A forgotten diaspora : The movement of Germans from Russia, 1763-1945
The Volga and Black Sea Germans were two distinct German colonial groups that inhabited Russian lands through the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. The fascination surrounding these Germans from Russia resulted in the creation of numerous historical societies throughout the United States to document and understand the historic significance surrounding their migration and subsequent immigration. Despite a significant amount of specialized research that exists surrounding the Russian-Germans, very few have tried to create a basic introduction to this migrant group. While the Volga Germans have received more historical recognition, the study of Black Sea Germans has been fixated on ethnic and genealogical research meant solely for their descendants. As a result, with the exception of these researchers and direct descendants, the Russian-Germans have become one of the least represented aspects of the German diaspora. However, the Black Sea and Volga Germans were vital to the regions they settled in regarding culture, agriculture, and genocidal tactics under the Nazi regime in Ukraine. Therefore, this research will act as a basic introduction to the Russian-German migration to Russian lands, as well as their subsequent immigration to the United States. This research will also explore the Russian-Germans as a transformative group for both Russia and the United States
Thesis, Dissertation, English, 2024
Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, 2024