Thus the presidency of the soviet union released the decree august 2, 1941 the resettlement of the germans of the volga region. Volga german autonomous soviet socialist republic a soviet autonomous republic of the volga germans within the rsfsr that existed from 1918 to 1941. They came to russia in the 18th century when catherine the great invited europeans except jews to settle in russia where they would be allowed to maintain their language and culture. Of all the ethnic german communities in the soviet union, the volga germans represented the single largest group expelled from their historical homeland. They survived an unpredictable and often harsh climate and the vagaries of tsarist edicts to build a culture that was uniquely their own. In total, all of the more than 400,000 volga germans and the near entirety of the remaining 700,000 ethnic. Supposedly, 200,000 volga and nonvolga germans under nazi control were repatriated by the soviets by 1945 for execution or expulsion after the soviets captured them from occupied germany or the wartheland in poland giesinger 1981. New features include 3 new units, buildable factories, a more complex map, strategic bombing, shore bombardment and more. Many conflicts continued in the early 1700s, especially in southwestern germany. Mar 30, 2016 in 1941 joseph stalin deported their descendants to siberia and central asia, fearing they would collaborate with the invading nazis. To germany post 1941 center for volga german studies. Some 390,000 volga germans, which had been established in 1924. By the time the united states declared war on japan and germany in december 1941, the assimilation of the volga germans in portland was well underway. Many volga germans emigrated to the american midwest.
Annotated bibliography of the germans from russia heritage collection at the nonh dakota state university library. Established between 17641766, a cluster of nine colonies populated by germans of the lutheran faith were established by the russian government on the west side of the lower volga river. The volga german autonomous soviet socialist republic was an autonomous republic. While serving in the red army, alexander was captured by the german army. In 1941 joseph stalin deported their descendants to siberia and central asia, fearing they would collaborate with the invading nazis. In 1941, after the nazi german invasion, the soviet government deported 512,000 volga germans to siberia and kazakhstan. On august 28, 1941, joseph stalin issued a formal decree of banishment abolishing the assr and, fearing they could act as german spies, exiling all volga germans to the kazakh ssr and siberia. In 1941 the autonomous socialist soviet republic of the volga germans was abolished and all the germans of the republic ca. By the end of 1767 german settlers, coming primarily from central germany, had organized more than one hundred colonies along the volga river near saratov. Many young men were drafted into the russian army, and the young women were used as domestic servants in the cities. My paternal ancestors left saxony, germany in the mid 1700s and settled along the volga river in the saratov province of russia. The books contain the first settlers lists for the lower volga village area.
The volga germans, the second volume, continues the story of the german immigrants and their descendants who civilized the bleak russian frontier of the lower volga river valley. A light in the darkness dvd vision video christian videos. This map shows germanys critical mistakes fighting russia in. This book covers the emigration of the catherine the great germans into the volga river area in the mid to late 1700s, the movement of the volga germanrussians further east of the volga river into russias steppes, the western exodus of the volga germanrussians to the united states, canada, germany, brazil and argentina in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the stalin ordered deportation. In 1941, all the germans of the republic were deported to siberia. A century ago population pressure forced many volga germans westward to the americas, or eastward to turkestan and siberia somewhat later. When the war broke out between germany and the soviet union on june 22, 1941, the already planned displacement of all germans was executed without any exception. From august 1942 to february 1943 this model industrial city on the volga was the site of the bloodiest battle of world war ii. After fascist germany attacked the soviet union, the republic was abolished by a decree of the presidium of the supreme soviet of the ussr issued on aug.
In 1941, soviet officials carved up the volga german republic into two regions, saratov oblast and stalingrad oblast now volgograd oblast documents regarding many of the volga german villages were also divided, with some of them ending up in the volgograd state archive gavo. Between june 22nd and august 10th of 1941, the nkvd only arrested 145 germans in the volga german republic for reasons related to state security. The deathknell of germanyonthevolga was sounded by nazigermany, when it invaded the ussr in 1941. Although lenin established a volga german autonomous republic, stalin abolished it in 1941 during the nazi invasion and. This map shows germanys critical mistakes fighting russia. In 1941 they were banished from their homes and exiled to forced labor. The volga and ukraine were the main bread baskets of russia, and the germans skilled farmers, but the famines lasted throughout 1924. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many volga germans emigrated to the midwestern united states, canada, brazil, argentina, paraguay, uruguay and other countries.
