The Czar’s Germans

This book by German-Russian historian Hattie Plum Williams (1878–1963) tells the story of the Volga Germans, beginning with the hardships in 18th-century Germany that drove so many to seek a new life in Russia. Williams brings to life the work of Russian agents recruiting settlers, the long and difficult trek into the heart of Russia, and the early struggles these families faced before finally building prosperous communities. She also shows how rising hostility eventually led to their decline, pushing many to leave once again—this time for America. In the United States, they endured the tough but hopeful years of carving out new lives on the frontier.