The Great Wall of China, as it is called, is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful monuments ever made by mankind. Stretching approximately 6,700 kilometres from east to west of China, the Great Wall snakes up and down across the undulating topography, like a gigantic dragon.
On 5 July 2007, the BallinStadt Emigrant World Hamburg, located on Veddel Island in the River Elbe, opens to the public. Situated on the site of the historical emigrant city built by the HAPAG shipping company under its general manager Albert Ballin between 1898 and 1901, this fascinating new centre will attract visitors from Germany, Europe and America. The BallinStadt tells the moving story of more than five million people who left their homes between 1850 and 1939 via the Port of Hamburg to start a new life in America.
Photomontage BallinStadt Emigrant World; © Architekturbüro nps tchoban voss
The BallinStadt Emigrant World Hamburg is divided into three separate areas which are interlinked. Centrepiece of the BallinStadt is the careful reconstruction of the three original living and sleeping pavilions. The main exhibition, housed in the second building, provides an authentic and moving impression of all the phases involved in emigration. The BallinStadt Emigrant World Hamburg gives visitors a comprehensive and very moving impression of the mass phenomenon of emigration, covering all phases from packing up to arriving and settling in a new country. In addition to providing fascinating glimpses of the different phases of leaving one life and travelling to start a new one, the exhibition also examines what made people choose to leave their home and it traces their fortunes after their arrival in New York. The interactive edutainment exhibition allows visitors to relate to past and present aspects of emigration; innovative technology enables them to slip into the role of an emigrant and embark on a journey to a new life. Children can accompany their parents on this journey, thus allowing them to experience the topic from their own perspective.
Auswanderer in einem Raum der BallinStadt Auswandererwelt; © Bildarchiv Denkmalschutzamt Hamburg
From 1891 on, Hamburg became one of the most important ports for emigrants from all across Europe. In 1901, Albert Ballin had an "Emigrant City" built for the many thousands of people, most from eastern and south-eastern Europe, who arrived in Hamburg to await their embarkation. In the busiest years, the accommodation was used by up to 190,000 people a year. The site, which gradually grew in size until it covered 55,000 square metres, housed 30 buildings: in addition to living and sleeping quarters, there were two hotels, large dining halls, a church, a synagogue, a music pavilion, hygiene and disinfection facilities and several administration buildings. During the extension work in 1906/07, additional living and sleeping pavilions and an impressive reception building were added.
India, a place of infinite variety, is fascinating with its ancient and complex culture, dazzling contrasts and breathtaking physical beauty. With the great potential available and the development initiatives taken by the government, Indian inbound Tourism has shown a substantial growth in the last decade, especially 2003-04 has been the best in the history of Indian tourism. In fact, Tourism has become the second largest foreign exchange earner for the country. In terms of visitor numbers, now India is 11th among Asia Pacific countries.