Emigration to and from the germanrussian volga colonies. This category is a grouping of the wikitreers who are volunteers for the volga german project history of the volga germans. Feb 27, 2003 victory on the volga this article is more than 17 years old. Volga german soviet article about volga german soviet by. The german population was resettled in other regions with state aid and was allocated land. The district was formed as a result of the territory near the city of saratov on the volga river being populated by. See more ideas about volga germans, german and family history. The capital of the volgagerman republic was pokrovsk known in german as. Institute for research of expelled germans 10,000,000. Volga german republic article about volga german republic.
On july, 1941 the volga german assr formed a militia of over 11,000 men in preparation war. 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. Subsequently he was captured by the red army and served five years in a russian prisonerofwar camp for german soldiers. In russia and the americas, from 1763 to the present. Photographs of people from the volga german village nieder. The battle of stalingrad had its origins in a pivotal german miscalculation at the start of world war ii operation barbarossa, the code name for germanys invasion of the east, was designed to destroy the soviet union, securing germanys eastern flank, and so guaranteeing german control of continental europe george friedman wrote about germanys geopolitical.
Among the 104 original colonies founded between 1764 and 1767, this group included both the first and last of the colonies established. Parts of the exile transports that had been unloaded in our region, were first driven to kazakhstan, but apparently they were rejected and sent back to. The germans who left their homeland to settle in the volga valley did so at the invitation of the russian tsarina catherine in july 1763. The volga germans were descendants of colonists who had settled along the lower volga in the 18th century. Germans forced into collective farms or migrate to the cities. Established as labour commune of volga germans or volga german ao within russian sfsr on 19 october 1918. Volga germans and seven nationalities of crimea and the northern caucasus were deported. The volga germans are ethnic germans who colonized and historically lived along the volga. The deportation of the volga germans was the soviet forced transfer of the whole of the volga german population of the volga german autonomous soviet socialist republic to siberia, and kazakhstan on september 3, 1941, during world war ii. Supposedly, 200,000 volga and non volga germans under nazi control were repatriated by the soviets by 1945 for execution or expulsion after the soviets captured them from occupied germany or the wartheland in poland giesinger 1981. German soldiers at volga river, north and south of stalingrad, 19421943 c46k85 from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
In russian, the book makes use of primary archival resources and is a fine and important addition to the history of the volga germans. The final destruction of the volga germans as a people came in 1941 with mass deportations to siberia where many were never heard from again. Catherine the great recruited thousands of colonists to populate her lower volga river frontier with dependable permanent settlers who not only would bring stability to this lawless, underdeveloped, and uncharted region, but also would reclaim the vast wasteland therean area larger than the state of. Here is a fastpaced depiction of this titanic struggle.
Only after the collapse of the eastern fronts on 14 november 1944, the roa was officially redesignated the armed forces of the committee for liberation of the russian peoples vskonr with about 50,000 russian troops, but the term roa was commonly used until the end of the war. Many german kulaks were deported to kazakhstan during the communist collective period of 1927 to 1933. Of all the ethnic german communities in the soviet union, the volga germans represented the single largest. Emigration to and from the german russian volga colonies. In 1941, after the nazi german invasion, the soviet government deported 512000.
Volgograd, better known as stalingrad, site of one of world war iis most. The 1st russian infantry 600th german division was formed on 1 december 1944 and fought on the oder. The german invasion of the soviet union in 1941 marked the end of the volga german assr. We hope to discuss and share info on our families who emigrated from germany to the volga region of russia and ultimately settled in the united states. Oct 28, 20 98yearold maria reichel 19152015, born and raised in the former volga german colony of dittel, speaking about the deportation of her family from her native village in the fall of 1941. On 1 september 1941 mass evacuation was announced for the approximately 440,000 volga germans. At the invitation of catherine the great 17291796, 30,623 colonists primarily from the central region of presentday germany founded 106 colonies along the unsettled russian steppe near the banks of the volga between 1764 and 1772. This war occurred at the same time as the french and indian war in the united states.
