Dr. Wolfgang Grams
Dr. Wolfgang Grams (born 1953) is the founder and owner of the institute "Routes to the Roots" in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. His institute envolved from a research unit at the Political Science Department at Oldenburg University, where Dr. Grams did teach until 1996 and has become the leading initiative in Roots- and Heritage travel to Germany. He is one of the most knowlegeable experts on the German migration experience, still teaches classes in history and cultural tourism and has carried out many pilot projects in the field of German-American migration studies. Dr. Grams is a fascinating narrator and lecturer on his tours and shares his profound knowledge and talents both with fellow travellers and people, institutions and destinations in his travels: a true ambassador of his country. He also conducts heritage tours to America.
Dr. Grams was the author of the World Expo 2000 project "The Migration Experience at Bremen and Bremerhaven", curator of the 2000 exhibition "Abenteuer Spurensuche", academic adviser for the German Emigration Center until it´s opening in 2005 in Bremerhaven and contributed historical biographical documentation for it´s permanent exhibit.
Until 2017 Dr. Grams was research consultant for Ancestry.com and has initiated cooperations between Ancestry.de and German archives including the digitalization of the Hamburg State Archive´s passenger records and co-operation with the Hamburg emigration museum "Ballinstadt". Other projects includ Bremen crew lists, extensive 19th century census records for Mecklenburg and a variety of family history data for former German principalities.
"Routes to the Roots" operates as "Research and Travel Dr. Grams" in the USA. Dr. Grams started co-operations with the German National Tourist Office in the USA and conducts projects with German state, tourist and cultural agencies, museums, historical and genealogical societies. Since 1996 Dr. Grams has organized and conducted many heritage tours to Germany and has gained high reputation among the German-American communities on both sides of the Atlantic.
- born on April 4, 1953 in Vietze/Gorleben
- married to Jutta Groschang with two children: Janis and Elin
- 1990 conferral of doctorate at the University of Oldenburg in the field of German Literature of the 18th century.
- 1990-1992 Guest professor in the department for German Literature at the University of Bremen.
- 1992-1996 Assistant professor in the department for Political Science at the University of Oldenburg.
- 1996 Founder and owner of "Routes to the Roots, Research and Travel"
- Numerous lectures, presentations in Germany and the US, many publications
- Until 2017: Research and project consultant for Ancestry.com in Germany to build up their German website “Ancestry.de”
- Free time activities: Soccer in the University’s traditional team, socializing with friends, time allowing fishing and gardening; supporting Werder Bremen soccer team.
