American Historical Society Of Germans From Russia Work Paper No. 7 December. 1971 (WP7, front cover) TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword i "Words of Greeting and Gratitude" Dr. Karl Stumpp 1 "Germans from Russia in Today's Germany" Emma Schwabenland Haynes 13 Committee Reports Workshop on Religious History Research and Bibliography Committee Report 22 "A Historical Sketch of the. Diocese of Tiraspol" John E. Pfeiffer 23 "Our Mennonite Heritage" Reverend A. W. Friesen 27 "The Volga Germans" Emma Schwabenland Haynes 31 "Germans from Russia in Western Canada" Dr. Adam Giesinger 37 "The Founding of the German Colonies in the Ukraine, Crimea, Bessarabia, and Caucasia" Colonel Theodore C. Wenzlaff 43 Report of Finance and Planning Committee 53 Genealogy Report 55 "Writing to Relatives and Others" 56 "How to Climb Your Family Tree" Professor Ray Heidt 57 "Guide to Beginning Research" 61 "Can You Help?" 63 Surname Exchange 64 American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 1004A NINTH AVENUE - P.O. BOX 1424 TELEPHONE; 352-9467 GREELEY, COLORADO 80631 (WP7, inside the front cover) FOREWORD This issue of the Work Paper series is devoted to the publication of the papers presented at the Second Annual Convention of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, held at Lincoln, Neb., June 17-20. The honored guest at the Convention, Dr. Karl Stumpp of Tuebingen, Germany, was the speaker at the Convention Banquet. His remarks are printed in this issue, and his photograph appears on the cover. The Genealogy Report includes a reference to the first of a new series of publications being issued by AHSGR called Historical Reviews. These will be short, special articles on a village, a group, an important event, or other subject that may have interest to a limited group. The first, titled: A Historical Review of the Balserer is now available, and others will be issued as manuscripts become available. This issue also contains [on the next page] a reproduction of the Certificate of Appreciation which was presented to Mr. William F. Urbach by the Officers and the Board of Directors of the Society. This certificate represented the deep affection and admiration felt for Mr. Urbach, and gave recognition to his untiring work in making the AHSGR a reality. (WP7, p.i) (WP7, p.ii) “WORDS OF GREETING AND GRATITUDE" Dr. Karl Stumpp My dear American Landsleute and Friends: Please consider each word of my address: dear, Landsleute, friends. In recent years many Russian-German people from America whom I got to know through letters and personal contact in Germany and in my home have become dear to me. It was always a great joy for me to be able to converse with my American visitors and to be helpful to them. Many of these visits are unforgettable. On one occasion two Volga German priests from South America visited me. When I played some songs of the old homeland, they jumped up, big as they were, folded their hands and sang along. It was deeply moving. Another time a young teacher was sitting with me, listening to my explanations and writing down everything to send to her uncle. And then there was a Volga German officer, together with an interpreter from Baden-Baden, who wanted to know from what place in Germany his pioneer ancestors had emigrated. I could go on and on. In all these contacts I feel that we have something in common, namely the background of German-Russian history. With two of your German-American countrymen I am associated not only by a bond of research and work but also by ties of friendship, namely with Professor Height and Mrs. Haynes-Schwabenland. Since his first letter to me many years ago and during the subsequent visits with me in my home, we have become close friends and have constantly supported each other in our research activities. If it is true, as Dr. Height indicated in his address to the delegates of our Landsmannschaft, that Dr. Stumpp probably does not even know that he, or rather his Bildband was largely responsible for the impetus and interest that led to the founding of a German-Russian Historical Society in America, then I must attribute part of the responsibility to him. In the presence of so many witnesses assembled here, I would like to express a heartfelt "Thank you" to him for having provided the English translation of this book. Without this translation, the Bildband would never have found its way to you, my dear Landsleute and friends. A second acquaintance, today I can say a second friend, has become important for my work. That friend is Mrs. Haynes. It is a joy to observe and to discover with what knowledge and especially with what dedication and love she works for her ethnic group, of course, above all for the Volga