Prepaid Transatlantic Passage in a Time of Change: SS Deutschland Contract for the Lademacher Family – 1933

📌 Explore a 1933 prepaid passage contract for the SS Deutschland, revealing a family’s transatlantic journey from Nazi Germany to the U.S. Ideal for historians, teachers, and genealogists studying immigration, law, and ocean travel.

Front Side, Hamburg America Line Purchaser's Receipt and Contract for Prepaid Ticket and Passage for 3 Persons on a Hamburg America Line Steamship SS Deutschland for a Voyage from Hamburg to New York, Departing from Hamburg 20 July 1933, Dated 5 June 1933. GGA Image ID # 12d2530844

🚢 SS Deutschland Passage Receipt & Contract – 5 June 1933 ✨

The SS Deutschland Passage Receipt and Contract from 5 June 1933 offers a compelling snapshot of European immigration during a pivotal era—just months after Hitler rose to power in Germany. This prepaid receipt, arranged by a Maryland-based relative, reflects not only the personal stories of transatlantic relocation but also the broader currents of 1930s migration, economic sacrifice, and the complexities of international travel by ocean liner. 🧳📜

Summary of Purchaser's Receipt and Contract

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 5 June 1933 / 20 July 1933
• Steamship Line: Hamburg America Line
• Steamship: SS Deutschland
• Route: Hamburg to New York
• Ticket Type: Purchaser's Receipt and Contract
• Voyage Class: Tourist Class
• Name on Contract: Mrs. Minna Lademacher; Miss Elizabeth Lademacher – Age 20; and Gertraud Lademacher – Age 14
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): German
• Contract Terms: Transcribed
• Cost of Ticket: $358.50 / $7,160.00 USD in 2020

Purchaser's Receipt and Contract Details

Tourist Class Passage for Three Family Members living in Berlin prepaid by another family member living in Maryland for a voyage from Hamburg to New York, departing 5 June 1933 on the Hamburg America Line steamship Deutschland.

PURCHASER’S RECEIPT AND CONTRACT

(To be retained by the Purchaser of the Ticket)

Hamburg-American line

Received from the purchaser named at the foot hereof the amounts set forth below for transportation of the following passengers, but subject to all the terms and conditions of the contract on the reverse side of this receipt and of the westbound passage contract to be hereafter issued to said passengers; and also subject to the rules and conditions of all other carriers over whose lines said passengers may be forwarded.

Good for one year from date of issue.

TOURIST CLASS – PREPAID TICKET No. P 370851

NAMES OF PASSENGER - (Write Plainly):
FRAU MINNA LADEMACHER - Adult
FRL. ELIZABETH LADEMACHER – Age 20
FRL. GERTRAUD LADEMACHER – Age 14

Address: # 5 Merseburger Str. – “Schoneberg" – BERLIN, Germany

From: Hamburg
To: NEW YORK (Destination in U. S. or Canada)
Full     Half    Infant  Rate            

• EUROPEAN RAIL FARE:  0
• OCEAN FARE OR THROUGH RATE - Each at $111.50
• For 3 Adults:  $334.50
• AMERICAN RAIL FARE: 0
• U. S. HEAD TAX: #24.00
• LANDING MONEY: 0
• OTHER CHARGES: 0
• PAYMENTS TO PASSENGERS: 0
• AMOUNT PAID: $358.50

Purchaser should forward “Passenger’s Notice” direct to the Passenger and advise him not to leave his home for the port of embarkation until advised to do so by the Company.

PURCHASER MUST READ CAREFULLY AND SIGN CONTRACT ON REVERSE SIDE.

NAME AND ADDRESS OF PURCHASER: Miss Charlotte Lademacher – 6204 Maple Avenue – Chevy Chase, MD

AGENT’S NAME AND ADDRESS: E. f. DROOP & Sons, Co. – Washington, D.C.

DATE ISSUED: June 5th, 1933

PURCHASER’S RECEIPT AND CONTRACT (To be retained by the Purchaser of the Ticket).

