Bremen: A Sachtjen Pilgrimage

What kind of name is that?  

This is a question I have received countless times growing up with the last name of Sachtjen.  I always knew the Sachtjen family was from northern Germany, more specifically from the Bremen area and for many years that represented the full extent of my family knowledge.  Our trip provided a rare opportunity to dig deeper and learn more about specifically where I come from, to see if I could find any distant relatives, and to hopefully connect to the place the Sachtjen family embarked from over 150 years ago. 

Our pilgrimage starts in the oft-overlooked German town of Bremen. 

A quick side-note: what made this exploration even more enjoyable is Jamie’s mutual connection to Bremen.  As a high school exchange student Jamie’s Dad (Bob) lived in Bremen and developed a lifelong admiration of the German language, culture and people.  We were both pretty excited about the next couple days. 

Immediately we realized that Bremen is a real German town.  While they certainly do have tourists throughout the city during the summer you quickly realize that this is a city with its own identity first and tourist destination second.  Jamie and I both recognized how much we appreciated walking through areas where normal, everyday Germans were just carrying on their lives, much different than the fishbowl phenomenon that happens in many tourist centric cities.  It provided a unique opportunity to be immersed in real German culture. We both understood why Jamie’s Dad was such a fan.  It also doesn’t hurt that it’s a pretty city, on the river, with a tremendous amount of history throughout. 

Jamie's showing Bremen Town Square first position.

Bremen's version of Lake Shore Path.  Football stadium in the background - Go SV Werder Bremen!

St. Petri Dom Bremen Cathedral 

 If you do visit Bremen one place you must check out is an area called the Schnoor.  Named after “snoor”, which is the Low German word for string.  This is the oldest district in town and boasts a maze of charming streets and shops, all of which are lined up as if a line of string was placed in the middle ages to ensure perfect construction.  In the Schnoor we quickly realized Germans affinity for ice cream, it’s totally insane how much ice cream they eat.  Two people sitting at a restaurant? Yep, eating ice cream.  Two people at a café? Yep, eating ice cream.  A family walking down the street? You guessed it, crushing a huge ice cream sundae.  I’m also sorry to report but it’s really not that good.  Don't pass up the Schnoor. 

Are you Schnoor you want to go this way?

After a full day and a half touring Bremen we kicked off the Sachtjen pilgrimage.  I was able to gather some information from the stateside Sachtjen’s (thanks Steve, Brendan & Barry) and learned that our family had emigrated from Bremerhaven in 1846.  I also learned that Bremerhaven recently completed an Emigration Museum that, among other things, includes a family database section with open access to the public.  Finally, I determined from an online search that there appeared to be one active Sachtjen address, which was in the small farming village of Horsten, Germany.  Once we completed a quick mapping session and a Hertz rental car pick up, off we went, north on the Autobahn. First stop, the sea coast village of Bremerhaven (as we learned pronounced Bremer-HA-ven, yep get down there in the back of your throat, haaaaven). 

Bremerhaven Harbor.  Proud sponsor, Team "have fun run and fart"

More Bremerhaven Harbor, less running and farting

Bremerhaven’s Emigration Museum was really well done.  Instead of the traditional museum structure the intent here is to recreate the experience that our ancestors would have had many years ago.  You are given a boarding card that gives you an identity that guides you throughout the experience.  Jamie, of course is a first class passenger, eligible for the fine dining areas and smoking cars, nothing but the best.  I, not surprisingly, was subject to an unknown, likely third class voyage.  I hope the view is nice up there! At the end we spent some time in the archive database room and were able to have them print off some cool family tree information, which showed Tietje Sachtjen, who left Bremerhaven October 15^th, 1846.  Unfortunately the original ship manifest from 1846 had been destroyed many years prior, a small downside to an otherwise great experience. 

Ryan about to nerd it up at the Emigration Museum

Port marker (BH) that would have kicked of the Sachtjen Family journey in 1846

After a stroll along the waterfront we said goodbye to Bremerhaven, we were off to find some real life German Sachtjens.  Hortsen here we come…

At this point all we really knew was that we found an address for two different Sachtjen family members, both living at the same address, and presumably a husband and a wife.  No phone, no email, just an address. Bernd and Johann Sachtjen, Kirchstr 28, Freideberg, Horsten.  Since we all know that everything on the inter web is always one hundred percent accurate we had no idea what we were walking into as we planned to just knock on some doors.  

Find Horsten, check.

We make it into Hortsen without much trouble and turned down what we believe to be their street.  It's a lovely cobblestone road, lined with trees and brick homes on either side.  The houses are set relatively close together, with each of their respective farming lands stretched out far behind each house.  This gives the area a neighborhood feel even though each house has a lot of property as well.  We pull up to #28, laughing a bit as we have no idea what to expect, and walk up to ring the doorbell.  The bell has "Sachtjen" written next to it, we have at least found the right spot.  Unfortunately there is no answer.  A neighbor across the street, who is looking at us curiously, motions around to the back of the house.  Off we head to the pasture area of their property, swing around another barn and come to an entire family sitting underneath the trees enjoying a German style picnic.  It's about to go down.

For the record I speak literally no German.  I can say please and thank you and that is it.  Jamie is blessed with double the skills as she can say about four different words in German that her Dad taught her while growing up.  Clearly we were well suited for this conversation.  I mention this because the German Sachtjen's literally speak no English.  The exchange was insane and hilarious, I quickly resorted to pulling out my Illinois Drivers License so that I could point at the last name and then myself.  I also learned (and Jamie is quick to point out) that I am terrible at gesturing or speaking slowly in this situation, I just ramble on in English at the same speed as normal, hoping that my distant relatives will just all of a sudden understand what I am saying.  Well, they didn't.  Props to Jamie at this point who jumped in and made a circular gesture around the table, speaking slowly and clearly, "Sachtjen's?".  Nods ensued, which prompted her to put her arms around me and say "Sachtjen."  Undoubtably the most successful exchange of our visit.  

We spent the next 20 minutes or so gesturing, smiling and pointing at things.  Jamie and I quickly resorted to showing pictures of Banjo after we pet their dogs for a few minutes.  We shared the family tree that we acquired in Bremerhaven, they studied with great interest.  We ended the visit with an exchange of information and a new Facebook friend in my distant cousin Annika.  Ok, Jamie is Facebook friends with her, I still don't think this Facebook thing is going to catch on.  Even though we couldn't really communicate it was a great visit, topped off with a hilarious family picture.  

Mission Accomplished.  

Smile! Ok, Ryan smile.  The Horsten Sachtjen family

 Fun Fact:  Driving on the Autobahn is amazing. :)