Finding Aid to the Herb Poppke Collection 2002.11; 2005.10 ndsu libraries Special Collections Home OVERVIEW Donor: Herb Poppke Accession Date: July/August 2002; 25 September 2005 Collection Number: 080 Quantity: 23 linear feet Summary: An extensive collection consisting of correspondence, research, maps, photographs, publications, organization materials, electronic media, and other various items related to the Germans from Russia, spanning the many years of Herb Poppke’s research and collecting career. The bulk of the collection dates from the early 1970s to 2005. Languages: English, German & Russian Links: - Herb Poppke Photographs on the NDSU Institutional Repository (DSpace) - Poppke books on the NDSU Institutional Repository (DSpace) - Obituary of Herb Poppke (Seattle Times – 20 August 2012) - Glückstal & More, 1993 (1993 Herb Poppke Photo Gallery – GRHS) - Shitomir & More, 1993 (1993 Herb Poppke Photo Gallery – GRHS) - Teplitz & More, 1993 (1993 Herb Poppke Photo Gallery – GRHS) - Grossliebental & More, 1993 (1993 Herb Poppke Photo Gallery – GRHS) Access Restrictions: Open to the public, available upon request. Copyrights to items in this collection remain with original copyright holders or are in the public domain. Citation: Herb Poppke Collection, 080, Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, NDSU Libraries, Fargo, ND. Page 1 of 70 BIOGRAPHY Herb Poppke was born on March 19, 1921 in Goodrich, North Dakota. He was born to parents Theodore and Katharina (Felchle) Poppke, who had thirteen children, ten of which survived. Theodore Poppke (1887-1962) was a German Russian immigrant who came to the United States in 1910. Katharina Felchle (1891-1932) was also a German Russian immigrant who came to the United States in 1894. The Poppke family moved around some in North Dakota, until settling in Tuttle, where Herb graduated high school in 1939. He then attended Valley City State College, and he later served a few years in the Army. After the service, Herb worked at a number of jobs, and he later took courses from the University of Louisville. He graduated in 1951 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he worked as an engineer for a number of companies, one of which was the Coors Brewing Company. Herb retired from there in 1982. Herb Poppke married Loraine Hardy on April 26, 1946 in Louisville, Kentucky. The couple later divorced in 1980. Herb was always an advocate in preserving, researching, and sharing the culture and history of the Germans from Russia. He was actively involved in researching and writing about German Russian history and genealogy, and he belonged to many organizations. Herb Poppke died on August 15, 2012, at the age of ninety-one. SCOPE AND CONTENT The Herb Poppke Collection is an extensive collection consisting of correspondence, research, maps, photographs, publications, organization materials, electronic media, and other various items related to the Germans from Russia, spanning the many years of Poppke’s research and collecting career. Herb Poppke was an avid writer, researcher, and collector, especially of maps and books. Herb was the author of many papers and letters. He was very vocal on his thoughts and opinions and shared them often with friends and colleagues. He also collected a large volume of books relating to the Germans from Russia, many of which are housed in the GRHC library. The collection’s organization is heavily centered on the order that was already established when the collection was donated to the GRHC. Herb had his own filing system and organization, and he often drafted indexes to go along with his materials. The Herb Poppke Collection is comprised of twenty series: Poppke, Correspondence, Newsletter, Organizations, Convention, Map, Research, Publication, Photo Journal, Magazine, Newspaper, Wandering Volhynians, Folklore, Genealogy, Food, Photograph, Copies of Selected Materials, Music, Audio Tape, and Subject. Page 2 of 70 The Poppke Series includes materials written by Herb Poppke or materials personally relating to him and his family. The series has been divided into two sub-series: The Writings Sub-Series contains materials written by Poppke, including papers and his thoughts on various topics. The Poppke/Felchle Family History Sub-Series consists of family history information on the Poppke and Felchle families, including a genealogy binder and copies of census records from 1910 to 1930. The Correspondence Series is one of the largest in the collection, spanning from 1973 to 2005. It includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence. The series has been arranged into three sub-series: The Personal Correspondence Sub-Series includes correspondence to and from individuals. Herb corresponded with many people over the years, and the topic of the letters often varies. The contents might include research information, conventions, articles, and everyday things. The sub-series has been organized by the individuals Poppke was corresponding with, and they have been placed in alphabetical