally attended medical exams, reviewed manifests, and ensured compliance with U.S. immigration law.
- The U.S. Deputy Consul-General had to inspect steerage compartments, hospitals, and sanitation conditions aboard every departing ship, sometimes under hazardous conditions.
- This meticulous process kept out thousands of unfit passengers and ensured only admissible immigrants arrived in America.
Who Should Read This Article?
🔹 Teachers & Students: Offers an unprecedented look at how European emigrants were inspected before arriving at Ellis Island, perfect for classroom discussions on immigration history.
🔹 Genealogists & Family Historians: Essential for those tracing German, Russian, Polish, Austrian, or Hungarian immigrant ancestors, explaining why many immigrants had multiple inspections before departure.
🔹 Public Policy & Immigration Scholars: Highlights how private companies like the Hamburg America Line enforced U.S. immigration laws, setting a precedent for modern border control practices.
🔹 Researchers of Jewish & Mennonite Emigration: Reveals why Jewish and Mennonite emigrants were the only groups allowed to leave Russia officially, while others had to escape in secrecy.
Final Thoughts: A Critical Piece of the Immigration Puzzle
While many focus on Ellis Island as the primary checkpoint for immigrants, Inspection of Emigrants by the Hamburg America Line (1903) proves that immigration enforcement began in Europe—long before immigrants ever saw the Statue of Liberty.
📖 This is an indispensable resource for anyone studying immigration history, tracing family roots, or understanding the policies that shaped America’s immigrant experience.
🔎 Dive into this detailed historical account and uncover the untold story of how emigrants were prepared, inspected, and approved for their journey to the United States!
