The map dated 1835 showing the city of Wilhelmshaven and the Jadebusen is definitely a forgery: It must have been copied from a map produced in the 1970s or 1980s because the embankment carried out after World War II between Wilhelmshaven and Hooksiel has been considered in it.(17)  And the borderline of Bremen on the map of 1835 is the borderline of the 20th century (since 1939).(18)

Liwwät Böke's drawing, 1835

Development of the Oldenburg area in 19. / 20. century.  Extract (modified): Albrecht Eckhardt/Heinrich Schmidt (Hg.): Geschichte des Landes Oldenburg. Ein Handbuch. Oldenburg 1987

"Liwwät" 1835

Bremen about 1900 (Scobel 1901)

“Baltimore   -   dat in dienst Nemmen” (Baltimore   -   “Those Who Were Indentured” (51))

 “Liwwät” wrote:

 „Ik häff sölwest saihn bi ussen Saigelschiff in dem Haffendok. Dat Schiff brinkt Würtembergers, Durlachers un Palts. . . .

Dao sint mannige, de bejämmeren un begrienen iähren Andeel um se Duuttskland verlaoten häbbt, un belegert mi mit Träon un uprichtet händen un Guotts Sake to bekennt maken in Duutskland iähren Elende un Hiärten Stink, so dat blaas Bure of Allgemein Lue, äover ook Edelen un Graofen bekennt maokt sint iähren Unnersindung um dat nicht merehre Unschuldige Lue Mensken sich tokürent laoten um to utwanneren dat Vaderland in dat Liaben de Slaafen luert sint. . . .

Wann dat Schiff naoden lange Riese, tokommt to Lant, nieman is aflaoten dat Schiff, bloas sokken de Betallt sint iähren Riesen Kosten  -  of se gurdden Versicherheit hebbt, de anneren, de, wekken nicht dat mittel af Geld haolt of findt moeten upt Schiff bliffen. De, wekken nicht dat Mittel of Geld haolt of findt moeten upt Schiff bliffen bis se verkaupt sint, un sint losloaten von Schiff bi iären Verkauper. Kirnen Kauper kauppet de Kranken, Blinde of aollern. Gesunde Mensken kauppet se bünigs. De lienere un kruppeleren liggt faken twen of dren Wiäken bis se daut sind. . . . Jeden Dag kommt Hollander, Engelsken un Houchduutsken hier hen von diätig of mäihr Milen um to Mensken kaupen de Verkauppen sint. se utsöeket de Gesunde Lue, um to brukken de Stautigheit un Afspräikt mit em den Tiidlang de willig sint för iähr Riesenkosten. De Angenemmung is verbeidt in Schriewen up Pappier, un se beid sich un fief of tain Jaohren, se liäft nich Engelsk. Jungens arbeit bis se 21 jaohren sint. Familen sint upbriaken. Kinieren verlooren! Mit angst.   Liwwät Böke.”

 [Translation by Luke Knapke:

“I have seen this myself at our sailing ship in the harbour dock. The ship carried Württembergers, “Durlachers” (Ed.-?) and Palatines. . . .

There were many who complained and moaned on their part that they had left Germany. And they begged me with tears and outstretched hands for God’s sake to acquaint those in Germany with their sufferings and heartbreak so that not only the farmers or ordinary people, but also the nobles and counts, would be made aware of their discovery, so that no more innocent people would let themselves betalked into emigrating from the fatherland and be lured into the life of a slave. . . .

 When the ship reached land after the long journey, no one is let off the ship except those who had paid their travel costs or had good security. The others who didn’t have the funds or money found they had to stay on the ship until they were sold and were let off the ship by their seller. No buyers bought the sick, the blind, or the elderly. Health persons were bought at once. The suffering and crippled often lay on the ship two or three weeks until they died.  . . .

Every day Dutchmen, English and High Germans come here from thirty or more miles to buy the humans who are for sale. They seek out the healthy people to take advantage of their poverty, and dispute the whole time with those who are willing to serve for their travel costs. The chosen one is bound in writing on paper for five or ten years; they can’t read English. Young ones work until they are twenty-one years old. Families are broken up, Children lost! With anguish,   Liwwät Böke.”]

 “Baltimore  -  dat in dienst Nemmen” is the Low German superscription of a short notice. It has been drawn out of a book written by a German organist and schoolmaster and published in Stuttgart in 1756.(19)  This travel book gives an account of the situation in the mid 18th century and not of the situation in 1834/35. The American labour-market did no longer stand in need of these very poor people who formerly have been offered by the captains to potential employers as indentured servants. More and more people arrived in the New World, and the number of slaves, born in the USA, increased heavier. And little by little people paid regard to humanity and human rights. And last but not least the Bremen authority enacted a first law concerning the protection of emigrants (October 1, 1832: “Verordnung wegen der Auswanderer mit hiesigen oder fremden Schiffen”): they were liable for prompt payment of the travelling-expenses.(20)

“Baltimore   -   dat in dienst Nemmen” is a forgery and a plagiarism.

[17] Albrecht Eckhardt / Heinrich Schmidt (Hg.): Geschichte des Landes Oldenburg. Ein Handbuch. Oldenburg: Holzberg 1987 (Kartenanhang).  - .

[18] Konrad Elmshäuser: Geschichte Bremens. München: Beck 2007; A. Scobel: Velhagen & Klasings Neuer Volks- und Familien-Atlas in 100 Kartenseiten. Bielefeld/Leipzig: Velhagen & Klasing 1901 (Pages of this atlas showing the German states can be ordered using this website: www.dausa.de (DAUSA-Shop).).

[19] Gottlieb Mittelbergers Reise nach Pennsylvanien im Jahre 1750. und Rückreise nach Teutschland im Jahre 1754. Enthaltend nicht nur eine Beschreibung des Landes und seinem gegenwärtigen Zustande, sondern auch eine ausführliche Nachricht von den unglükseligen und betrübten Umständen der meisten Teutschen, die in dieses Land gezogen sind, und dahin ziehen. Stuttgard, gedruckt bey Gottlieb Friderich Jenisch. 1756. (Also completely in http://books.google.de) New edition: Gottlieb Mittelberger: Reise nach Pennsylvanien im Jahre 1750. Sigmaringen: Thorbecke 1997. In English: Gottlieb Mittelberger: Gottlieb Mittelberger’s Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and Return to Germany in the Year 1754. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing 2008.

[20] Förderverein Deutsches Auswanderermuseum (Hg.): Bremen und Bremerhaven als Auswandererhäfen. Bremerhaven: Förderverein 1988, 5.   -   More informations about indentured servitude: Günter Moltmann (Hg.): Aufbruch in die Fremde. Die Auswanderungswelle von 1816/17. Stuttgart: Metzler 1989, 29-33, 318-334; Hans-Jürgen Grabbe: Vor der großen Flut. Die europäische Migration in die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. 1783-1820. Stuttgart: Steiner 2001, 333-364; Kenneth Morgan: Slavery and Servitude in Colonial North America. A Short History. New York: New York University Press 2001; Ran Abramitzky / Fabio Braggen: Migration and Human Capital. Self-Selection and Indentured Servants to the Americas. In: Journal of Economic History 66(2006)4, 882-905.