Remembering Don Soeken
AHSGR is saddened to hear of the passing of Donald R. Soeken on November 21st, 2025. Don was very passionate about his German-Russian heritage and made a lasting impact on our organization as president of …
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Recent News & Updates
2025 AHSGR Storytelling Contest Finalists
The results are in for the 2025 AHSGR Storytelling contest! Our finalists are:
Short Story Category
1st Place: “Nothing But White Ash” by Boni Wagner Stafford
2nd Place: “Trapped in Moscow: A Russian Tale” by Ann …
New Hours Starting Nov. 1st
Our in-person hours will be changing starting November 1st, 2025
Monday……………………………………………….10 am – 4 pm
Tuesday………………………………………………10 am – 4 pm
Wednesday…………………………Closed to in-person visits
Thursday……………………………………………..10 am – 4 pm
Friday………………………………………………….10 am – 4 pm
Saturday………………………………………………………Closed
Sunday………………………………………………………..Closed
AHSGR Closed July 3rd-5th
The AHSGR Heritage center will be closed July 3rd-5th for the holiday.
Read More »Welcome Jennifer, our New Archival Research Coordinator!
AHSGR is pleased to welcome Jennifer Garza to our Heritage Center in Lincoln team as our Archival Research Coordinator. Jennifer Garza has a PhD in Russian history from Emory University. After teaching history at Metro State …
Read More »Early Bird Convention Pricing Extended until June 20th
Early bird pricing for the 2025 Convention in Lincoln, NE has been extended until June 20th!
Don’t miss your chance to get discounted pricing for registration for the convention. Early Bird pricing ends June 20th, last …
Read More »Heritage Center Makeover
The Heritage Center got a fresh coat of paint this last week and is looking refreshed! We would like to thank the AHSGR Foundation for funding this project. We would also like to thank Brent …
Read More »Give to Lincoln Day is May 29th
The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia is participating in Give to Lincoln Day – donate now through May 29!
Your donation will directly support the purchase and installation of new security accessories around our …
Read More »Help us Choose our Next T-shirt Design
Help us choose our next T-shirt design! Take the poll and vote for your pick. The winner will be available for sale at convention and then available online.
Vote for your favorite here
German-Russian Graphic Novel Available to Purchase
Exciting news! AHSGR is the first seller in North America to sell Lena Wolf’s memoir “May The Universe Be Your Home: Growing up German in Kazakhstan”
About the Book
Lena Wolf grew up as …
Read More »RootsTech 2025 Success
AHSGR’s booth at RootsTech 2025 was a huge success! Archivist Karen Keehr and Board of Directors Member Diane Bates traveled to Salt Lake City to attend the nation’s largest genealogy conference. An estimated 15,000 people …
Read More »New Exhibits at the Heritage Center
We have several new exhibits up at the Heritage Center in Lincoln, NE. These exhibits about Catherine the Great, German-Russian Toys, and German-Russians in South America will be up until late November!
Catherine the Great in …
Read More »2025 Call for Presentations
The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia announces a request for presentations for our 55th Annual Convention: Preserving our History, an in person gathering from July 30 – August 1, 2025 in Lincoln, Nebraska. …
Read More »Holiday Open House & Harp Concert is this Saturday!
AHSGR is hosting a harp concert in the chapel by the Great Plains Harp Chapter. Learn more about German Russian holiday traditions, and enjoy holiday music, cookies, and light refreshments!
Read More »Discover The Legacy of the Volga Germans in South America
Carlos Alberto Schwab’s Historical Summary and Genealogy of the Volga Germans 1877-1997
We have a new free resource available on our website for researchers! This book contains genealogical data from the Volga Germans who went to …
Read More »AHSGR Heritage Center Closed for Board Meeting
The AHSGR Heritage Center will be closed for the fall board meeting on November 7-9th.
We will also be closed for maintenance November 11-12th
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Winter Coat Exhibit at AHSGR Heritage Center
To stay warm during the winter, the German-Russians relied on many layers. Men would wear a caftan (a kind of frock coat) and a sheepskin coat and hat. On long trips, a larger and wider …
Read More »Organizing Your Personal Archives Workshop Rescheduled
Due to scheduling, the Archive Workshop—Organizing Your Personal Archives will be moved to the next day, Thursday, October 24th, at 4:00 PM. If you can’t make it, the workshop will be recorded and put on …
Read More »Storytelling Contest Ceremony Today
THE Storytelling contest ceremony is today!
Join the Storytelling Contest broadcast on Zoom tonight from 7-8 pm CT to hear the stories and poems of the finalists!
Short Stories:
1st Place- Maria Wohn …
Storytelling Contest Winners Announced
We are excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Storytelling Contest! This year we had a short story and a poetry category.
Short Stories:
1st Place- Maria Wohn Appelhans
2nd Place- …
Digital Imaging Lab Expanding
AHSGR is excited to share our newest addition to our Digital Imaging Lab. Thanks to a generous grant from the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, we recently purchased a Nikon D850 DSLR Camera, a copy stand with …
Read More »New Acquisition in AHSGR’s Collection
The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia has received a new artifact for our collection. DeEtta (Huck) Merritt Vrana donated a crocheted bedspread made by her aunt Katie Marquardt in 1941 as a wedding …
Read More »New Exhibit at the AHSGR Heritage Center
Underwear Blanket: German-Russian Resourcefulness
In 1944, the Short Manufacturing Co. opened in the Haymarket District. This men’s underwear factory employed several German-Russians in Lincoln, NE.
Marie Rudolph Hegel and her niece Susan Rudolph Stoehr worked at this …
Read More »New Recipe from AHSGR
This month’s recipe is one with a long history and tradition. It comes to us by way of Sam Brungardt of Minnesota.
Throughout the Russian Empire, people have been cooking with watermelon syrup or watermelon honey …
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