Volga German pioneer family commemorative statue in Victoria, Kansas, USA.

The Volga Germans (German: Wolgadeutsche or Russlanddeutsche) were ethnic Germans living near the Volga River in the region of southern European Russia around Saratov and to the south, maintaining German culture, language, traditions and religions: Evangelical Lutheranism, Reformed and Roman Catholicism, and Mennonitism. Many Volga Germans emigrated to the American Midwest, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and other countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Victoria is a city located in Ellis County, Kansas. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Germans. ... The Volga river in Western Russia, Europes longest river, with a length of 3,690 km (2,293 miles), provides the core of the largest river system in Europe. ... Saratov (Russian: ) is a major city in southern European Russia. ... German culture (German: Deutsche Kultur) is a term that refers to the heritage and weltanschauung of the people from the German-speaking world, or Deutschsprechende Welt. ... The Evangelical Church in Germany (German Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated as EKD) is a federation of the 23 most important Lutheran, Reformed and United churches in their respective regions. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Russian Mennonites are a group of Mennonites descended from Dutch and mainly Germanic Prussian Anabaptists who established colonies in South Russia (present-day Ukraine) beginning in 1789. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ...

Catherine the Great

After she displaced Peter III from the Russian throne, his wife, German princess Sophie Fredericke Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst, a native of Stettin, took the vacant imperial throne under the name of Catherine II (the Great) in 1762. Catherine published two manifestos inviting Europeans to immigrate and farm Russian lands while maintaining their language and culture. The first in 1762 got little response. The second in 1763 improved the perks that were offered and was much more successful. In addition to land development, an important consideration for Catherine was the provision of a buffer zone between her Russian subjects and the nomads to the east. Germans responded in particularly large numbers due to poor conditions in their home regions. People in other countries such as France and England would be more inclined to migrate to the colonies in North America than to the Russian frontier. Other countries, such as Austria, forbade emigration. Those who went to Russia had special rights under the terms of the Manifesto. These were later revoked when the need for conscription into the Russian army arose in the latter part of the 19th century. This was especially offensive to the German Mennonite communities, whose doctrine teaches against war and aggression. The Germans, who had little commitment to the Russian Empire, often emigrated to avoid the draft, though many did remain behind. Portrait of Peter III by an uknown artist Peter III (February 21, 1728 - July 17, 1762) (Russian Пётр III Федорович (Pyotr III Fyodorovitch)) was Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762. ... Anhalt_Zerbst is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. ... Motto: none Voivodship West Pomeranian Municipal government Rada miasta Szczecina Mayor Marian Jurczyk Area 301,3 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 413 600 1372/km² Founded City rights 8th century 1243 Latitude Longitude 14°34E 53°26N Area code +48 91 Car plates ZS Twin towns Berlin-Kreuzberg... Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... The Russian Mennonites are a group of Mennonites descended from Dutch and mainly Germanic Prussian Anabaptists who established colonies in South Russia (present-day Ukraine) beginning in 1789. ...

The 20th century

After the Russian Revolution, the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Autonome Sozialistische Sowjet-Republik der Wolga-Deutschen; Автоно́мная Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика Не́мцев Пово́лжья) was established from 1924–1942 with the capital in Engels (known as "Pokrovsk" before 1931). The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government (Duma), resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Volga German ASSR location map Volga German ASSR map 1937 flag of the Volga German ASSR The Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (German: Autonome Sozialistische Sowjet-Republik der Wolga-Deutschen, Russian: Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика Немцев Поволжья) was an autonomous republic established in the Soviet Union, with its capital at the Volga port of Engels... Engels (Russian: Энгельс) is a city in the Saratov Oblast in Russia. ...

As the Nazis advanced into the USSR towards Volga, Joseph Stalin became worried about the possibility of Volga Germans collaborating with them. On August 28, 1941, he ordered a 24-hour relocation of Volga Germans (and Germans from a number of other traditional areas of settlement) eastwards, to Kazakhstan, Altai Krai and other remote areas. (Similar deportations happened for other ethnic groups, for example Poles, North Caucasian Muslim ethnic groups, Kalmyks and Crimean Tatars.) In 1942 nearly all the able-bodied German population was conscripted to the Labor army. The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Not by Their Own Will. ... Altai Krai (Russian: ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) in the Siberian Federal District. ... The Republic of Kalmykia (Russian: Респу́блика Калмы́кия; Kalmyk: Хальм Тангч) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... The Crimean Tatars (Qırımtatar (aka Qırım, Qırımlı and Qırım türkü), Pl. ... This article is about the notion of the labor army in the history of the Soviet Union. ...

Present-day

The Volga Germans never returned to the Volga region. After the war, many settled in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, Kazakhstan (2% of today's Kazakh population are recognized as Germans - approximately 300,000), Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (appr. 16,000 = 0.064%). Decades after the war, some talked about resettling where the German Autonomous Republic used to be, but this movement met with opposition from the population resettled to their territory and did not gain momentum. Map of Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: Уральские горы = Урал) also known simply as the Urals and as the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, is a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... Siberian Federal District (dark red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia. ...

Since the late 1980s, many Volga Germans have emigrated to their ancestral homeland of Germany, taking advantage of the German Law of return, a policy which grants citizenship to all those who can prove to be a refugee or expellee of German ethnic origin or as the spouse or descendant of such a person (e.g. Greece had a similar law for the Greek minority from the former Soviet Union). This exodus has occurred despite the fact that most Volga Germans speak little or no German. In the late 1990s, however, Germany made it more difficult for Russians of German descent to settle in Germany, especially for those who do not speak some of the Volga dialects of German. Today, there are approximately 600,000 Germans in Russia (Russian Census 2002), a number that increases to 1.5 million when including people partly of German ancestry. The term Right of return reflects a belief that members of an ethnic or national group have a right to immigration and naturalization into the country that they, the country, or both consider to be that groups homeland, without prior personal citizenship in that country. ...

