American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

Genealogy Workshop - Helpful genealogical resources in The Archives/Library
2024-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Join us on Zoom to learn about the different resources that are offered in our Library/Archive from Amber Mikkelsen, Archival Research Coordinator. Gain a better understanding of what we have to offer so that you can start your journey of learning about your family’s past. Free for Members and $20 for non-members.

Free to members and $20 to nonmembers; Sign up is required

Treffen Tuesday
2024-03-26 17:30 - 19:00
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 and concise explanation for the consequences of difficult and painful experiences. The Murray Method enables wholeness beyond trauma, abuse, neglect, and addiction.
Since its inception in 1981, the Murray Method has been widely taught and employed internationally, especially in the former USSR. During this time, the main therapeutic emphasis dealt with moving beyond childhood trauma and also addressing present day issues such as relationship problems, addictions, financial difficulties and so forth.
However, with the arrival of the war in Ukraine, the Murray Method now has been effectively utilized by psychologists, therapists, and clergy (who were previously trained in the method) who now are working with war trauma victims. They are using the Murray Method in individual and group sessions held in person, and in online sessions with refugees throughout Ukraine and Europe. Murray Method videos in Ukrainian are also now available with a wide audience.
In response to the great need for more intensive therapy, the Murray Method War Trauma Rehabilitation Center was established in early 2023 and is located in a large, 4-story house on acreage in a suburb of Poltava, Ukraine. A two-week inpatient, intensive therapy program is provided here twice monthly at no cost for 25 war survivors. Approximately 700 women and men have received this special gift thus far.
A high percentage of Ukrainians suffer from PTSD. Almost everyone is grieving the loss of a family member and/or a close friend as a result of the war. Many have lost their homes and their possessions. It is a huge national tragedy, and the results will remain for generations. The Murray Method is helping reduce the long-term effects of this trauma.
The method also is being applied with survivors of the present war in Israel as well as persons impacted by recent school shootings in the States. (More detailed information regarding the Murray Method is available on the website: www.murraymethod.com )
MARILYN (Reh) MURRAY
Recognized internationally as an educator, theorist, author, and psychotherapist, Marilyn was a pioneer in the treatment of trauma, abuse and deprivation, and their correlation with addictions. She began creating and teaching her Murray Method theory and treatment modalities starting in 1983 including the widely used Trauma Egg and Circles of Intimacy. She has taught her method for universities in the US and internationally with students from 40 countries.
From 2002 to 2018, she lived and worked nearly half-time in Russia where she presented her method to over 4,000 health professionals and clergy in the former USSR. She also has been a guest professor at major Russian universities including Moscow State University. There are Murray Method International Centers in Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Her paternal grandparents were born in small villages near Saratov and immigrated to America. Unfortunately, their families who remained in Russia suffered greatly under the Stalinist terror and repression. Marilyn has visited her family villages numerous times and has a special love for this country. She also has cousins in Siberia and other parts of Russia.
She has been a life member of AHSGR since 1998 and has shared her knowledge of Russia at several AHSGR conventions.
Register Here

BKDR exhibit: The Religious Life of Russian German
2024-03-28

Outside Buildings Open
2024-04-01

Research Saturdays
2024-04-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-05-04 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-07 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-10-05 09:00 - 16:00 | 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!

Elements of Writing Workshop: Short-Stories, Poems, & One-Act Plays
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Registration to end Tuesday the 9th at 11pm central.

In anticipation of the AHSGR 2024 Storytelling Contest, we are offering a three-day Elements of Writing Workshop.

April 11th / 7-8pm: An overview of the types and construction of prose, and poems. Examples will focus on previously published works of cultural or family history, folklore, and oral tradition and give ideas for connecting a story to an appropriate format.
April 18th / 7-8pm: You have an idea, or a family story to tell, now what? This session will explore taking the leap from idea to words on paper.
April 25th / 7-8:30pm: The presenters will facilitate a workshopping environment where participants can share their work in a supportive environment and receive constructive feedback from the presenters and fellow participants.

