Allen Konrad's Files

Many thanks to Allen for not only the years of research he has done, but his willingness to share with the German-Russian community. Much of his work, including many of the links below, is now housed at the Black Sea German Research website.

About Allen:

"I was born on a farm in Pomona View Township, LaMoure County, near Kulm, North Dakota in 1939. My paternal (KONRAD, MOGCK) and maternal (SCHULDHEISZ, KOSANKE) ancestors came from Paris, Klöstitz and Alt-Postal, Bessarabia. In 1959, I married Mary Lu Patton. Her maternal ancestors (GALL, GRAMITA) came from Rohrbach and Worms, Beresan District. We have three children and 18 grandchildren. I was ordained into the Christian ministry in 1966 and served within The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as missionary to Ghana, Liberia, Botswana and South Africa for about 20 years. I also served as parish pastor in North American congregations in Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. In the 1980s, I put in over 500 hours as a licensed single engine private pilot. When called to serve in the Kalahari Desert, I put that hobby to rest. My wife and I entered retirement in 2003 and are living in Eastern Iowa. Now my primary hobbies are carpentry, genealogy research and turning German documents into English for the benefit of others. My German-speaking upbringing allows for a feel of the language, but after years away from North Dakota German speakers, to do translating I find comfort in the well-worn dictionary at my side."

Culture & Heritage

Back to the German Baptism Names - This document deals with the lament that Germans are not using recognized German names for the baptism of their children. The author follows his article with an alphabetical list of recognized German Baptism Names.
The Kaschuben - A study of who the Kaschubisch people are and where they originally came from.
Some Funny Experiences from the German Colonies from DAI Film #599 - Recollections by Miss A. Schrein, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor who served in South Russia.
A Century of German Colonist Settlement Progress from DAI Film #599 - A comparison of the ease with which the third generation of Germans from Bessarabia fared over against some of the difficulties faced by the first settlers.
Story: A Severe Threat from DAI Film #599 - Boys get into a fight at the swimming hole on the hot prairie in Bessarabia.
Story: First Year in the New Homeland from DAI Film #599 - What it was like when the first German settlers arrived in Sarata, Bessarabia in the early 1800s.
How We Obtained Membership from DAI Film #599 - What the boys of confirmation age had to experience in order to become ringers of the church bell.
Story: It's Burning! from DAI Film #599 - An insight as to how fires in a village are handled.
Journey to Odessa and Set-backs of Some Emigrants from DAI Film #599 - Speaks about the hardship, illness and death that people experienced as they migrated down the Danube River from Ulm, Germany to Odessa, Russia.
Church Year in the Lutheran Church - Shows the Festival and Non-Festival names of the Church Year, lists Easter dates from 1777-2020, shows how Julian and Gregorian calendars differ, and indicates some web-sites to see about calendar data and conversion.
Church and Religious Life of Germans in Russia - Translation from "Heimatbuch der Deutschen aus Russland: Die Kirchen und das Religiöse Leben der Russlanddeutschen" (Jahrbuch 1969-1972)
Christmas and New Year Customs and Practices from Sarata, Bessarabia from DAI Film #317
Egg Gathering - An Easter Game from DAI Film #317
Story - Legend of Pomane Well from DAI Film #599
Story - Legend of the Big Hill from DAI Film #599 - A story about spirits moving across the hills near Brienne, Bessarabia, during the night.
Story - Lost Blood from DAI Film #599 - A concern about people of German heritage losing that heritage by becoming disassociated with other Germans.
Wedding Celebration in Sarata, Bessarabia from DAI Film #317
Youth Free Time in Friedenstal, Bessarabia from DAI Film #317
Kulm (Bessarabia) Community Homeland Book - English translation of "Heimatbuch der Gemeinde Kulm", H.G. Gachet & Company, Langen Bez. Frankfurt/Main.
- Pages 5-33 - founding of village, Tarutino parish report, church & school life
- Pages 34-58 - bios on key people, health care, craftsmen, youth
- Pages 59-95 - military service, agriculture, livestock, Oak Forest of Kulm, fishing, hunting, money, women's activities, weddings, Easter, snowstorms
- Pages 96-124 - various events in Kulm, Kulm Hermit, resettlement and the Flight in Jan. 1945
- Pages 125-154 - life in Kulm, list of emigrants
- Pages 155-197 - List of those resettled from Kulm in 1940
Folklore Collection of Maraslienfeld Resettlers from DAI Film #606 - About the life of German Maraslienfeld, Akkerman District, Bessarabia. Concerning the land, neighbors, clothing, farm life, religion, societies, customs, practices, superstitions, songs, riddles and proverbs.
Extract from the Sword & Pen from DAI Film #623 - A short summary by Rudolf Stratz of his grandfather Sebastian Stratz's emigration about 1857 from the Wildgutach Valley of the Black Forest to the Odessa, Bessarabia areas.

