Steamships

Before the plane, the steamship was the most important means of transport for long journeys around the world and for the global transport of goods. Steamships are not only a miracle of technology, but also closely intertwined with the lives of the people of the 19th and 20th centuries. Trade and global mobility during this time are hardly conceivable without a steamship. Millions of people also emigrated from Germany to North and South America. As this gallery shows, the first steamships sailed on smaller waters as early as the end of the 18th century. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the steamship spread as the main means of transport, the steamships becoming ever larger and more luxurious. A global regular service developed, in which European port cities such as Hamburg and Antwerp also played an important role. This gallery shows how much steamships have inspired photographers and artists.