The great ocean liners of the Red Star Line carried some two million of migrants from Europe to North America, among them Irving Berlin and Albert Einstein.
The company’s first vessel, the Vaderland, set off from Antwerp in 1873 bound for Philidelphia. The Red Star Line eventually ran two sailings a week from the Rijnkaai quayside, north of the old town, until it wound up operations in 1974.
The massive red-brick sheds where migrants were processed have been sensitively restored to create the Red Star Museum, opened in 2013. Twinned with the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York, the museum tells the story of European migration through a fascinating collection of photographs, old film footage, passengers’ letters and maritime relics.
A modern observation tower in the shape of a ship’s funnel has been added to provide sweeping views of the river.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
