• Washington, July 7, 2019 •

The letters shared with German Heritage in Letters include stories of both triumph and adversity. One way of examining these stories more closely is through our new "Snapshot" feature, which takes a look at a particular life through the lens of a long-running series of correspondence. Our first feature examines the life of Dorothea Handel Schuhmacher, who was born in Bretten, Württemburg, in 1830, and immigrated to the United States in 1855. 

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Dorothea's great-great-granddaughter, Linda Stagg, who contributed this collection of her family letters, explains that although the events described in her ancestors' letters are painful, it is important to share them with a broader audience. She takes pride in Dorothea's willingness to persevere and build a good life for herself and her descendants in a new country. 

Dorothea Handel Schuhmacher (seated, right) with her husband Peter and their daughter Minnie (standing), June 1881.

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