American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

Treffen Tuesday
2027-05-25 17:30 - 18:30, 2027-04-27 17:30 - 18:30, 2027-03-30 17:30 - 18:30, 2027-02-23 17:30 - 18:30, 2027-01-26 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-11-24 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-10-27 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-09-29 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) and 4 more dates

Research Saturdays
2027-05-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2027-04-03 09:00 - 16:00, 2027-03-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2027-02-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2027-01-02 09:00 - 16:00, 2026-12-05 09:00 - 16:00, 2026-11-07 09:00 - 16:00, 2026-10-03 09:00 - 16:00 and 7 more dates | 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!

AHSGR 56th Annual Convention
2026-08-05 - 2026-08-07 | Hilton Garden Inn, 221 W 43rd St,, Hays,, KS, 67601
The 56th Annual AHSGR International Convention will be held in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the first Volga German settlers arriving in Ellis County, Kansas.
Registration will open in April 2026.

Treffen Tuesday
2026-03-31 17:30 - 18:30
Ahnentafel Chart – A different pedigree approach
Presented by Scott Ludwig
An ahnentafel chart is the German version of a pedigree chart. It is a different approach than what we are used to. The Ahnentafel Chart focuses on one individual and their direct ancestors.
This presentation will cover how the process works and how I came to use it for my research. I will discuss the pros and cons of the ahnentafel chart and pedigree collapse.
About the Speaker
Scott Ludwig grew up in Rugby, North Dakota. Rugby is the county seat of Pierce County in north-central North Dakota and was settled by Germans from Russia. His father’s family came from the Kutschurgan colonies of Mannheim, Selz, Strassburg, and Volhynia. His mother’s family came from the Kutschurgan colonies of Mannheim, Selz, Strassburg, and Galicia. Scott started his ancestral research in the summer of 2017 after encouragement from his dad and aunt. His research became more full-time upon retirement.

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
2026-02-24 17:30 - 18:30
They Returned to the Homeland: Finding Germans from Russia in the U.S. Passport Application Files
Presented by Allyn Brosz
For Germans from the Russian Empire, the transatlantic journey was not always a one-way trip. Some immigrants to the U.S. returned to their ancestral villages as naturalized American citizens, crossing the Atlantic more than once. Their stories are found in the United States passport application files. This presentation examines the application files, discussing their availability and offering search techniques. Some of those who traveled and their stories will be highlighted. The odyssey of a Volga German family spanning more than two decades is a case study.
Allyn’s Bio
Allyn Brosz is a South Dakota native with German-Russian ancestry in Bessarabia and the Black Sea Lutheran Glueckstal District colonies of the Tsarist Empire. Allyn holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees and studied in Germany on a Fulbright grant. He retired from a civilian position at the U.S. Department of Defense in 2021. Allyn is a life member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR), the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS), and the Palatines to America Society, and serves on the steering committee of the Glueckstal Colonies Research. He served on the AHSGR Board of Directors in the 1990s.
Register here
After registering, you should get a confirmation email from Zoom. Please contact us for assistance if you do not receive an email.
