FAQs

AHSGR is the premier global non-profit educational organization engaged in researching the history of the group of people of German heritage who settled in the Russia Empire beginning in 1763 and continuing through the 1800s. They settled in the in the Volga River and Black Sea areas as well as Volhynia. This includes areas of present-day Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Many of their descendants emigrated to North and South America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

If you have German Russian ancestry, AHSGR provides a connection with other individuals who share your heritage.  Anyone from a professional genealogist to an amateur historian just starting to fill-in names on a family tree will benefit from membership in AHSGR through the historical data, educational programs and scholarly presentations that become available through AHSGR. AHSGR provides its members precise and thorough historical material to enable each member to learn when their ancestors left their German homes, discover if their voyage to Russia was successful, the Russian village in which they resided, when and how they traveled to the Americas, where they settled, and much more.

AHSGR does this through:

• its own research library
• research assistants available for members
• Ancestor lists
• Family History lists
• Quarterly publications
• Village Coordinators
• Educational programs through national conventions and local chapter meetings.

If you wish to learn all about your ancestors who struggled in Europe in the 1700s, made the dangerous trek to Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great and then escaped the Russian Revolution by journeying to the Americas, AHSGR can help you fill-in the blanks of your ancestors’ story.

As an AHSGR member, you will receive:

• members-only access to all areas of the AHSGR website
• exclusive members-only publications
• bookstore, research and convention discounts
• free museum and library access.

To join us, please visit our Membership page!

The answer is “absolutely!”. Much of the information in the library is online and available via your internet connection or Inter-Library Loan. Need to check some information located in library material? Research Assistants are available to assist your research endeavors (Genealogy Services)

For members only areas, you will need to use your existing username or email address to reset your password.

1. From the Member Login page, click the “Lost Your Password?” link at the bottom of the page.
   
2. You can enter either your existing username or email address in the screen that pops up. Click the “Get New Password” button to submit your request.
   
3. You will receive an email from AHSGR at the email address associated with your account that contains a link you will need to click to reset your password.
   
4. The screen the links takes you to will contain a form where you can enter your new password. Once you have entered the new password twice, click the “Reset Password” button to save it.
   
5. Once you’re new password is saved, you will be able to return to log in using your existing username or email address and the password you just created.

If you have any problems with getting your password set up or aren’t sure what email address or username is associated with your account, please call AHSGR at 402-474-3363, email us directly at ahsgr@ahsgr.org, or contact us online.

If your membership has been deactivated and you’d like to join again, please call 402-474-3363 or contact us online for help.

You will receive the AHSGR Newsletter and Journal quarterly. The Newsletter will help you stay up to date with announcements and new materials that are available, convention information, and general news. The Journal contains articles and information pertaining to Germans from Russia history, culture, genealogy, folklore, and families. See more about AHSGR Publications here!

Local AHSGR Chapters are located throughout the United States. Each chapter provides their own programs with opportunities for social interaction and sharing research information with other AHSGR members. See if there is a local chapter in your area (Chapters).

AHSGR membership provides access to other members who may have similar research interest such as ancestral German villages in Russia or ancestral surnames.  You can locate other members with common research interests by accessing the Find a Member page on the Member Dashboard.  You can search for other members by their location (Country or US State), Chapter membership, Ancestral Surname, and Ancestral Village.  The search results will list all members who satisfy the search criteria.  You can then connect to these individuals via e-mail.

Village Coordinators, staff, and Society members can help you with your research and making connections. Village Coordinators can help you find answers to questions specific to certain villages. Be sure to check out AHSGR’s Facebook page or visit the Facebook Group for more resources and conversation, too! Facebook is an active place where people post information, make discoveries, and ask questions.

There are thousands of ancestral villages and AHSGR does not have files are all of them. On the Home Page, scroll down and click on Villages.  Then, type in a partial village name in the “By Village” field and select a village. Scroll down, if you see an orange button “AHSGR Files” you can click it and view the list of available files. Select one to view.  If you do not see this orange button, there are no AHSGR files available for the selected village.

However, there are many other ways to search for information regarding your Village:
– Library holdings (Research page, online Library)
– Publications (Heritage & Culture, Publications page: many detailed articles in Journals, Newsletters, etc.)
– On-line store (census records, birth/marriage/death records available for purchase)
– Contact Village Coordinator for assistance
– Contract AHSGR for research help (link to Genealogical Services)

Village Coordinators (VCs) for the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia coordinate, aid, and assist members attempting to find information about their ancestors who lived in a German village in Russia. This work is done on a volunteer basis for the benefit of AHSGR members.  Find out more on how you can become a VC on our Village Coordinator Information page!