Berdjansk

Berdjansk Colonies Births & Deaths 1822 from DAI Film #606 - 15 names with date of birth, data & place of death.
Germans Living in Berdjansk by Sea of Azov from DAI Film #606 - With the dates & place of birth.

Beresan District

Lorenz Reichert Family Questionnaires from DAI Film #599 - The Lorenz and Monika (nee Kupper) Reichert family of Landau and Sulz.
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-159 - Reports, family lists, mutual consent documents 1826-1833
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-171 - Reports, passports and travel documents in 1819
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-256a - Reports, household lists, instructions, lists of arrivals, vital statistics 1819-1830
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-303 - Reports
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-311 - Financial pages and Orphan Funds
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-395 - Reports
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-500 - Lists of names and reports
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-527 - Travel documents
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-528 - Reports, written authority, death certificates 1822

Bessarabia

Diagram - Farmstead Residence and Barn [ ] from DAI Film #599 (Frame 5387033) - A floor-plan of a farm residence and compartments within a barn.
Occupation Statistics in German Settlements in Bessarabia DAI Film #317 - List of German settlements in Bessarabia ca. 1940, kinds of occupations in each village and how many involved in that kind of work. The chart also lists age distribution for each village, but this has not been transcribed here.
Settlement in Germany from DAI Film #317 - Identifies the three areas in Germany where the Bessarabian people were settled and shows the percentage of occupations represented by those settled in Warthegau.
Landed Property Economic Situation of Germans in Bessarabia in 1939 from DAI Film #317 - A 6 page document which identifies the ratio of landed property owned by German heritage people in mother colonies, daughter colonies, leased land and hectare communities, and those living in urban centers.
German Hectare Communities in Bessarabia 1940 from DAI Film #317 - Explains how hectare communities came into existence in 1920 and lists the names of both the pure German and the mix nationality hectare communities that developed up to 1940.
Bessarabian German Population Statistics 1827-1938 from DAI Film #317 - Lists birth and death rates in various government jurisdictions, regions, and some specific cities, among different occupations, between Lutherans and Catholics, and includes a document on student distribution in elementary, secondary and teacher training schools.
Bessarabia Before, During and After the German Settlements (12.6 mb Powerpoint presentation form 2010 Germans From Russia Heritage Society Convention) - Text to Powerpoint presentation
Parapara Farmyard Sketch [ ] from DAI Microfilm #318 - Sketch of the Robert Keller farmyard in the Bessarabian village of Parapara around 1940.

Church Records

Kloestitz Personnel Book 1847 - Kloestitz Lutheran church records. Revision of version published in the Feb. 1988 Heritage Review