Germans. I admire her knowledge, her patience, her diligence. But she is also a good "foreign minister", a good representative of the AHSGR in Germany. We work together in harmony, according to the principle "Give and Take". With great knowledge and scholarly precision she reviewed, corrected, and amended section "H" in my recently published bibliography. I thank you! Last but not least, I would like to thank all those who have, up to this very moment, accorded me such a warm-hearted welcome and loving reception. For me this is a high point in my life. I am now able to see and talk with many people with whom I have hitherto been in correspondence. I feel happy and honored, dear Mr. President Miller and all members of the (WP7, p.1) board of directors, that you have invited me to speak at this Convention. I thank you. May I also mention my great personal happiness in being able to see here and to greet my dear daughter and her husband. If I were to follow the saying, "From the abundance of the heart the lips overflow", I would have to say a great deal more. Before concluding my introductory address I would like to say that I find it a splendid idea that this Convention is meeting here in Lincoln. When I glance at my map, I see that a large number of German-Russians, especially Volga Germans, are living in the northeast, west and southwest of this region. Only some 240 km, southwest of Lincoln lies Sutton, which was founded in 1875 by immigrants from Worms and Rohrbach, not too far from Odessa on the Black Sea. In later years Sutton became a transit center for the newly arrived Russian-German immigrants who moved on into Kansas and the Dakotas. For the Volga Germans the city of Lincoln played an important role, for here the well-known "Welt-Post" was published and one of the first scientific books about the Russian-Germans was written by Dr. Hattie Williams in 1916. It was a good choice to make Lincoln the site of this Convention, and in this historical environment I wish all of you every success in your deliberations and discussions. As the speaker of the Landsmannschaft of Germans from Russia I am also pleased to bring you greetings from our board of directors. This board was elected democratically by our Landsleute in Germany and stands up for their rights. Our federal conventions, at which we are often able to greet Landsleute from overseas, are always a deeply moving experience. But we also feel responsible and obligated for the welfare of those still living in the Soviet Union. Without the Landsmannschaft there would be no compensation for losses sustained, no pensions, no social security, no re-union of families. When Chancellor Adenauer was in Moscow, we provided him with factual data that enabled him to intercede for the Germans in the USSR. As a result, the Russian-Germans were granted an amnesty which made their life easier. When our present Chancellor and his Foreign Minister were recently in Moscow to sign a treaty, we provided them with a memorandum on the situation of our ethnic group and they reached an agreement that the reunion of families would be expedited. Since then more Landsleute from the Soviet Union have been able to join their families in Germany. You who are living in free America do not need our support. However, it is our sincere wish that a fruitful cooperation will develop between us, for the good of all Russian-German people, wherever they may live, "We want to be a united people of brothers, Not separated in danger and distress!" (WP7, p.2) German Culture in Russia before and after the first World War My topic shall deal primarily with the period from 1914 to the present day. However, we cannot understand and evaluate the history, the achievements and the tragic fate of our ethnic group, unless we present a brief flash-back of the historical origins and the economic and cultural development of the Germans in Russia. It cannot be stressed often enough that these immigrants did not come as conquerors, with sword in hand but upon invitation extended to them by the Russian governments. The basis was laid by the manifesto of Empress Catherine II, issued July 22, 1765, and that of Alexander I, issued February 20, 1804. In these manifestos the immigrants were granted rights and privileges which were attractive: 1. Apportionment of land. 2. Freedom from taxation. 3. Exemption from military service "for eternal time". 4. Self-administration of school, church, and village. Equipped with these manifestos and powers, the recruiters came to the West, to enlist immigrants. For the most part, these agents were French and Swiss, and particularly in the Volga area the new colonies were named after them: Beauregard, Monjou, Franzosen, Schaffhausen, Zurich.