In Touch with Prairie Living January 2008 By Michael M. Miller from Russia Heritage Collection North Dakota State University Libraries, Fargo

The year of 2008 begins the 30th and “Unsere Leute: The Story of the For further information about Anniversary of the Germans from German-Russian People”. the Germans from Russia Heritage Russia Heritage Collection (GRHC) - The Pride of Dakota Holiday Collection, Dakota Memories Oral 1978 - 2008. This year also marks my Showcases in Grand Forks, Fargo and History Project, Journey to the Homeland 41st year of work at North Dakota State Bismarck for November and December Tour and donations to the GRHC such University. were well attended with many people as family histories, contact Michael M. When the GRHC began in June visiting the Germans from Russia Miller, NDSU Library, PO Box 5599, 1978, I never imagined the depth of this Heritage Collection booth. The events Fargo, ND 58105-5599 (Telephone: work. Dr. Karl Stumpp, a well-known provide a wonderful opportunity for the 701-231-8416; Email: Michael.Miller@ scholar, attended the Germans from GRHC outreach program. ndsu.edu; GRHC website: www.ndsu. Russia Society Convention at Fargo in The Bismarck Holiday Showcase edu/grhc). 1978. Dr. Stumpp donated a number of had a record attendance of over 8,000 items to the NDSU Library which was people. We were amazed with the January 2008 column for North the impetus to begin this collection. interest and response to the GRHC Dakota and South Dakota newspapers. John Bye, University Archivist, booth. At the Fargo Holiday Showcase, and Dr. Armand Bauer, a social scientist one person visited with me about at NDSU, and editor of “Heritage handwritten letters in the German Review”, joined Dr. Karl Stumpp and language written from South Russia myself for the historic beginning of the (today near , Ukraine) to GRHC. We envisioned an academic relatives at Selz, north of Harvey, North center for study, research and collecting Dakota. Translation of these letters to at the university level. English could uncover valuable family Today, the GRHC has expanded its and historical information. Another activities and projects to include audio person has located two wrought iron oral history, clothing and textiles, the crosses in east-central North Dakota, Dakota Memories Oral History Project, and will donate them to the GRHC. electronic discussion groups, heritage Rev. Leland Elhard of Bismarck tours to Ukraine and , online brought with him valuable historical resources, outreach programs, photo documents to donate archives, publications, and translations. to the GRHC. These documents printed A new design for the GRHC in the old German script are Geschichte website becomes available in January. Russlands [Russian history] of the years There also will be a new section for 1814 to 1831. These years are important “Research” featuring Genealogy in the immigration the Germans coming Research, Scholarly Research, and from Europe to settle in villages of Special Collections. the Black Sea, Crimea and Bessarabia The Winter 2007 issue of North [today southern Ukraine and Moldova]. Dakota Horizons featured an article There were other people with by Andrea Winkjer Collin, “Dakota family histories, old German books, and Memories: History videos preserving photographs they may wish to donate voices from the heartland”. There are to the GRHC. eight photographs featured covering the The dates for the 14th Journey to Dakota Memories Oral History Project. the Homeland Tour to Odessa, Ukraine The GRHC website has added and , Germany is May 20-30, a series of articles from the Prairies 2008. The tour includes four days in Magazine published by the Ashley Odessa visiting the former German Tribune from 1975 to 1986. Articles villages and five days in southern include: “From Russia to Dakota”, Germany including Alsace, France. “The Dirty Thirties”, “Growing Rocks”, For further information, contact me “Burnstad - Portrait of a Pioneer Town,” or visit www.ndsu.edu/grhc/outreach/ “Passage to Dakota, A Woman’s journey/index. Viewpoint”, “Life in Southern Russia”,