Black Sea Germans
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Surnames/tags: black_sea_germans German Germany
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Last profile change on 5 Jun 2023
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This page is part of the Germany Project
Team Leader: Carrie Lippincott Please message me with any suggestions or concerns. I'd love to grow our presence on Wikitree and your help would be appreciated!
Please see our Black Sea Germans Working Page . This is where I'll share the latest news with the team.
Contents |
Welcome to the Black Sea Germans Team Page
The goal of this project is to expand our knowledge of Black Sea Germans, to explore their lives and to look at their origins. This project is intended to be a sub-project of the Germany Project.
Black Sea Germans
- The Black Sea German Colonies can be broken down into five main geographic areas:
- Bessarabia
- Caucasus
- Crimea/Taurida
- Dobrudscha
- Ekaterinoslav (also spelled Jekaterinoslaw)
- Kherson Province
- "There were over 6,000 German villages in Russia before 1941, when the Soviet authorities issued a decree resulting in a forced evacuation of the villages and resettlement of villagers to Siberia and the Asiatic Republics (Kazakhstan). Some villages and regions have more focused research than others, the result of the interest and activity of people working to learn about "their" village or region."[1][2]
Tasks
- Here are some of the tasks that I think need to be done. I'll be working on them, and could use your help.
- Add appropriate region categories to the profiles of all Black Sea Germans. See those categories HERE.
- Add a Black Sea Germans sticker to all profiles that belong in the project:
{{Black Sea Germans}}
... ... ... was a Black Sea German. - Create One Place Studies of individual villages of our ancestors to help develop our collective knowledge base.
- Flesh out biographies, add sources, map pins, current location names.
- Help members learn how to research their German ancestors who lived in Russia and add the information to profiles on WikiTree.
- Please make additions to this page, as you find additional resources for us to use or to learn from.
- Please add Black_Sea_Germans to your list of followed tags.
Team
- To join, use please first join the Germany Project. We are a subject project of this larger project.
- Then, please add your name to the list here, along with your villages/surnames of interest:
- Kelly Dazet Maternal ancestors from Neuburg, Freudental, Surnames of Dietrich, Huels, Schneider and Schmidt.
- Koreen Goodman Maternal ancestors from Neusatz, Peterstal, Helenental, Franzfeld, Freudental, still in process of WikiTree entry of Hetterle, Heer, Becker, Schell, Feller, etc.
- Spencer Kaul Paternal and maternal ancestors from various regions, Asperg being the main paternal line I've identified. Surnames of interest: Kaul, Maisch, Schnabel, Ketterling, Gehringer
- Carrie Lippincott Team Leader Paternal and Maternal Ancestors living in: Paris, Leipzig, Kulm, Alt Arcis, Odessa District, Neu Danzig, Neu Freudental Surnames: are Hensel, Wiege, Bucchulz, Redinger, Bader, Ulrich, Benz, Dietrich, Issler
- Gavin Myers My paternal grandmother is fully Russian German. Her ancestors came from all the Kutschurgan villages, minus Mannheim, and some family members came from Josefstal. Surnames of interest: Moser, Jakob, Ott, Black, Weigel, Burckhard, Haman, Voeller, and Volz.
- Caroline Vernon Husbands paternal ancestors from at least Bessarabia. Surnames: Verworn, Heinle, Nicklaus, Metzger and beyond. Don't know a whole lot, but working (when I can) to put tree branches together, etc etc.
Mentoring
- If you would be happy to mentor individuals new to this area of genealogy research
- Please list your name here: Please reach out to us, we would be happy to help!
Resource Sharing
Are you willing to look up and share information from your resources? Please add your resources [Books, census listings, magazines] to the following page.
WikiTree Categories
- Please let me know if I can help you by making a category for your ancestor's village. Working with categories makes it much easier to find and connect people/families. I love them! Carrie
- Black Sea Colonies (NOTE: this is a top-level category, please do not add profiles to ths category)
- Bessarabia (Province)
- Bessarabian Colonies - All contained in the Bessarabian Province.
- Ekaterinoslav (Province)
- Chortitza Colonies
- Mariupol Colonies
- Yekaterinoslav Colonies
- Kherson (Province),
- Note - The Welfare Committee referred the Colonies in Kherson, as the Odessa Colonies, so this province is commonly referred to as Odessa instead of Kherson in records.