North America

Volga Germans emigrated to the United States and Canada and settled mainly in the Great Plains; Alberta, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Manitoba, Minnesota, eastern Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, and South Dakota, as well as in Oregon,Washington and Fresno County in Central California, often succeeding in dryland farming, a skill learned in Russia. Many of the emigrants who arrived between 1870 and 1912 spent a period doing farm labor, especially in northeastern Colorado and in Montana along the lower Yellowstone River in sugar beet fields. The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English and French, per mandate of the Constitution Act 1982 Flower Prairie Crocus Tree White Spruce Bird Great Grey Owl Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: From many peoples, strength) Official languages English Flower Western Red Lily Tree Paper Birch Bird Sharp-tailed Grouse Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,163 sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... Dryland farming is an agricultural technique for cultivating land which receives little rainfall. ... Yellowstone River, Fishing Bridge, July 1959. ... Two sugar beets - the one on the left has been cultivated to be smoother than the traditional beet, so that it traps less soil. ...

Bernhard Warkentin, a German Russian, was born in a small Russian village in 1847, and traveled to America in his early 20s. Interested in flour mills, he was especially impressed with the wheat growing possibilities in the United States. After visiting Kansas, Warkentin found the plains much like those he had left behind in his native Russia. Settling in Harvey County, he built a water mill on the banks of the Little Arkansas River - the Halstead Milling and Elevator Company. Warkentin's greatest contribution to Kansas was the introduction of hard Turkey wheat into Kansas, which replaced the soft variety grown exclusively in the state. Harvey County (standard abbreviation: HV) is a county in the State of Kansas, located in the south central portion of the state, along the Little Arkansas River. ... The Little Arkansas River (prounounced ahr-KAN-zez), is a 90 mi (145 km) long river located in South Central Kansas. ...

Modern descendants in Canada and the United States refer to their heritage as Germans from Russia, Russian Germans, Volgadeutsch or Black Germans. In many parts of the United States, however, they tend to have blended to a large degree with the much more numerous "regular" Germans who dominate the northern half of the United States.

South America

Germans from Russia also settled in Argentina (see Crespo), Paraguay and in Brazil (see German-Brazilians). Crespo is a town in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, some 40 km from the city of Paraná. It has around 20,000 people (2001), most of whom are descendants of the Volga Germans who migrated from Russia to Argentina from 1875 onwards. ... First group of German immigrants arrived in Brazil, by Ernst Zeuner, 1824 A German-Brazilian (German Deutschbrasilianer or Deutschbrasilianisch, Portuguese teuto-brasileiro or germano-brasileiro) is a Brazilian person of German ancestry/origin (i. ...

See also

• History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union
• Ethnic German
• Volksdeutsche
• Baltic Germans
• Crimea Germans
• Carpathian Germans
• Danube Swabians
• Transylvanian Saxons
• Volhynia
• Gulag
• Henry Slesar
• Georg Leibbrandt
• Expulsion of Germans after World War II

The German minority in Russia and the Soviet Union was created from several sources and in several waves. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Germans. ... Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans) is a historical term which arose in the early 20th century to apply for Germans living outside of the German Empire. ... The Baltic Germans (German: ), were ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today forms the countries of Estonia and Latvia. ... The Crimea Germans (De. ... Carpathian Germans (German: Karpatendeutsche, Slovak: karpatskí Nemci), sometimes simply called Slovak Germans (German: Slowakeideutsche), is the name for a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia. ... The Danube Swabians (German: Donauschwaben, Hungarian: Dunai-Sváb or Dunamenti németek, Romanian: Åžvabi or Åžvabi Dunăreni) is a collective term for Germans who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially in the Danube (Donau) River valley. ... The Transylvanian Saxons (German: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Romanian: SaÅŸi, Hungarian: Szászok) are a people of German origin who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards. ... Pochayiv Lavra, the spiritual heart of Volhynia Volhynia (Ukrainian: , Polish: , Russian: ; also called Volynia) comprises the historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Pripyat and Western Bug -- to the north of Galicia and of Podolia. ... Gulag ( , Russian: ) is an acronym for Главное Управление Исправительно—Трудовых Лагерей и колоний, Glavnoye Upravleniye Ispravitelno-trudovykh Lagerey i kolonii, The Chief Directorate [or Administration] of Corrective Labour Camps and Colonies of the NKVD. Anne Applebaum, in her book Gulag: A History, explains: // Literally, the word GULAG is an acronym, meaning Glavnoe Upravlenie Lagerei, or Main Camp... Henry Slesar (June 12, 1927 - April 2, 2002) was an American author, playwright and copywriter. ... Georg Leibbrandt (September 5, 1899 - June 16, 1982) was a scholar and politician in the Nazi Party. ... Germans expelled from the Sudetenland // The flight and expulsion of Germans after World War II refers to the escape and mass deportation of people considered Germans (both Reichsdeutsche and Volksdeutsche) from Soviet-occupied areas of Europe during 1945 and in the first three years after World War II 1946-48. ...

External links

• Germans from Russia Heritage Society
• Flag
• Volga Germans
• Canadian Germans from Russia
• American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
• Germans from Russia Heritage Collection North Dakota State University
• California Mennonite Historical Society's Genealogy Project Committee
• Germans from Russia in Argentina Genealogy
• The Golden Jubilee of German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas
• Germans from Russia in Argentina
• The Volga Germans