June – Dr. Mila Koretnikov, “Tracing Our Volga-German Heritage: A Comparative Look at Tours to Ancestral Village in Germany and Russia” Presentation: In 2016-2019 the Volga German Tour group – Dr. Mila Koretnikov, Sergey Koretnikov and Dr. Brent Mai, took approximately 250 people from the USA, Canada, and Argentina on tours to the Volga German … Continued

August – Marilyn Murray, “Ukraine and Russia – a Family at War updates” Presentation: Marilyn (Reh) Murray will share updates regarding the Ukraine/Russian war.  She has a Murray Method International Center in Ukraine and also one in Russia so is in constant contact with her colleagues/friends in both countries.  She will share their personal responses … Continued

September – Dr. Hans-Christian Petersen, “Dr. Karl Stumpp (1896-1962)” Presentation: Dr. Hans-Christian Peterson presents a special presentation about Dr. Karl Stumpp (1896-1962). Remembered posthumously as the “patriarch of the Germans from Russia,” Stumpp is perhaps the most influential person of transnational Russia German diaspora activism and belonged to the ‘grand old men’ of the German … Continued

October – Maggie Hein, “Is This Really My Ancestor?” Presentation: Are you using genealogy web sites to research your Germans from Russia ancestors?  Is your family tree online?  The big genealogy web sites (Ancestry, Family Search, My Heritage) can be wonderful tools for locating records and making connections to your ancestors.  They can also offer … Continued

The Murray Method Treffen Tuesday; March 26, 2024 Marilyn (Reh) Murray Marilyn will share a background history and an audio-visual explanation of the Murray Method. This method is described as an effective approach to becoming a Healthy Balanced Person - physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a guideline for living and provides a clear … Continued

A German from Russia Dreams of Karakul Sheep:  C. C. Young and His Return to Russia Richard Sallet, in the foreword to his book, Russian-German Settlements in the United States, notes "two important advances which the American people owe to Russian-German initiative.” The first was Bernhard Warkentin's introduction of Turkey wheat on his farm in … Continued

Ron Baesler Struck Down but not Destroyed: The Story of Rudolf Heupel, a German-Russian Immigrant Ron Baesler is a farm boy, physicist, pastor, missionary, seminary professor, gardener, grandfather, father and husband. He was born and raised on a farm in New Leipzig, North Dakota. He graduated from UND and his first call was as pastor at Peace … Continued

For the June 2024 Tuesday Treffen meeting, you will have a unique opportunity to meet Adam Schell, a 96-year-old Volga German man born in the village of Seewald. His life experience has been shaped by the history of all Germans from Russia in the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Born as a fifth child … Continued

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Treasures from the AHSGR Archives AHSGR Archivist Karen Keehr shares some of the amazing, unique German Russian treasures housed in the AHSGR Archives and Museum Collections. From heart wrenching letters from Russia to beautiful old maps, enjoy a virtual tour behind the scenes at the AHSGR Heritage Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Karen will also talk … Continued

Schön and Sheyn –The Beautiful Harmony Between German-Russian and Russian Jewish Homesteaders  In 1938, the Andrews Sisters’ Bei mir bist du schön (To Me You’re Beautiful) was a big radio hit. Though many believed it was a German song, it was a song written in Yiddish, a language spoken by Eastern European Jews. The record company … Continued

A Quest for Relatives in Kazakhstan Several years ago I discovered a village in northern Kazakhstan named Karamyshevka that was started in 1906 by Germans. Karamyshevka was also the Russian name of Bauer, the village in the Volga region that was home to my German Russian relatives. I suspected residents of Karamyshevka in the Volga … Continued

The January and February presentations will be a 2-part sequential exploration of DNA Match Analysis in combination with Volga German migration patterns.  The focus will be on Volga Colony DNA research, but the concepts are transferrable to all other areas of German genetic genealogical research. The January session will start with a brief overview of … Continued

Note: Due to personal genealogical data being shared, this presentation will not be recorded. A brief review of January DNA problem solving concepts will be followed by illustrations of the deep underlying connections between Volga German groups that are often hard to visualize. The value of incorporating Volga German migration patterns into DNA Match Analysis … Continued

Migrations and Mobilities in Post-Soviet Eurasia The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a new political and economic map of Eurasia also brought new migration dynamics to the entire region, even allowing the conceptualization of a new global model - the Eurasian Migration System. In this presentation, we will talk about the … Continued

What They Carried: Storytelling Through Objects A prayer book. A gold cross. A pair of socks. A sewing basket. A scrap of paper. This session will explore storytelling through the “eyes” of the treasured objects our Germans from Russia ancestors brought with them and left behind for their descendants. Part show-and-tell. Part how-to. Part what-if. About … Continued

Hattie Plum Williams Hattie Plum Williams is well-known in German from Russia circles for the private 1914 census of Volga German neighborhoods in Lincoln, Nebraska and the subsequently published A Social Study of the Russian German in 1916. Her book, The Czar's Germans, was published posthumously in 1975. Come learn more about this forward-thinking woman and the stories … Continued

The Story of Ludwig Schaaf Presented by Wayne Garman “I was the oldest and had to take care of everyone” – The Story of Ludwig Schaaf The thirty-five year period between the Russian Revolution in 1917 and post-World War II imposed unimaginable suffering and horrors upon our German relatives who lived in the Soviet Union. … Continued

The War in Crimea, 1854-1855 Presented by Merv Weiss The War in Crimea in 1854-1855 changed Russia; it changed Europe; and those changes would eventually affect the Germans in Russia very directly.   The main thrust of this presentation is to link the aftermath of the War in Crimea to the reforms in Russia during the … Continued

 DNA: The Family Tree Inside Us – An Introduction to Genetic Genealogy Presented by Diane Bates DNA holds a personal “family tree” within us, carrying the genetic blueprint passed down through generations. By studying our DNA, we can uncover ancestral connections, identify distant relatives, and gain insights into our ethnic heritage. This beginner-friendly presentation introduces … Continued

German (and French and Danish) Church Records Online Documenting your ancestors before they immigrated to Russia You probably know where your ancestors settled in Russia and when they arrived there. What about where they lived before they moved to Russia?  Have you wondered how to access records in Europe to research your ancestors?  Church parish … Continued

Storytelling is an important oral and written tradition that ensures the continuation and enhancement of Germans from Russia history and heritage among future generations. AHSGR invites members and non-members to participate in the Annual Storytelling Contest to capture the Germans from Russia experience through storytelling. Writers can participate by submitting fiction or nonfiction stories, and poetry … Continued