This article examines the presence of Italian itinerant migrants and vagabonds in nineteenth-century Germany, focusing on the processes that contributed to the formation of stereotypes and prejudices against them. Drawing on consular records, census data, diplomatic correspondence, and private archival sources, the study highlights the limitations of official statistics in capturing a form of mobility that was largely seasonal and difficult to monitor. Particular attention is devoted to street musicians, itinerant peddlers, animal performers, and children employed in travelling occupations, groups that were frequently perceived by both German and Italian authorities as marginal and socially undesirable. The analysis demonstrates how these representations fostered restrictive policies and contributed to the construction of a negative image of Italian immigration. At the same time, the article underscores the economic significance of these activities and the migrants’ remarkable capacity for adaptation, entrepreneurship, and social mobility, offering a critical reassessment of phenomena that have long remained neglected in migration historiography.
Italienische Wanderarbeiter in Deutschland im 19. Jahrhundert
Carlo stiaccini
2026-01-01
Abstract
This article examines the presence of Italian itinerant migrants and vagabonds in nineteenth-century Germany, focusing on the processes that contributed to the formation of stereotypes and prejudices against them. Drawing on consular records, census data, diplomatic correspondence, and private archival sources, the study highlights the limitations of official statistics in capturing a form of mobility that was largely seasonal and difficult to monitor. Particular attention is devoted to street musicians, itinerant peddlers, animal performers, and children employed in travelling occupations, groups that were frequently perceived by both German and Italian authorities as marginal and socially undesirable. The analysis demonstrates how these representations fostered restrictive policies and contributed to the construction of a negative image of Italian immigration. At the same time, the article underscores the economic significance of these activities and the migrants’ remarkable capacity for adaptation, entrepreneurship, and social mobility, offering a critical reassessment of phenomena that have long remained neglected in migration historiography.
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