Presenter Biographies:
Meg Arenz has worked on several literary magazines, including Nebraska Wesleyan University’s magazine The Flintlock, where she was the poetry editor from 2022 to 2023, and Columbia College Chicago’s professional magazine Allium, where she is currently a poetry/nonfiction assistant editor. Meg earned a BA in English with a minor in Writing from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2023 and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. Meg writes poetry, prose, and hybrid work, focusing on the genres of creative nonfiction and magical realism.
Paula Ray is a writer, theater artist, and psychologist who writes about the people she knows and the stories that move her. She studied playwriting at the New School in New York City and, since 2015, four of her short plays examining human struggles in contemporary society have been staged in the annual First Flight Play Festivals in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2020, she created and produced an ensemble theater piece titled Shadows and Light: Untold Stories, based on lived experiences of people with histories at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and the family court system. She is currently completing work on a full-length history play exploring the mass emigration of the Irish during the famine years of the mid-nineteenth century and the associated development of the “placing out programs,” and in 2023 received a GRACA grant award from UNO to provide financial support for time in Ireland to conduct historical research for the play. In addition to playwriting, Paula is a poet and author of the illustrated children’s book, Max and the Listening Tree.
Free for members & $15 for nonmembers

Elements of Writing Workshop: Short-Stories, Poems and One-Act Plays
2024-04-18 19:00 | Zoom
Take a three-day writing workshop to better your story telling skill or gain inspiration for you next story. This workshop is broken into three parts with each part building on from the last.
Session 1 (April 11): Elements of Writing: Short-Stories, Poems, One-Act Plays
An overview of the types and construction of prose, poems, and one-act plays. Examples will focus on previously published works of cultural or family history, folklore, and oral tradition and give ideas for connecting a story to an appropriate format.
Session 2 (April 18): Developing an Idea into a Written Work
You have an idea, or a family story to tell, now what? This session will explore taking the leap from idea to words on paper.
Session 3 (April 25): Workshopping
The presenters will facilitate a workshopping environment where participants can share their work in a supportive environment and receive constructive feedback from the presenters and fellow participants.
Presenter Biographies:
Meg Arenz has worked on several literary magazines, including Nebraska Wesleyan University’s magazine The Flintlock, where she was the poetry editor from 2022 to 2023, and Columbia College Chicago’s professional magazine Allium, where she is currently a poetry/nonfiction assistant editor. Meg earned a BA in English with a minor in Writing from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2023 and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. Meg writes poetry, prose, and hybrid work, focusing on the genres of creative nonfiction and magical realism.
Paula Ray is a writer, theater artist, and psychologist who writes about the people she knows and the stories that move her. She studied playwriting at the New School in New York City and, since 2015, four of her short plays examining human struggles in contemporary society have been staged in the annual First Flight Play Festivals in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2020, she created and produced an ensemble theater piece titled Shadows and Light: Untold Stories, based on lived experiences of people with histories at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and the family court system. She is currently completing work on a full-length history play exploring the mass emigration of the Irish during the famine years of the mid-nineteenth century and the associated development of the “placing out programs,” and in 2023 received a GRACA grant award from UNO to provide financial support for time in Ireland to conduct historical research for the play. In addition to playwriting, Paula is a poet and author of the illustrated children’s book, Max and the Listening Tree.

The Zoom link will be sent out prior to the event.

Elements of Writing Workshop: Short-Stories, Poems and One-Act Plays
2024-04-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
In anticipation of the AHSGR 2024 Storytelling Contest, we’re offering a three-day writing workshop to hone your story telling skills or provide inspiration for you next story. This workshop is broken into three parts with each part building on from the last.

Session 1 (April 11): Elements of Writing: Short-Stories, Poems, One-Act Plays – An overview of the types and construction of prose, poems, and one-act plays. Examples will focus on previously published works of cultural or family history, folklore, and oral tradition and give ideas for connecting a story to an appropriate format.
Session 2 (April 18): Developing an Idea into a Written Work – You have an idea, or a family story to tell, now what? This session will explore taking the leap from idea to words on paper.
Session 3 (April 25): Workshopping – The presenters will facilitate a workshopping environment where participants can share their work in a supportive environment and receive constructive feedback from the presenters and fellow participants.

