Treffen Tuesday
2024-09-24 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | NE
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 changed the spelling of the word “beautiful” from Yiddish (sheyn) to German (schön). This anecdote opens the door to examine the similarities, beyond language, which laid the foundation for the good relationships between the Germans and the Jews, living near Odessa at the turn of the 20th Century.
With an ample sprinkling of heartwarming stories from within and outside of Still (NDSU Press 2019), the book I co-wrote with my dad Kenneth Bender, we will explore the commonalities between these two immigrant groups. As their lives intertwined again in America, a beautiful harmony developed. Their intersecting history, as well as their individual histories, should be preserved.
About the Speaker
Rebecca E. Bender and her father Kenneth M. Bender are coauthors of Still, a biography/memoir of five generations of their Jewish family and their communities. Still is the 2019 Independent Press Award Winner (Judaism category) and the 2020 Midwest Book Award Gold Medal Winner (Religion/Philosophy category). Rebecca’s prose and poetry have appeared in The Journal of The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, North Dakota Quarterly, The Jewish Veteran, the Forward, Australia’s Jewish Women of Words, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Northwest Blade, and Paper Brigade Daily (Jewish Book Council).
She has spoken about her family of North Dakota Jewish homesteading farmers at events sponsored by The Minnesota Historical Society, the North Dakota Historical Society, the South Dakota Historical Society, St. John’s University, the Upper Midwest Jewish Historical Society, the Homestead National Historical Park, and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, among others. Copies of Still’s second printing (in paperback) are available through NDSUPress.org, library.ndsu.edu/grhc, Amazon.com, or can be ordered through any bookstore.
Register Here

Oktoberfest
2024-09-28 14:00 - 17:00 | AHSGR Headquarters, 631 D St., Lincoln, NE, 68502, United States
Join us for a family fun Oktoberfest Saturday, September 28th 2-5 PM at the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia at 631 D St. Lincoln, NE. Free food and drinks will be provided, including runzas from Runza! Activities include: German Russian games, and tours of the museum. You won’t want to miss this event!

Research Saturdays
2024-10-05 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-02 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-07 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-01-04 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-05 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-03 09:00 - 16:00 and 1 more date | AHSGR Headquarters, 631 D St., Lincoln, NE, 68502, United States
AHSGR will be open 9am to 4pm on the first Saturday of each month to allow people to conduct research outside of normal museum hours. Appointments are not required but are encouraged, and you can schedule one here!

2024 Storytelling Contest
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:00 | NE
Storytelling is an important oral and written tradition that ensures the continuation and enhancement of Germans from Russia history and heritage among future generations.
The annual AHSGR Storytelling Contest invites members and non-members to capture the Germans from Russia experience through storytelling. Writers can participate by submitting fiction or nonfiction stories, poetry that explore the history, heritage, folklore, food, and culture of the Germans from Russia. Winning stories will be presented on October 10, 2024, at the Virtual Storytelling Contest Winners presentation via Zoom.
Pre-register to join the broadcast here
More information here!

Organizing Your Personal Archives Workshop
2024-10-24 16:00 - 17:30 | Zoom
Do you have papers, photos or family heirlooms that you don’t know how to preserve? Well don’t worry about that as our Archivist Karen Keehr is going to give you the tricks and tips on how to start and organize your very own personal archive.
Register Here

Treffen Tuesday
2024-10-29 17:30 - 19:00 | NE
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 region started the village in Kazakhstan and wondered if my own relatives were involved.
A few years later a paper was published in the AHSGR journal by Araylym Mussagalieva and Roza Mussabekova, two scholars from the Eurasian National University who study German Russians in Kazakhstan. I contacted Araylym and suggested that if she ever went to Karamyshevka she might look for the name Bruch or Brug, my relatives. She responded, “I’m there now,” and sent me the names of half-a-dozen Bruchs from a 1920 census.
On a visit to Kazakhstan this past September two Kazakh friends offered to take me to Karamyshevka, Kazakhstan. I expected a simple visit. Then Araylym and Roza offered to come with us. Finally, a news crew from Kabar.tv, the national television network of Kazakhstan, thought it would make a good story and offered to come as well. I set off for Karamyshevka in a news van with my friends, two experts on German Russians in Kazakhstan, and a news reporter and videographer. My Treffen Tuesday presentation recalls this adventure.
Register Here

AHSGR Book Club
2024-11-09 14:00 - 15:30 | NE
Join us on December 9, 2024 at 2:00 PM CT as we discuss Songs of the She-Bear!

