Short History of Five Colonies: Founded 1891-1902

Compiled by Sebastian Michael Deck Edmonton, Alberta, 1999, 22 pages, Softcover.
$30.00
Cover of Short History of Five Colonies: Founded 1891-1902
Cover of Short History of Five Colonies: Founded 1891-1902
Paintings by Father Metzger at St. Peter's Church, Rastadt Colony, photo by Sebastian Deck, 1994.
Wrought-iron cross at northeast of Rastadt (7 Colony), photo by Sebastian Deck, 1994.

The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection is pleased to announce publication of the Short History of Five Colonies. Sebastian Michael Deck has provided a valuable publication for the Germans from Russia community especially for persons who have ancestry to the Beresan or Liebental villages, South Russia. Our appreciation to Michael Deck for permitting the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection to make available this informative publication.

The colonies founded southeast of Regina include: St. Joseph's Colony, Balgonie (1891); St. Mary's Colony, Kronau (1893); St. Peter's Colony, Kronau (1896); Rastadt Colony, Kronau (1896); and Speier Colony, LaJord (1902).

Detailed plot maps are included as well as many black and white and color photographs, maps, history and colony outline. The wrought-iron crosses of these Catholic Black Sea Germans who immigrated from villages of South Russia (today near Odessa, Ukraine) are vividly shown including St. Peter's Cemetery at the Rastadt Colony.

Father Heinrich Metzger's beautiful paintings are included which are found in these colony churches. Father Metzger was born in 1876 at Grendelbruch, Alsace, and died in Kronau, Saskatchewan in 1949. He was the first priest of the parish of Kronau from 1916 to 1949.

Archival photographs used by Michael Deck in the publication were used with permission of the Saskatchewan Archives Board, 3303 Hillsdale Street, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 6W9. For further information, contact: Claude Roberto, Government Archivist, Provincial Archives of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, claude.roberto@gov.ab.ca.