CONTRACT WITH PURCHASER

THE PURCHASER OF THIS PREPAID PASSAGE FOR HIMSELF AND FOR THE PASSENGERS TO BE CARRIED HEREUNDER AGREES WITH THE CARRIER THAT THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT WHICH SUCH PURCHASE CREATES BETWEEN THE CARRIER AND THE PURCHASER AND/OR PASSENGERS. ARE THE FOLLOWING:

1. A contract of transportation will be issued by the carrier to said passengers in a form in current use by the Carrier for the voyage and class in question at the date of issue.
2. The mutual rights and obligations between the Carrier and the purchaser and/or passengers shall be governed solely by the provisions of such contract of transportation.
3. The responsibility of the Carrier is limited to that period only while the passengers and/or their baggage are on board the steamer and/or its tenders. Booking over the lines of other Carriers is solely for the convenience of the passengers, and no responsibility of any kind is assumed thereby by the Carrier, except to furnish the passenger with the tickets of such other Carriers or to refund so much of the passage money as represents the cost of such tickets.
4. Except as in this contract otherwise provided and except in case of wrongful refusal of the Carrier to perform said contract, neither the purchaser nor any passenger named herein shall have the right to demand cancellation thereof or the refund of any part of the ocean passage money received; but such cancellation may be granted by the Carrier, at the request of the purchaser or of the passenger first named herein, and thereupon the Carrier shall be relieved of all obligations thereunder and be liable only for the refund of the passage money and any monies received for other purposes, not paid over for such purposes, less commissions paid agent and a ten (10%) per centum cancellation fee. Both the purchaser and the passengers named therein hereby authorize the Carrier to pay the monies so refunded, at the option of the Carrier, either to the purchaser or to the passenger first named herein and, furthermore expressly waive any right of revocation of said authorization allowed under any provision of law of any state or country or otherwise. Any such person to whom paid, although not the one requesting cancellation, shall be conclusively deemed the agent to receive such monies on behalf of all persons interested therein and the Carrier by such payment shall be fully discharged of all liability for said monies.
5. This contract is not available for persons who in the Carrier’s judgment may be refused admission to the United States under the Immigration Laws of the United States at the time in force, or for any other reason, and/or who may be suffering from, or with, a contagious or infectious disease, and/or who, for any other cause, may endanger, or be obnoxious to others. The Carrier reserves the right to refuse passage to such person or persons, and upon refunding the amount paid thereon (less European railroad fares or other expenses incurred on account of advances to passengers), the Carrier shall be discharged from all further liability either to the purchaser or passengers. Purchaser, purchase money, and passengers are all liable to reimburse the Carrier for expenses of bringing to port, maintaining at port, and returning to his (her) home, any passenger who, for any reason, is not permitted to, or does not sail.
6. Unless extended by the Carrier at its option, this contract becomes void one year after date of issuance and is valid only for the persons named overleaf and for the steamer for which accommodation (room or berth) has been reserved in advance.
7. All questions arising hereunder, or under the contract of transportation hereinabove referred to, shall be decided according to German law.

Hamburg American Line
Signature of Agent:
Signature of Purchaser:
Date: June 5, 1933

Elisabeth Lademacher apparatently returned to German at some point and made another voyage from Germany to New York in 1936.

• First Name : Elisabeth
• Last Name : Lademacher
• Place of Birth : Germany
• Date of Arrival : 1936
• Age at Arrival : 23
• Gender : Female
• Ship of Travel : Europa
• Manifest Line Number : 17

Source Citation

Year: 1933; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 6; Page Number: 191

Original data:

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls. NAI: 300346. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Supplemental Manifests of Alien Passengers and Crew Members Who Arrived on Vessels at New York, New York, Who Were Inspected for Admission, and Related Index, compiled 1887-1952. Microfilm Publication A3461, 21 rolls. NAI: 3887372. RG 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Index to Alien Crewmen Who Were Discharged or Who Deserted at New York, New York, May 1917-Nov. 1957. Microfilm Publication A3417. NAI: 4497925. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Passenger Lists, 1962-1972, and Crew Lists, 1943-1972, of Vessels Arriving at Oswego, New York. Microfilm Publication A3426. NAI: 4441521. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Description

This database is an index to the passenger lists of ships arriving from foreign ports at the port of New York from 1820-1957. In addition, the names found in the index are linked to actual images of the passenger lists. Information contained in the index includes given name, surname, age, gender, arrival date, port of arrival, port of departure and ship name.

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

In 2020, the relative values of $358.50 from 1933 ranges from $5,830.00 to $131,000.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $7,160.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $358.5 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1933 to 2020.

This may not be the best answer.

The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity, Income or Wealth, or a Project.