Presenter Biographies:
Meg Arenz has worked on several literary magazines, including Nebraska Wesleyan University’s magazine The Flintlock, where she was the poetry editor from 2022 to 2023, and Columbia College Chicago’s professional magazine Allium, where she is currently a poetry/nonfiction assistant editor. Meg earned a BA in English with a minor in Writing from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2023 and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. Meg writes poetry, prose, and hybrid work, focusing on the genres of creative nonfiction and magical realism.
Paula Ray is a writer, theater artist, and psychologist who writes about the people she knows and the stories that move her. She studied playwriting at the New School in New York City and, since 2015, four of her short plays examining human struggles in contemporary society have been staged in the annual First Flight Play Festivals in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2020, she created and produced an ensemble theater piece titled Shadows and Light: Untold Stories, based on lived experiences of people with histories at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and the family court system. She is currently completing work on a full-length history play exploring the mass emigration of the Irish during the famine years of the mid-nineteenth century and the associated development of the “placing out programs,” and in 2023 received a GRACA grant award from UNO to provide financial support for time in Ireland to conduct historical research for the play. In addition to playwriting, Paula is a poet and author of the illustrated children’s book, Max and the Listening Tree.
The Zoom link will be sent out on prior to the event

Treffen Tuesday
2024-04-30 17:30 - 18:30
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 [Red] wheat on his farm in Kansas. The second was Carl C. Young (Jung)’s, travel “to Russian Turkestan to negotiate the first importation, to his Texas ranch, of Karakul sheep.”
This presentation will provide an overview of Carl Young’s amazing and unusual career. Dr. Charles Christian Young, a Bessarabian German from Neu-Elft imported the first Karakul sheep into the United States and established the breed in North America. His remarkable life story starts with his birth as Karl Jung in Bessarabia, his immigration to the U.S., his training as a medical doctor, his personal friendship with President Theodore Roosevelt, and his return to Russia, where the Tsar’s government assisted his procurement of Karakul sheep from local tribesmen in Central Asia. As a naturalized American citizen, Young traveled widely in Russia, wrote a book describing his travels, and lectured on the Chautauqua Circuit, including a lecture at Carnegie Hall in New York. Selections from his passport application files, articles written by Young in historic newspapers, and documents provided by the Young family will be used to illustrate this story of accomplishment and adventure, which is still largely unknown to the Germans from Russia community.
Allyn Brosz –Bio
Allyn Brosz is a South Dakota native with German-Russian ancestry in Bessarabia and the Glückstal colonies of the Tsarist Empire. He grew up on the farm homesteaded by his great grandfather, Adam Brosz. Allyn holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science, public administration, and public policy, 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 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 Association and the GRHS editorial board. He has served on the AHSGR Board of Directors and has represented Germans from Russia societies on the U.S. National Archives committee for Russian American Genealogical Archival Research (RAGAS). He has published research articles and delivered presentations at GRHS and AHSGR conventions over the past 40 years.

Register on Zoom Here!

May Book Club
2024-05-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Join us May 9th at 2:00 PM CT to discuss The Odyssey of Escapes from Russia: The Saga of Anna K!
Click here to get your copy of The Odyssey of Escapes from Russia: The Saga of Anna K 25% off!
Register Here

Cooper Park Party
2024-05-25 16:00 - 21:00
Join us for games, music, activities, FREE food and treats, and more at our annual Cooper Park Party! Bring your nonperishable food and hygiene items to help us stock our Cooper Park Little Free Pantry. This party is sponsored by SSCCO, the Community Learning Centers, Neighbor Works Lincoln, Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln/Lancaster County, and Civic Nebraska

¡Únase a nosotros para juegos, música, actividades, comida GRATIS y más! ¡Traiga sus alimentos no perecederos y artículos de higiene para ayudarnos a abastecer nuestra pequeña despensa gratuita de Cooper Park!

The party will be held at 950 S 6th St, Lincoln, NE 68508 from 4-9 pm on May 25th.

Treffen Tuesday
2024-05-28 17:30 - 18:30
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 Lutheran Church in Fargo.
His work has taken him from the high plains of the upper Midwest to the mountain villages of Madagascar, from the verdant lands of southern Brazil to the exquisite beaches of Puerto Rico, from the chilly climes of North Dakota to the Mediterranean climate of Southern California. Wherever he has gone, he has listened to stories, told stories, and written stories.
About the presentation:
His presentation is based on his book Struck Down but not Destroyed: The Story of Rudolf Heupel, a German-Russian Immigrant. It is the story of Ron’s maternal grandfather, a man who not only survived but thrived amid difficult times. It is an imaginative reconstruction of Rudolph’s life, based on historical research, his written documents, Ron’s encounters, and family memories. It is a story of how one man struggled to live out his faith in his home, community, and congregation.