Beginning of the banishment and exile of the populations in russia. After the collapse of the ussr, the volga germans began. Although lenin established a volga german autonomous republic, stalin abolished it in 1941 during the nazi invasion and deported its population to siberia and central asia. Stalingrad and the turning point on the soviet german. Volgograd on the volga river by midseptember and penetrate deep into the caucasus after.
By january 1, 1941, the volga germans autonomous soviet socialist republic included the city. He was then conscripted into the german army wehrmacht heer and served as a tank mechanic. The volga german republic was established in 1918, and at the time, was home to half a million germans. The second year of the second world war on the eastern front was dominated by stalingrad, the protracted battle for the city on the volga, and this is the major episode in this volume of nik cornishs fourvolume photographic history of the conflict. The soviet government declared all germans to be enemies of the state, which increased the persecution and fear of the volga germans among the general russian populace. Among the victims of the germans in 194142 were 2 million soviet jews a massacre that marked the beginning of the holocaust. On september 7, 1941, the volga german autonomous soviet socialist republic was. Military and civilians alike paid with their lives for the personal fight between stalin and hitler, in long months of primitive conflict among the smoking ruins of stalingrad. In addition to catherine and the volga germans, the first and second volumes in the volga flows forever trilogy, sigrid is also the author of escaping the twilight which deals with aspects of medical anthropology in an islamic culture. This war was supposed to be over in a matter of months, but it lasted for.
April 6, 1941june 1941 germany, italy, hungary, and bulgaria invade and dismember yugoslavia. On august 28, 1941, josef stalin issued a formal decree of banishment, which abolished the a. On 22 june 1941, some three million soldiers of germany and her allies began an attack on the soviet union. While they remained proud of their ancestry, many men and women from the volga german community faithfully served their country in nearly all branches of the armed forces and all theaters of the war. Stalin, fearing collaboration of the volga germans with the enemy, ordered the banishment of the entire population in august, 1941, along with the abrogation of the autonomous soviet socialist republic of the volga germans, which had been established in 1924. The formal decree came on 28 august 1941 which abolished the autonomous socialistic soviet republic of the volga germans. Victory on the volga this article is more than 17 years old. Evangelical lutheranism, reformed and roman catholicism, and mennonitism. Following the decree of august 28, 1941, the total deportation of germans from the autonomous republic of the volga germans was basically carried through during the first half of september 1941. The deportation from the autonomous republic of the volga. Battle of the volga alive in russian memory nowhere is the volga river more hallowed than in the city named after it. The battle of stalingrad had its origins in a pivotal german miscalculation at the start of world war ii operation barbarossa, the code name for germanys invasion of the east, was designed to destroy the soviet union, securing germanys eastern flank, and so guaranteeing german control of continental europe george friedman wrote about germanys. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. See more ideas about volga germans, german and kansas usa.
Shortly after the outbreak of the war between hitler. Jan 19, 2015 this book, german autonomy on the volga, 19181941. What if hitler aimed only for leningrad and stalingrad. Ten days later they began their forced deportation to kazakhstan and siberia. Nov 04, 2010 battle of the volga alive in russian memory nowhere is the volga river more hallowed than in the city named after it. Via formal decree on august 28, 1941, he ordered all russian germans deported to siberia and other points east, citing their potential threat as dissidents, spies and collaborators. Ahsgrs library has extensive information on the germans that lived in the volga area. German consulates and trade agencies should be opened in the volga region, and in. Many were interned in labor camps merely due to their heritage. Among the victims of the germans in 1941 42 were 2 million soviet jews a massacre that marked the beginning of the holocaust. Volga german autonomous soviet socialist republic wikipedia.
608 474 1511 876 1031 804 546 863 953 238 949 580 1520 1089 171 1596 508 1453 1155 1643 1595 1033 362 614 103 54 1081 603 1304 1014 1046 1085 732