If you want to compare the value of a $358.50 Commodity in 1933 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $7,160.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $18,800.00
• labor value of that commodity is $23,700.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $26,500.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $49,900.00
• economic share of that commodity is $131,000.00

If you want to compare the value of a $358.50 Income or Wealth, in 1933 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $7,160.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $18,800.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $23,700.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $26,500.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $49,900.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $131,000.00

If you want to compare the value of a $358.50 Project in 1933 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $5,830.00
• household cost of that project is $18,800.00
• labor cost of that project is $23,700.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $26,500.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $49,900.00
• economy cost of that project is $131,000.00

Source: www.measuringworth.com Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2022.

📌 Voyage Highlights

Date of Purchase: 5 June 1933

Sailing Date: 20 July 1933

Ship: SS Deutschland

Line: Hamburg America Line

Route: Hamburg → New York

Class: Tourist Class

Passenger Names:

🔹 Mrs. Minna Lademacher (44)

🔹 Miss Elisabeth Lademacher (20)

🔹 Miss Gertraud Lademacher (14)

Ticket Cost: $358.50 (≈ $7,160.00–$131,000.00 in today’s value depending on method used)

Ticket Purchased by: Miss Charlotte Lademacher, Chevy Chase, Maryland

📚 Educational & Historical Relevance

This artifact offers educators, students, genealogists, and historians a remarkable window into:

🌍 Transatlantic migration during early Nazi Germany, where families like the Lademachers may have been seeking new lives or reunification abroad.

🏛️ Immigration policy and screening, with contract clauses stating that the carrier could deny boarding to passengers deemed inadmissible or medically unfit.

📦 Travel documentation and prepaid migration, where family in the U.S. covered costs to bring over loved ones—an arrangement common among immigrant communities.

💬 Personal identities in official records, from ship manifests to contracts, capturing ages, appearance, destination, and even physical distinctions (e.g., Gertraud’s “left foot shorter” noted on her immigration form).

🖼️ Noteworthy Images 📷

🧾 Front Side of Purchaser's Receipt and Contract | 🆔 GGA Image ID #12d2530844

Beautifully preserved and densely informative, this document highlights the personal, legal, and logistical framework of a prepaid voyage.

📜 Contract Terms and Conditions (Reverse Side) | 🆔 GGA Image ID #12d26667bd

Packed with legal details, these terms reflect the strict boundaries of transatlantic travel and serve as a useful tool for law, civics, or history classes.

💡 Key Insights from the Contract Terms

✅ Good for One Year Only – A ticking clock to sail or forfeit the fare.

🛳️ Carrier Liability Limited to Time Onboard – Legal responsibility did not extend beyond the ship.

❌ Right to Deny Passage – The company could reject passengers deemed medically unfit or politically inconvenient.

💵 Cancellation Clauses – Refunds involved a 10% cancellation fee and forfeiture of agent commissions.

⚖️ German Law Applies – Reflecting the international maritime norms of the Hamburg America Line at the time.

🧬 Genealogical Goldmine 🔍

This receipt, when combined with arrival records, tells a complete story:

🔹 Elisabeth, Minna, and Gertraud arrived on 28 July 1933 and were headed to Washington, D.C. to reunite with Max Lademacher, the family patriarch.

🔹 Details include their heights, eye color, hair color, and even money in hand ($25)—rich detail for family history researchers.

🔹 Notably, Elisabeth returned to Germany and re-immigrated again in 1936, hinting at a back-and-forth transatlantic experience that was not uncommon among educated or affluent families.

💸 What Did $358.50 Really Buy in 1933?

In 2020 equivalents:

🔹 Real price: $7,160

🔹 Labor value: $23,700–$26,500

🔹 Income value: $49,900

🔹 Economic share value: $131,000 💰

👉 This shows that even tourist-class travel was an enormous financial commitment—often representing multiple months (or years) of savings for working families.

✨ Final Thoughts – Why This Receipt Matters

This SS Deutschland receipt and contract is far more than a travel document. It represents hope, risk, and reunion, recorded in the language of international law and maritime business. It’s a tangible reminder of how families navigated borders, policies, and oceans in the pursuit of a better life.

📖 Students and researchers—use primary sources like this from the GG Archives to enrich your essays with authentic voices from the past. Whether you're writing about immigration, 1930s Germany, or ocean liner history, these materials bring your research to life! 🌊🛳️✍️