Resettlement History & Records

Resettlement Chronicle of Hoffnungsfeld, Bessarabia from DAI Film #599 - An account by G. Wernik, residing in the German territory of Posen/Wartheland, three months after the Resettlement in 1940, of what the people from Hoffnungsfeld, Bessarabia experienced in the last few months leading up to their resettlement from Bessarabia to Germany during World War II.
Statistics on Bessarabian Villages during WW2 from DAI Film #598 - An alphabetical list of villages from various parts of Bessarabia with brief notes on date established, number of souls, ethnic heritage, property ratio, vocational classification, cultivation, reading habits, etc.
Organizational Structure of Bessarabian Resettlement from DAI Microfilm #318 - This 12 page documents deals with the structure organized by the Reich to carry out the registration and resettlement of ethnic Germans living in Bessarabia in 1940.
Resettlement Minutes of 1940 [ ] from DAI Film #317
List of Germans Living in Bessarabia at Resettlement from DAI Film #317
Evacuation from Bessarabia and Bukovina in 1940 from DAI Film #317 - Ninety-five pages of documents dealing with the planning for an evacuation, land and water routes to be taken, number of people to be relocated, logistics in accomplishing the evacuation, and more.
Resettlement Transit Camps in the Reich from DAI Film #320
Resettlement Centers in Bessarabia-Bukovina-Dobrudscha from DAI Film #320
Proposed Distribution of German Resettlers from Bessarabia and Bukovina from DAI Film #320
Estimate of German Resettlers from Bessarabia and Bukovina from DAI Film #320
Bessarabian Resettlement - Propaganda and Reports from DAI Film #321 The material covers a period from the end of 1938 to 1942
List of those resettled from Kulm, Bessarabia in 1940
Letter from Johann Karl Krause of Tarutino, Bessarabia from DAI Film #599
Transit Resettlement Camps in Württemberg/Hohenzollern from DAI Film #599
Names of Transit Resettlement Camp Commanders, December 1940 from DAI Film #599
Regions in the Reich Containing Transit Resettlement Camps from DAI Film #599
Bessarabian Germans in Transit Resettlement Camps from DAI Film #599
Age Distribution of Germans in Bessarabia as of 1940 from DAI Film #317
Bessarabia-Bukovina Germans Resettled in Europe [ ] from DAI #317 - This document deals with the places in Bessarabia and Bukovina where ethnic Germans were gathered for the Resettlement of 1940, how many persons were processed, and where they were relocated to in Germany's homeland.
Composite of Dialects Spoken by Bessarabian Germans from DAI Film # 317 - A list of German villages in Bessarabia where the Swabian Dialect, the Low German Dialect, or a Mixture of Dialects were spoken.
Distribution of Resettlement Numbers from DAI Film #317 - In order for people to be allowed to participate in the 1940 Resettlement movement out of Bessarabia and Bukovina, every man, woman and child had to have a number assigned to them upon registration. A person's number was usually attached to the outer garment so it would be visible to the authorities.
Distribution of Resettlement Numbers - Individual Villages from DAI Film #317 - With a sequence of numbers distributed to the various districts in Bessarabia to assist in the processing of people agreeing to participate in the Resettlement in 1940, this document deals with how many numbers were handed out to individuals in the various villages of a given district.
German Professionals in Bessarabia in 1939 from DAI Film #317 - This document is a 1939 list of doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, teachers, certified agriculturalists, economists, industrialists, clergy, and architects that served in Bessarabia. It also indicates where they worked, where they did their studies and what languages, other than German, that they were conversant in.
Industries of the Germans in Bessarabia from DAI Film #317 - This document lists the types of businesses and their proprietors in the German settlements in Bessarabia just prior to the Resettlement of 1940.
Land Acreage Statistics for Bessarabian Villages in 1940 from DAI Film #317 - This document contains a list of 73 ethnic German villages in Bessarabia, showing total hectares in farmland, vineyards, and other land as conditions stood in 1940.
Leaders of the Bessarabia Administrative Region from DAI Film #317 - The National Socialist Party of Germany, prior to the Resettlement of ethnic Germans from Bessarabia in 1940, had structured itself in such a manner that various parts of Europe were divided into spheres of interest to the party and the military. This document is a list of personnel serving in the Bessarabia Administrative Region.