order, according to their last names. The Organization Correspondence Sub-Series contains letters to and from organizations. Poppke was actively involved in many organizations, and he would often correspond with members and top officials of the organization. The contents mainly include Poppke writing to organizations for research purposes, voicing his opinions on certain matters, or upcoming and past conventions. The Subject Correspondence Sub-Series includes correspondence to and from various people relating to certain topics. The sub-series is organized by the subject and content of the letters. It has been arranged alphabetically. The Newsletter Series is one of the smaller series in the collection. It is comprised of newsletters from different organizations that Poppke collected over the years, spanning from 1979 to 2004. The Organization Series consists of materials collected by Poppke from the many organizations he was associated with. The series has been organized alphabetically and spans from 1974 to 2004. The content of the series includes bibliographies, petitions, membership rosters, flyers, brochures, and other materials created by the organization. The Convention Series contains information, itineraries, booklets, and other things relating to certain organization conventions that Poppke attended, spanning from 1972 to 2005. As Poppke was very active in many organizations, he would often attend the annual conventions. The series is organized alphabetically and then chronologically. Page 3 of 70 The largest series in the collection is the Map Series. Poppke was well known for researching and collecting maps. His map collection includes hundreds of specialized maps including maps of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and some of the United States. Some maps are general and broad, spanning across countries, while many others are very specific regions. The maps are in English, German, and Russian. Most of the maps also have a corresponding folder that goes along with it. The folders contain Poppke’s notes or even photocopies of a particular section of the actual map. Not all maps have folders, but the majority of them do. In some cases, there is a folder but no map. The organization of the map series follows the order and numbering system established by Poppke. Specific numbers were assigned to specific maps. Different versions of a map, such as enlarged or reduced maps, would have their own numbers. In some instances, there is more than one copy of map. There are also some gaps in Poppke’s number system. In some cases, there are no maps or files for a particular number. The maps are listed below by their A, P, or U numbers, and the region on the map is also listed. Also included is if there is a map, file, or both. The series has been arranged into four sub-series: The A Maps Sub-Series contains the “A” maps, which are the AHSGR and Stumpp maps. The A maps include: A01-A03, A05-A18, A21-A30, and A43. Then the numbers jump to: A601-A610. There is no file or map for the following: A04, A19, A20, A31- A42, A44-A60, and A600. The P Maps Sub-Series contains the “P” maps, which is Poppke’s grouping for the other maps. The bulk of the map series is in this sub-series. There is no file or map for the following: P334, P394, P400, P441-P443, P451-P485, P501-P505, P507-P511, P513- P536, P553-P555, P560-P571, P574-P577, P580-P586, P594, P601-P636, P640, and P647-P698. The U Maps Sub-Series is comprised of the maps that were not filed by Poppke. The “U” maps were maps in Poppke’s collection without an assigned number (“A” or “P” numbers). Poppke wrote on these maps “not filed” or “unfiled.” As a result, these maps have become known as the “U” maps and their numbers have been assigned by staff. The Map Notes Sub-Series consists of files on certain regions. The files include coordinates, notes written by Poppke, and copies of select maps. The sub-series has been arranged alphabetically, mainly by the region. The Research Series has information on colonies, people, and towns. Poppke was always active in researching various topics on the Germans from Russia, including his own family. He also researched miscellaneous topics. The series has been divided into three sub-series: The Research Binders Sub-Series includes research topics and information that was organized and placed into binders by Poppke. The sub-series is arranged in alphabetical order. Page 4 of 70 The Research Folders Sub-Series contains information on towns, colonies, and other topics that was organized into folders by Poppke. The sub-series is arranged in alphabetical order. The Land Expropriation Sub-Series includes information from various sources on land expropriation in 1915 and 1916. Poppke collected research and notes on land expropriation for different towns and individuals. There is even a copy of a Russian newspaper from 1916 listing people who were evicted. The sub-series is in alphabetical order. The Publications Series consists of booklets, periodicals, journals, and books.