- Beresan Colonies
- Glückstal Colonies
- Grossliebental Colonies or the Liebental Colonies
- Hoffnungstal Colonies
- Jewish Agricultural Colonies
- Kherson Colonies
- Kutschurgan Colonies
- Kronau Colonies
- Schwedengebiet Colonies
- Zagradovka Colonies
- Note - The Welfare Committee referred the Colonies in Kherson, as the Odessa Colonies, so this province is commonly referred to as Odessa instead of Kherson in records.
- Taurida (Province), or the Crimea
- Crimean Colonies
- Molotschnia Colonies
- Prischib Colonies
- Taurien Colonies
- Also to be added:
- Caucasus Colonies
- Dobrudscha Colonies
Resources for Research/Learning
- Germans of Russia Page at Wikitree
- Germans From Russia: Genealogical Research Outline
- American Historical Society of Germans from Russia " AHSGR is an international organization dedicated to the discovery, collection, preservation, and dissemination of information related to the history, cultural heritage and genealogy of Germanic settlers in the Russian Empire and their descendants."
- Germans from Russia Historical Society The Society functions as a non-profit organization. "Its purpose is to bring together people who are interested in discovering the common history unique to Germanic-Russian ethnics and to preserve the many elements of their rich heritage."
- German Russians from Southern Russia to the Great Northern Plains of the USA" University of Nebraska
- Germans From Russia Heritage Collection
- Bessarabia Russia and Roumania on the Black Sea by Charles Upson Clark (1927)
- Germans from Russia: Children of the Steppe, Children of the Prairie , Video by Prairie Public
- "Germans From Russia
- Children of the Steppe, Children of the Prairie was the story of the agricultural pioneers whose quest for land and peace led them across several continents and shaped them into a distinctive and enduring ethnic group. This documentary was a finalist in the U Siebe International Film Festival, the only American documentary to be invited to participate in the juried competition. It also received a platinum Best of Show Telly Award, and was awarded a Bronze Plaque Award at the Columbus Film and Television Festival."
- History of Germans from Russia - Geschichte der Deutschen aus Russland
- Black Sea German Research -Customs/Folklore
- Bessarabia in German - from wiki-de.genealogy.net
- "The Refugee Problem in Western Germany 1945-1950 with Particular Emphasis on Bavaria" by Curt R. Fischer. Relates to the fate of Black Sea Germans and other Germans in Russia post-WWII.
- South Dakota Germans from Russia Cultural Center Our collection began in 2007 and now consists of more than 500 volumes on Germans from Russia, which include stories, geneologies, photos and artifacts documenting the German from Russian impact on the history of the great plains of South Dakota. We are currently conducting oral history interviews to collect stories, songs and any other aspect of German from Russia culture. If you have history to share from personal experience or from family members, please call us.
- The Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe
- Bessarabien Heimatmuseum ( in Stuttgart, Germany) The pages are in German, One can translate these pages by using a Chrome browser. Right mouse click on page and select translate.
- The Welfare Committee Carrie Lippincott
- A Success Story: The German Colonists in New Russia and Bessarabia, 1787-1914 Detlef Brandes
Odessa Digital Library
- This is a wonderful starting point in research. The St. Petersburg Archives and the Bessarabian Collection are particularily helpful in finding records for Germans from the Black Sea Area.
- Odessa Library - Title Page - A German Russian Genealogical Library
- Search Page at Odessa Library as found on the collections page
- Bessarabian Surname Origins Index D. Wahl. This index is intended to help researchers locate the German villages from which Bessarabian colonists immigrated.
Black Sea German Research
- Black Sea German Research database of over 2.4 million names, repository for research documents, along with maps and photos
- Bessarabian Village Church Records Family History Library Film Numbers compiled by Dale Wahl @ BlackSeaGr.org
- Odessa Lutheran Parishes About 1905
Family Search
- Black Sea Research , compiled by Family Search
- Germans from Russia History at Family Search
- Black Sea Germans - A Guide to Research, by Family Search
- Russia Deaths and Burials, 1815-1917 - Index to selected Russia deaths and burials. Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.This database includes some death records from Bessarabian Villages.
- Russia, Lutheran Church Book Duplicates, 1833-1885 - Partial name index and images of baptisms/births, marriages, and burials/deaths in the "St. Petersburg Lutheran Consistory which covered parishes in the northern, western, and southern areas of the Russian Empire. It was one of two Lutheran consistories, the other being Moscow, which covered the Volga Region. Lutherans in the Empire were virtually all of German ethnic derivation. Many emigrated to North America in the late 19th century."
- Russia, Lutheran Church Book Duplicates - FamilySearch Historical Records
- United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
Find a Grave
- Many Black Sea Germans now have memorials created at Find a Grave. Please be aware that the city names used at Find a Grave are their current names. On Wikitree, historical place names are used to reflect the time in which people lived.
- Please also be sure to validate the information from this source, as many memorials do not provide sources and are prone to errors.
Finding Your Village
- Ten Tips for Finding Your Ancestor's Town by Carolyn Schott
- Germans from Russia and Eastern Europe Settlement Locations PDF file, D.G. Bender & Otto Riehl
- Spreadsheet Listing of the Villages Germans from Russia and Eastern Settlement Locations. D.G. Bender & Otto Riehl
- We would like to extend our gratitude to Dennis Bender and Otto Riehl for all of their work in compiling the above two lists and freely sharing them.
- Villiage List Black Sea German Research
- Village Plat Maps of Black Sea Area, from Black Sea German Research. This resouce contains contains sketches of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Dobrudscha village plat maps.
- Alphabetical Listing of Villages from the Germans from Russia Heritage Society
- 1848 Village History Project from the Odessa Library
- "State Councilor E. von Hahn held the position of president of the Welfare Committee of German settlers in South Russia ...The Gemeindeberichte were submitted to the Welfare Committee in accordance with a circular letter dated 8 January 1848 sent out by Councilor E. von Hahn to all of the mayors and school teachers enjoining them to undertake the writing of an historical account of the founding and development of the existing colonies. Giesinger reports that in 1848, there were 203 villages in the Black Sea Region."[3] About we can account for about 173 of the original 203 villages histories are accounted for. These accounts are wonderful for providing first hand accounts of what the settlers encountered in their villages. Additional village histories may be available through the Germans From Russia Historical Society.
- The Liebental Daughter Colonies of the Odessa District, by Adam Giesinger, from ahsgr.org, see pages 6-9
One Place Studies at Wikitree
Chortitza Colony
- These are oldest German colonies in the Black Sea Region. They were founded between 1789 and 1824.
- Mennonite Villages in the Chortitza Colony Germans from Russia Society
- German Settlements in the Chortitza District by Dr. Karl Stump, translated by Allen E. Konrad
Black Sea German Architecture
- Black Sea Architecture University of Nebraska
Sources
- ↑ American Historical Society of Germans From Russia Society. Villages
- ↑ D.G. Bender Germans From Russia Settlement Locations and Current Name(s)
- ↑ Dale Wahl. Introduction to the Village History Project
This is an active Germany Project page with up-to-date information.
Reviewed: Thiessen-117 5 Aug 2021
Last updated by Traci Thiessen 5 Aug 2021
Reviewed: Thiessen-117 5 Aug 2021
Last updated by Traci Thiessen 5 Aug 2021
- Proposal for the creation of a new Black Sea German Sticker Aug 23, 2021.
- Proposing a New Black Sea German Sticker Jul 29, 2021.
Collaboration
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Germany Project WikiTree and Carrie Lippincott. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)
I also added coding for a "Descendant of a Black Sea German" sticker.Both of these stickers can be seen HERE. Let me know if you have any changes, questions, comments, etc. Thx, Traci
edited by Traci Thiessen
I reorganized this page a little and added some headings for resources and categories so they will be easier for members to find on the page. I did not check the links and some of the resources may be under the wrong headings, so if somene could check them, that would be great.
I also added the team members to the trusted list for this page so you will get notifications when someone posts to this profile.
Thanks, Traci
edited by Traci Thiessen
So off to wikipedia for the answer: This is not even listed as a source. The Black Sea Germans (German: Schwarzmeerdeutsche; Russian: черноморские немцы; Ukrainian: чорноморські німці) are ethnic Germans who left their homelands starting in the late 18th century, but principally in the early 19th century at the behest of Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and settled in territories off the north coast of the Black Sea, mostly in the territories of the southern Russian Empire (including modern-day Ukraine).[1][2][3]
Black Sea Germans are distinct from similar groups of German settlers (the Bessarabia Germans, Crimea Germans, Dobrujan Germans, Russian Mennonites, Volga Germans, and Volhynian Germans), who are separate chronologically, geographically and culturally.
Please forgive me, as I believe in keeping things simple. Why say something in thousands of words when you came be more concise and to the point. "Make it simple stupid", if you wish for someone to take the time to read what you write.
edited by Michael Schindler
I have been struggling to get things figured out since I accepted the Team Leader position, I'm by no means an expert, I'm just willing to learn.
I appreciated your comments. they made me dig a little deeper and get the 5 geographical areas of the Black Sea Germans figured out and posted to this page. :-) Thank you for the challenge Michael!!
The Dobrujan German were settlements around the western side of the Black Sea. They were largely from Bessarabia, when more territory was needed to establishment additional farms/villages for their children. Wikipedia for this colony says, "The Dobrujan Germans (German: Dobrudschadeutsche) were an ethnic German group, within the larger category of Black Sea Germans, for over one hundred years. German-speaking colonists entered the approximately 23,000 km2 area of Dobruja around 1840 and left during the relocation of 1940. Dobruja is a historic territory on the west coast of the Black Sea."
If you look at Black Sea German Research they list the following areas:
Bessarabia
Crimea/Taurida
Dobrudscha
Jekaterinoslaw
Odessa area
These individuals have been researching this heritage for years and they have done a lot of beautiful work to benefit all of us.
Family Search on the page, Black Sea Research shares the following, "The Black Sea German colonies can be broken down into five main geographic areas: Bessarabia, Crimea/Taurida, Dobrudscha, Ekaterinoslav (also spelled Jekaterinoslaw), and Odessa."
Take statements on Wikipedia with a grain of salt, it can be wrong.
edited by Carrie (Hensel) Lippincott
To join the Black Sea German Team, simply add your name to the list posted above. along with the villages/areas you are interested in by editing this page. Welcome to the Black Sea Germans Project a part of the German Project.
We are all happy to have you join us. Please let me know if you have any questions I can help with or if I can make any village categories for you!
Can you please add me as profile manager for this page urgently! You can do that by going to the "privacy" tab at the top of this page. Regards, Kylie Haese - Germany Project Leader
I would like to join the project and have added my name above. My maternal ancestors are all from Bessarabia (mainly Leipzig and Kulm) and I have found the names of all ancestors up to the first colonists generation. I have several german books on the Bessarabia Germans
Thank you for starting a profile for Dr. Stump! We are a fledgling group on Wikitree, with a lot we can do to improve our presence. Having the freedom to develop areas of interest is one of my favorite things I enjoy about Wikitree. I appreciate that you helped us a a group move forward! Now I know where to post information when I find it about him.
Carrie
I was a little bit surprised that no one had created a page for Dr. Karl Stumpp, who is pretty well-known when it comes to the research of Germans from Russia. He was a Black Sea German himself, so I created a profile for him: Karl Stumpp. It is nowhere near finished, but I didn't realize how much time it would take me to compile sources. If anyone wants to help, please don't hesitate to do so. I don't mind adding more profile managers. I also think it's important to point out his work for the nazi regime as I see many people using his work for their research without looking at it critically enough. Perhaps this page will help with that.
Evelina
By 1859 the German population of the Kutschurgan region was more than 7,300 and expanding into new villages in the Black Sea area. As the population of the region continued to expand, the Kutschurganers looked for new horizons. By the later 19th century, they were emigrating to Siberia and the Americas. The major emigration took place at the turn of the century with significant numbers going to Canada and the United States. Others pushed on to South America while many headed east from the Black Sea to parts of Siberia. Those Kutschurganers that remained after 1919 endured serious hardship from drought, famine, and political repression. In 1928, German farms and property were confiscated by the communist state and the Germans were forced onto collective farms. During the Second World War, the Germans in Russia were persecuted and many were moved to Siberia and the central Asian republics. The German population of the Black Sea region was ethnically cleaned from the area in 1945. Many of the Kutschurgan descendants who had remained in Russia have found their way back to parts of Germany where they have started new lives. Many others are still living productive lives in the far reaches of Siberia. The historical work of the German colonists in South Russia has been destroyed. The villages they had created in the course of 140 years are extinguished, their very names obliterated. No memorial, no tombstone is standing in tribute to the former inhabitants, living or dead. No Russian book even mentions their existence. But the memory and the records of their achievements still remain and are worthy of being preserved for posterity. Today, the Ukrainian government runs the area which was formerly run by the Soviets. The unemployment rate is high and the economy is very poor. Residents farm co-operatively and raise corn, wheat, sunflowers, barley, grapes and rye. They live in the villages and towns and work for the government with little incentive to better their lives. The transportation system is mainly buses and relatively few cars. The roads are paved and in good condition. The houses are well kept and are constructed of brick and limestone and have a similar appearance to each other. The few houses remaining that were built by the Germans more than one hundred years ago are lived in by the present day inhabitants.