Die Berg-Maria, oder: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.

A humble farming family from the Swabian hills faces crushing taxes and dwindling harvests, prompting the father to sell his modest plot and seek a new life across the ocean. Their journey begins in a bustling Amsterdam port, where countless hopeful emigrants crowd cramped, ill‑conditioned ships bound for Philadelphia. The narrative captures the stark reality of 19th‑century migration: the cramped decks, a ruthless captain, and the ever‑looming threat of disease that turns the voyage into a nightmare.

As the ship battles a sudden pestilence, the family watches loved ones succumb, their grief amplified by the brutal indifference of the crew. Yet amid the horror, the story hints at the resilient spirit that drives them onward, clinging to faith and the promise of a better future in the New World. Listeners will be drawn into this vivid portrait of hardship, hope, and the enduring human will to survive.