List of German Communities in Bessarabia from DAI Film #317 - This original 8 page document contains the names of Bessarabian villages occupied by ethnic Germans shortly before the 1940 Resettlement, the name of each village's postal center, what administrative district the villages were located in, the year each village was established, the number of Germans living in a village, the number of non-Germans living in the village, and how many hectares of land in that community was occupied/used by the Germans.
List of Schabo Colony _ Posad Folks Eligible for Resettlement from DAI #317 - A list of persons of the Schabo settlements on the southeast section of Bessarabia, by the Black Sea, originally settled in 1822 by folks from Switzerland, who were to be considered eligible for the Resettlement of 1940.
Mixed Marriage Registrations in Kischinev from DAI Film #317 - A list of the names of those people of mixed marriage who participated in the 1940 Resettlement in the Ki-1 portion of the Kischinev transportation evacuation, their ethnic heritage, what their religious affiliation was, and other remarks.
Mixed Marriages in Bessarabia Villages from DAI Film #317 - This document contains a list of 536 married couples living in various villages in Bessarabia near to the time of the 1940 Resettlement. Their marriages are considered "mixed" because one spouse may not be of German heritage.
Reich Germans Living in Bessarabia from DAI Film #317 - This original 3 page document contains the names of Reich Germans living in various Bessarabian villages before the 1940 Resettlement, along with their ages and occupations.
Residents in Balabanka, Bessarabia in 1940 from DAI Film #317 - A list of married couples living in Balabanka, Bessarabia prior to the Resettlement in 1940, sometimes listing number of children and their age range.
Residents in Kantemir, Bessarabia in 1940 from DAI Film #317 - A list of married couples living in Kantemir, Bessarabia prior to the Resettlement in 1940, sometimes listing number of children and their age range.
Residents in Neu-Brienne, Bessarabia in 1940 from DAI Film #317 - A list of married couples living in Neu-Brienne prior to the Resettlement in 1940, sometimes listing number of children and their age range.
Statistics on Bessarabian Villages' Inhabitants and Wealth 1940 from DAI Film #317 - This document contains a list of 77 ethnic German villages in Bessarabia, the number of inhabitants in each village and the total Romanian Lei value of property owned by each community in the Spring of 1940.
The Nation of Germans in Romania Diagram [ ] from DAI Film #317 - The National Socialist Party of Germany, prior to the Resettlement of ethnic Germans from Bessarabia in 1940, had structured itself in such a manner that various parts of Europe were divided into spheres of interest to the party and the military. This document is a diagram, reproduced below in an 11"x17" tabloid format, of how that structure was put into practice for the region of Romania.
Divisions Within Bessarabian Districts and Regional Zones for Resettlement Purposes - With a sequence of numbers distributed to the various districts in Bessarabia to assist in the processing of people agreeing to participate in the Resettlement in 1940, this document identifies the code ascribed to each zone within a given district, the German and Romanian name of the zone village and the number of ethnic Germans in each zone.
Ethnic Germans of Tarutino not joining the Resettlement of 1940 - A list of 13 persons from the village of Tarutino, Bessarabia who did not register for the 1940 Resettlement, stating their ages and reasons for not evacuating.
Locations and Number of Ethnic Germans in Regional Zones for 1940 Resettlement - This document identifies the code ascribed to each regional zone in Bessarabia for the 1940 Resettlement of ethnic Germans. The places within each zone are identified along with the number of ethnic Germans living in each village.
Bessarabian German Population Statistics 1827-1938 DAI Film #317 Lists birth and death rates in various government jurisdictions, regions, and some specific cities, among different occupations, between Lutherans and Catholics, and includes a document on student distribution in elementary, secondary and teacher training schools.
German Hectare Communities in Bessarabia 1940 DAI Film #317 Explains how hectare communities came into existence in 1920 and lists the names of both the pure German and the mix nationality hectare communities that developed up to 1940.
List of Hectare Communities in Bessarabia 1940 DAI Film #317 A list in 1940 of 47 Hectare Communities in Bessarabia indicating district located in, date founded, number of residents, and number of German property owners in each community.