Register Here

Get the book here

AHSGR Writer's Group
2024-11-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Writers and aspiring writers are invited to share their work to receive constructive feedback in a positive, supportive environment. We will start with a writing warm up and then share ideas and writing projects with one another. From time to time, guest writers will lead the group.

Zoom Link

German Christmas Service
2024-12-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Friedens Lutheran Church, 540 D St, Lincoln, NE, 68502, United States
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
German Christmas Service
Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church
540 “D” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska
Free Event – All Are Welcome
Rt Rev. Michael Melchizedek providing the German dialogue and
Pastor Bud Christenson providing the English dialogue.

CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS STORY
WITH WORDS AND SONGS IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN
We will also live stream the service on facebook.com/friedenslincoln
Refreshments, many from German recipes, served following the service.

Holiday Open House and Harp Concert
2024-12-14 13:00 - 15:00 | NE
AHSGR is hosting a harp concert in the chapel by of the Great Plains Harp Chapter. Learn more about German Russian holiday traditions, enjoy holiday music, cookies, crafts, and light refreshments.

Treffen Tuesday
2025-01-28 17:00 - 18:30 | NE
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 key analytical concepts, beginning with understanding initial test results and then progressing to more intermediate and advanced DNA Match research skills. A short summary of the characteristics of the four major testing companies will be discussed to assist in the understanding of the company or companies’ resources that may best fit the tester.
Research techniques that are important in understanding DNA Match Analysis and the importance of matching segment detail used in a Chromosome Browser will be explored in detail. Examples of using Chromosome Mapping to help with match analysis back to distant great grandparents (3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.) will be illustrated.
The session will conclude with Case Study examples for distant match analysis through the Volga Colony and back into German Villages of Origin.
About the Speaker
Herb Femling has been doing family history research and German genealogy since the 1980s. As Volga German records started becoming more available in the 1990s he began extending his research into the German Villages of Origin. His German Parish Register research extends from the Northeastern to Central and Southern German Jurisdictions.
He has incorporated a strong interest in genetic genealogy over the last 10 years and has been actively utilizing advanced DNA analysis to break through brick walls where records are sparse. Recent presentations have been on DNA research incorporating database analysis. Presentations over the last 25 years to multiple organizations and groups in the Pacific Northwest have covered a variety of German research topics. He is a life member of AHSGR and other organizations.
Herb grew up on a farm in Vancouver, Washington which he still operates with his brother. The farm has been active in the family for over a century. His over thirty-year business career involved stints in several industries and spanned multiple functional areas across the entities.

Register Here!

AHSGR Writer's Group
2025-01-29 08:00 - 17:00 | NE
Writers and aspiring writers are invited to share their work to receive constructive feedback in a positive, supportive environment. We will start with a writing warm up and then share ideas and writing projects with one another. From time to time, guest writers will lead the group.Register Here

Spring Periodical Material Deadline
2025-02-10 | NE
Please send potential Journal articles to our journal editor at journaleditor@ahsgr.org
Potential content for the Newsletter can be sent to lhorken@ahsgr.org

AHSGR Book Club
2025-02-24 14:00 - 15:00 | NE
Join us for Book Club on February 24th at 2pm CT.
This book tells the story of George and Elisabeth Catherine Debus Maser from Kukkus, Russia who immigrated to Lincoln, Nebraska and then to the Au Gres area of Michigan.
It is a celebration of how a brave woman and the husband she did not choose conquered the enemies of fear and hardship to make a loving home in their promised land.
by Helen Eichstaedt
Purchase Alla Lizzie Here
Register for Zoom Here

