From Fatherland to New World:
Your German Ancestors' Emigration Story
Celebrating 1 Year of the German Genealogy Collective
Have you hit a wall researching your German ancestors who emigrated to America?
You're not alone. Millions of people know their German ancestors crossed the Atlantic in the 1800s, but the trail goes cold at Ellis Island. The passenger lists only tell part of the story – and sometimes, your ancestors don't appear on them at all.
What if you could follow your ancestors' complete journey from their German hometown to their new life in America?
Join Andrea Bentschneider, Germany's foremost genealogy expert and researcher for "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots," for an exclusive 3-part masterclass that will transform how you research your German emigrant ancestors.
What You'll Discover in This Free Masterclass Series:
Monday, October 6th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET
Part 1: Voyages of Hope – German Emigration in the 19th Century
Perfect timing: It's German-American Day AND the 1-year anniversary of GGC!
The real reasons your ancestors left Germany (it wasn't just poverty)
Emigration laws that affected when and how they could leave
What it actually cost to emigrate and how families saved for the journey
The most important German records to start your emigration research
Why some emigrants left legally while others had to sneak out
Tuesday, October 7th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET
Part 2: Crossing Oceans – The Emigrant Experience
Step-by-step: Your ancestors' journey from village to port city
What happened at emigration ports like Hamburg and Bremen
Life aboard emigrant ships (spoiler: it wasn't the Titanic)
The documents created at every step that can help your research today
How to trace the actual route your ancestors took
Wednesday, October 8th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET
Part 3: Beyond the Passenger Lists – Overlooked Emigrant and Ship Records
Find the "invisible" emigrants: stowaways, sailors, and ship workers
Crew lists, retirement records, and ship documentation goldmines
Births, deaths, and marriages that happened at sea
When passenger lists don't exist – alternative sources that do
Advanced strategies for researching difficult emigration cases
Why This Masterclass Is Different
Andrea Bentschneider brings 20+ years of hands-on experience researching in German archives, not just theory from textbooks. She's the genealogist who uncovers German ancestry for celebrities on major TV shows – and now she's sharing those same professional techniques with you.
You'll get practical, actionable strategies you can use immediately to break through your German research brick walls. No fluff, just proven methods that work.
Andrea has completed over 2,000 research projects and helped more than 1,800 clients connect with their German heritage. She knows exactly where researchers get stuck – and how to get unstuck.
Perfect If You're Struggling With:
Ancestors who seem to have vanished before reaching America
Finding the exact German town your family came from
Understanding German emigration records and documents
Researching ancestors who emigrated outside the "typical" timeframes
Locating family members who worked on ships or in emigration ports
Making sense of conflicting immigration information
About Your Expert Guide
Andrea Bentschneider is the founder of Beyond History and has been featured on "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots" as the go-to expert for German ancestry research. Based in Hamburg, Germany, she has unprecedented access to German archives and records.
As President of the Association of German-speaking Professional Genealogists and a regular speaker at RootsTech and other international conferences, Andrea is recognized worldwide as the leading authority on German genealogy.
Her motto: "We give your ancestors a voice and tell their stories."
About Your Expert Guide
Andrea Bentschneider is the founder of Beyond History and has been featured on "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots" as the go-to expert for German ancestry research. Based in Hamburg, Germany, she has unprecedented access to German archives and records.
As President of the Association of German-speaking Professional Genealogists and a regular speaker at RootsTech and other international conferences, Andrea is recognized worldwide as the leading authority on German genealogy.
Her motto: "We give your ancestors a voice and tell their stories."
Register Now - It's Completely Free
All three sessions are included with your single registration.
Sessions will be recorded, but we strongly recommend attending live for the interactive Q&A portions where Andrea answers your specific research questions.
Mark your calendar:
Monday, October 6th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET - Part 1: Voyages of Hope
Tuesday, October 7th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET - Part 2: Crossing Oceans
Wednesday, October 8th at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET - Part 3: Beyond the Passenger Lists
This masterclass series commemorates both German-American Day and the first anniversary of the German Genealogy Collective.
