A group of German speakers on their way to Canada. They came from Volhynia, in what is now Ukraine, where they had family and a new farm. They set off in the mid-1890s, heading for English-speaking countries and settling near the Canadian city of Edmonton. They gave up their farm and left family members behind.

Why did these people embark on such an arduous journey? Jan Musekamp gets to the bottom of this question. In his research, our deputy director examines migration policies that originated in the 19th century and still exist today in essence.

Find out more about his project, “Navigating Racist Borders and "Global Color Lines:" German Speakers from Ukraine on the Move, 1860-1950,” now on the Max Weber Foundation's online portal.