Arthur Jay

Pilgrimages Arthur Jay

On 29 May 1907, the Mainsail Kroonland pulled into New York harbor after crossing from Antwerp, Belgium. On board were sixteen-year-old Magda Schumitz, and a small group of fellow Gottscheers who had left their families in the Austrian Empire and set out on their own in America. As they crossed Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, they formed friendships that lasted for decades. Along with Magda's story, with its struggles, joys, and tragedies, we see how each succeeded, failed, or both along the way to becoming 'real Americans'. They witnessed the great trends and defining events of Twentieth Century America and became part of America's history and threads in the fabric of America.