Treffen Tuesday
2025-02-25 17:00 - 18:30 | NE
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 and research will be explored.
A few case study examples incorporating German Origins matching and movements across multiple colonies and distant US connections will be reviewed. Discussion of matching opportunities resulting from the increasing number of connections that can be found with distant Volga Cousins returning from Russian Jurisdictions to Germany. And finally, some Success Stories across multiple services.
If time permits, a few examples that provide clues to the proverbial question that often comes up “How related are we?”
About the Speaker
Herb Femling has been doing family history research and German genealogy since the 1980s. As Volga German records started becoming more available in the 1990s he began extending his research into the German Villages of Origin. His German Parish Register research extends from the Northeastern to Central and Southern German Jurisdictions.
He has incorporated a strong interest in genetic genealogy over the last 10 years and has been actively utilizing advanced DNA analysis to break through brick walls where records are sparse. Recent presentations have been on DNA research incorporating database analysis. Presentations over the last 25 years to multiple organizations and groups in the Pacific Northwest have covered a variety of German research topics. He is a life member of AHSGR and other organizations.
Herb grew up on a farm in Vancouver, Washington which he still operates with his brother. The farm has been active in the family for over a century. His over thirty-year business career involved stints in several industries and spanned multiple functional areas across the entities.
Register here
After registering you should get a confirmation email from Zoom. Please contact us for assistance if you do not receive an email.

Writer's Group
2025-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Writers and aspiring writers are invited to share their work to receive constructive feedback in a positive, supportive environment. We will start with a writing warm up and then share ideas and writing projects with one another. From time to time, guest writers will lead the group.
Register Here

Treffen Tuesday
2025-03-25 17:30 - 18:30 | NE
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 flows and destinations that have characterized these last three decades in the post-Soviet space and also beyond it, from the return to their origins of several ethnic minorities (Germans, Greeks, Koreans,…) to the labor migrations that are today the daily routine of countries such as Moldova or Tajikistan – not forgetting the refugee flows that have unfortunately characterized the recent history of the region…
About the Speaker
António Eduardo Mendonça is a Portuguese senior anthropologist, researcher in the area of Post-Soviet Migrations at the IGOT-UL (Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon); he also taught at Universities in Portugal and in Turkiye. He was the coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the International Conference Geopolitics, Migrations and Identities in Central Eurasia (Lisbon, January 2025). His current research project deals with Central Asian migrants in Portugal and in Western European Countries.

Register Here
After registering you should get a confirmation email from Zoom. Please contact us for assistance if you do not receive an email.

AHSGR Writer's Group
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom

Summer Periodical Material Deadline
2025-04-18 | NE

Treffen Tuesday
2025-04-29 17:30 - 19:00 | NE
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 the Speaker

Sandy Schilling Payne is a descendant of Black Sea Germans on both sides of her family, Lutherans from the Glückstal colonies and Catholics from the Kutschurgan colonies. Her interest in genealogy began in 1994, and she has since researched her German origins into the modern-day countries of Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Canada, and the United States. She is a part of the Black Sea German Research group, the webmaster for the Glückstal Colonies Research Association, and the author of the Germans from Russia Settlement Locations project.
Register here

After registering you should get a confirmation email from Zoom. Please contact us for assistance if you do not receive an email.

Treffen Tuesday
2025-05-27 17:30 - 19:00 | NE
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 behind her research.

About the Speaker

Sheri Rohn Ertl is a former teacher and a current member of the AHSGR Board. She is chair of the Folklore Committee and hosts the quarterly Book Club, where she tells the stories behind the story; facilitates Writers’ Group to support anyone wanting to tell their family’s stories; and develops the monthly recipe cards.

Register here
After registering you should get a confirmation email from Zoom. Please contact us for assistance if you do not receive an email.

AHSGR Writer's Group
2025-05-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Writers and aspiring writers are invited to share their work to receive constructive feedback in a positive, supportive environment. We will start with a writing warm up and then share ideas and writing projects with one another. From time to time, guest writers will lead the group.
