The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is December 2025)
Want to improve your newspaper research skills? Use the resources of the Newspaper Research Academy at Academy
The Hamburg Passenger Lists are one of the most important — and most underused — immigration resources in genealogy. Covering departures from the port of Hamburg primarily between 1850 and 1934, these lists document millions of emigrants leaving Europe for destinations around the world.
Because these are departure records, they can reveal information that never appears on Ellis Island or Castle Garden manifests. This Quicksheet explains how the Hamburg Passenger Lists work, what information they contain, and how to use them effectively — especially when U.S. arrival searches fail.
Download the Quicksheet PDF
To obtain a four-page Quicksheet PDF of the information, download it by clicking on the Download button below:
For all the previously published Quick Reference Guides, click on QuickSheets.
Genealogy QuickSheets – Frequently Asked Questions
- 100 Best Free Online Genealogy Websites
- Beyond the Search Engine: Using Google Databases for Genealogy Research
- 64 Genealogy Items to Collect from Your Home
- United States Genealogical and Historical Societies
- 24 Places Where You Can Find Your Ancestors Occupation
- 13 Types of Genealogical Information You Can Find in Old Yearbooks
- 16 Places Where You Can Find Genealogy and Family History Books
- Easy Cousin Relationship Chart