Register Here

Wedding Exhibit
2024-06-21

Treffen Tuesday
2024-06-25 09:30 - 10:30
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 of nine children to Pius and Anna Schell,
he has lived through the famine of the 1930s, the 1941 deportation of the Volga
Germans, and the consequent persecution and limitation of rights for all Soviet citizens
of German descent. After twenty-five years in western Siberia, he relocated his family to
his Volga German homeland in 1966 and lived in Frank, Russia until his emigration to
Germany at age 71 in the late 1990s. Despite the challenges, he never lost his humor
and positive attitude towards life.
In this presentation, Adam will talk about various topics related to his family’s history –
and their connection to America – and cultural aspects of German-Russian life, such as
typical foods, tradition of nicknames (Beinamen) given to families, and more.
During the meeting, he will be supported by his granddaughter Tanja Schell, who will
assist with translation for Adam and his audience. Dr. Tatjana “Tanja” Schell is a Lifetime
AHSGR member and has presented on various topics related to the history and culture
of the Volga Germans in Russia on numerous occasions, both at the AHSGR Annual
Convention and also to different chapters. She has also contributed to sharing the
history of her family in the following publications by the AHSGR Journal:
“Maria’s Story.” Journal of the AHSGR. Volume 29.4 (2006): 21-25.
“Celebrating Christmas 2006 in Frank, Russia.” Journal of the AHSGR. Volume 30.4
(2007): 16-18.
“Easter in Siberia.” By Katrin Schell, Journal of the AHSGR. Volume 36.4. (2013)
Register Here

Treffen Tuesday
2024-07-30 09:30 - 10:30 | Zoom
Register Here

AHSGR 2024 Annual Convention
2024-08-07 - 2024-08-10 | Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, Century Center Parking Garage, 1 N Broadway Ave,, Oklahoma City, OK, 73102, United States
ALL CONVENTION INFORMATION HERE
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS BELOW:

Treffen Tuesday
2024-08-27 17:30 - 19:00
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 about the efforts to digitize our Archival Collection and how you can access them online. She will also talk about the process of donating items to AHSGR and how you can help preserve German Russian heritage for generations.
About the Speaker
Karen Keehr joined the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia in June 2022 with over 22 years of experience in the Archives field. She has specialized training in digital imaging and photograph preservation. One of her goals at AHSGR is to increase access to our unique German Russian collections through digital access and improved archival processing.
Originally from Minnesota, Karen has enjoyed studying and preserving Nebraska history for nearly 25 years. She did her undergraduate work at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota and received her master’s degree in public history from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM in 2009. Karen was the Curator of Research at Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, NE for nine years where she worked on two books of photographs, Grand Island and Hall County and Grand Island: the Julius Leschinsky Photographs. In June 2009, Karen became the Curator of Photographs and Head of Digital Imaging at the Nebraska State Historical Society (now known as History Nebraska). She has also proudly served on the Nebraska Museums Association board since 2000.
Register Here

Underwear Blanket Exhibit
2024-09-02 | AHSGR Headquarters, 631 D St., Lincoln, NE, 68502, United States

Storytelling Contest Deadline
2024-09-06
Deadline for submission: Friday, September 6, 2024. You can submit your story by using the form below, emailing it to lhorken@ahsgr.org, or mailing it to AHSGR 631 D St., Lincoln, NE 68502.

AHSGR Book Club
2024-09-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Have you ever wondered what life was like for our family members who were sent to Siberia? This book, Woldemar Fieldler’s memoir, details experiences of the Fiedler family. Please join our book club discussion on September 12 to add your thoughts or you can just listen and learn the history behind the stories. See you soon and happy reading!
Register here!
Get Your Copy here!

Treffen Tuesday
2024-09-24 18:30 - 20:00
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!

2024 Storytelling Contest
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:00
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
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
