Emigration to and from the German-Russian Volga Colonies

by Darrel Philip Kaiser

This book covers the emigration of the "Catherine the Great" Germans into the Volga River area in the mid to late 1700's, the movement of the Volga German-Russians further east of the Volga River into Russia's Steppes, the western exodus of the Volga German-Russians to the United States, Canada, Germany, Brazil and Argentina in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the Stalin ordered deportation of all Volga German-Russians to Siberia in the 1940's, and their final emigrations back to Germany and their long gone Volga River Colonies. This is my fourth book on the history of the Volga Colonies. See all my books at my www.DarrelKaiserBooks.com

Genres: History

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2007

Reviews

[Scott A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Forgotten Past Worth Remembering

Forgotten people are not forgotten by God. A descendant of Volgadeutsch, I was saddened to hear of those who could not get out after the Bolshevik revolution. Not surprisingly, the chronicle of their struggle being caught between two titanic forces and judged evil by their adopted country and as mongrels by their own ethnic allies—I have also seen this in the states—Kaiser’s book gives a very sad sketch of how a distinctly different people are not welcomed anywhere by anyone. Even today, the Volgadeutsch are a people without a country.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important book for historians or genealogists who are studying the Volga Germans from Russia. They were promised with lies, worked like slaves, and then generations later deported to Siberia. Over 40% died during the deportation. It is well-researched with many quotes from actual diary entries about their migration to other countries and about the deportations. My paternal grandparents were VGR's who left from the port of Libau, Latvia and settled in Fresno, CA.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone interested in their family's journey to and/or from the Volga colonies. While a relatively light read in relation to the complexity of the topic, this is hardly the fault of the author, and is a natural starter to the other books in the series. Highly recommended, especially as part of a larger ancestry/cultural research endeavor.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth Reading

This is one more book that helps me to understand why my dad and his family came to America. My dad’s family suffered greatly for their freedom.

[Fred Eisenhut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting