The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection is pleased to announce the availability of the important publication Heimatbuch der Deutschen aus Rußland 1997/1998 of the Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Rußland published in the German language.
According to the editors, Heimatbuch der Deutschen aus Rußland 1997/1998 is perhaps one of the last that deals with the past experiences of all the German-Russian people because fewer and fewer people still remember what it was like, for example back in October 1941 in Russia.
There are first hand accounts that reflect history in its true stage, or excerpts of diaries telling their children about life in Russia in the early 1900s. "Die vergessenen Schwaben" ("The forgotten Swabians") by Alice Morgenstern tells about the migration first to Russia and then to the Dakotas and about the hard life the first settlers experienced there upon their arrival. Morgenstern includes the book by Dr. Fischer Arends, The Central Dakota Germans: Their History, Language and Culture, which goes into depth on the life of the Dakota Germans. Alice Morgentern is a volunteer German translator for the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection.
There is an excellent article by Helene Dauenhauer Schmitz glancing at the life of the Dauenhauers and the Schardts. The Dauenhauers once lived in the Beresan village of Landau of South Russia with many immigrating to the Richardton, ND area in the early 1900s.
Dr. Richard H. Walth authors the article, "Neu-Glückstal im Gebiet Odessa", including a map of the village. The article is of special interest to persons with heritage to the Glückstal Enclave villages. Neu-Glückstal was founded in 1860. The map was done in 1930 and identifies residents. In 1914 there were 519 persons; in 1926 there were 875 persons; and in 1944 there were 785 persons in the village.
Maria Schumm tells the story of her visit in 1994 to her homeland village of Brinowka (Wiesental) by Odessa in the article, "Schönes und weniger Schönes in meiner alten Heimat Odessa, 1994" ("Nice and Not So Nice Things in My Old Homeland").
Wilhelm Obenauer authors the article, "Die Toten von Bergdorf" ("The Dead in Bergdorf"). Bergdorf is a mother colony of the Glückstal Enclave and is located today in the Republic of Moldova. Johann Kampen, former editor of Volk auf dem Weg, authors the article, "Ein Rußlanddeutscher mit dem Namen Schneider" (A German-Russian by the name of Schneider). Kampen presents a biographical sketch of Erwin Schneider born in Stahl, Volga in 1923 who died in Nürnberg, Germany in 1997.
Arndt Schmidt presents an interesting article about the Volga German immigration to Argentina titled, "Doppelte Emigration - Wolgaddeutsche in Argentinien" ("Double Emigration - Volga Germans in Argentina").
The Heimatbuch looks at the fate of all German Russians and attempts to promote an understanding of this ethnic group that has experienced many hardships while still facing great difficulties even today.
Johann and Hans Kampen have edited a valuable addition to the literature of the Germans from Russia. We owe our gratitute to the Kampens and the Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Rußland for presenting us with this important literary work.