Family-specific information

Benkendorf Colony Souls 1870 from DAI Film #623 - A list of 38 households in Benkendorf Colony, Akkermann District, Bessarabia
Bessarabian Birth and Death Affidavits from DAI Film #608 - 4 names included; Bodamer, Krause, Laeger, Vesper.
Family Names from Questionnaires from DAI Film #606 - 53 individuals from the families of Boehme, Gloeckler, Hahn, Kirsch, Kitzler, Kraft, Kurtz, Kurz, Reinhardt, Rommel & Sommer.
Family Tree Questionnaires from DAI Film #317 - List of 788 names with dates and places of birth.
German Families in Neu-Strymba Kischinev Parish 1938 from DAI Film #598
Letter from Plotzk, Bessarabia 1841 from DAI Film #599 - A letter by Mr. and Mrs. Friedrich Schlechter about the 1840 trip from Württemberg to Russia, via Warsaw, and what life was like once they arrived in Bessarabia.
Lichtental Resettlers in Early 1800s from DAI Film #607 - Listing settlers who came first to Sarata or Gnadental and then resettled in Lichtental
Names of Professionals 1939 from DAI Film #317 - List of 94 people, town of residence and type of profession

Village-specific information

Arzis Colony Letter, 29 August 1818 from DAI Film #624 - From early settlers describing conditions since their emigration from Poland. Names include Drews, Griep, Hasp (?), Kluken, Koehntopff, Lenz, Mantey, Mellentin, Schultz, Tim, Voltz, Wakehut.
German Bessarabian Villages and Year Established from DAI Film #598 - Villages established between 1814 and 1929.
Hoffnungsfeld, Bessarabia Letter, 11 June 1938 from DAI Film #624 - Letter describes life in the village and family names include Dürr, Herbeg, Lehmann, Rath, Reich, Richter and Tschritter.
Letter from Katzbach, Bessarabia - 1816 from DAI Film #624 - Concerns life in Katzbach. Names of Beierback, Beutler, Finkbeiner, Grosshans, Guebler, Kromer, Mueller, Schlenker, Wittibachlaeger, Rauser, Velter.
Land Ownership in Bessarabia from DAI Film #598 - Lists districts, villages, farmers owning land, farmers without land, and farm laborers.
Neu Posttal Village Chronicle from DAI Film #608 - History of the founding of Neu Posttal in Akkermann District of Bessarabia including extracts of village events beginning in 1864.
Occupations Age Gender Distribution in Various Bessarabian Towns from DAI Film #598 - Statistics from about 1937-1940.
Statistics on Bessarabian Villages during World War II from DAI Film #598 - A brief profile on 133 villages in Bessarabia.
Mathildendorf, Bessarabia from DAI Microfilm #318 - Determining the founding ancestors of the folks from Mathildendorf and Neu-Mathildendorf while in the Auspitz Transition Camp during the Bessarabian Resettlement of 1940.

Bessarabia Village Plat Maps

DAI Microfilm T-81, #318 contains 104 sketches of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Dobrudscha village plat maps. They were drawn by people who had been evacuated from these areas during the Resettlement in 1940. Some are simple drawings showing rectangles for yards and the name of the head of household in the box while others show a village sketch where farmyard lots are identified, the number that was assigned to each, who occupied them, names of streets, roads leading to neighboring villages, indicating where rivers ran, the location of village streams and wells, cemeteries, churches, other public buildings, etc. Other maps will be added as they become available and are not from this DAI microfilm.

About This Village Plat Project

Fuerstenfeld I Plat 8666
Fuerstenfeld I Residents

Fundu-Sarazika Plat 8334
Fundu-Sarazika Residents

Hoffnungsfeld Plat 8278 [ ]
Hoffnungsfeld Residents [ ]

Jargara Plat 8373
Jargara Residents

Plat Map of Kulm, extracted from the book: Heimatbuch der Gemeinde Kulm

Luxemburg I Plat 8304
Luxemburg I Residents

Parapara Plat 8336
Parapara Residents

Bukovina

Village-specific information

Bukovina Village Names 1937 from DAI Film #318
Bukovina Village Statistics 1937 from DAI Film #318 - Shows villages, district, number of inhabitants, and inhabitants' religion
Farmyard in Southeran Bukovina [ ] from DAI Film #318 - A farmyard sketch by Wille Dürner of a German Farmyard in Southern Bukovina
Southern Bukovina German Villages - 1940 from DAI Film #318 - A list of villages in Southern Bukovina which had ethnic Germans living in them at the time of the Resettlement of 1940.

Village Plat Maps - Bukovina

Village Plat Map taken from DAI Microfilm T-81, #318
Eisenau Plat 8400a [ ]
Eisenau Plat 8400b [ ]
Eisenau Plat 8406 [ ]
Eisenau Plat 8407 [ ]
Eisenau Residents [ ]

Resettlement Records

Caucasus

Family-specific information

Family Registers from Katharinenfeld, Georgia, Caucasus from DAI Film #624 - Families of Johannes and Sarah Remp Speiser, Jakob and Anna Max Wiedmeier, Daniel Wiedmeier.

Village-specific information

Elisabethtal, Georgia and its Residents - Alphabetical Listing of Elisabethtal, Georgia (South Caucasus) Residents, place where they came from, vital statistics and information of some individuals. Also a list of the pastors who served the community.
Power of Attorney Index – Georgia 1820-1825 - List of Württemberg colonists in Russia, the handing over of letters and full power of attorney of Württemberg colonists in Georgia.
Elisabeththal Church Building from DAI Microfilm #599 - Pastor M. Fr. Schrenk comments on the construction of a new church building in the village of Elisabeththal, which was located in the Caucasus region of Georgia.
Bolshevik Destruction of Gnadenburg in the Caucasus from DAI Film #598 - A verbal report about farmer Speimann as told by Oskar Franz Schardt. Published in the evening supplement of the "Stuttgart NS-Kurier" on 23 November 1936.
Jekaterinodar Parish from DAI Microfilm #599 - Pastor Joh. Kludt’s wife reflecting on the work of her husband in Jekaterinodar, an Evangelical (Lutheran) village in the North Caucasus, also known by the German name of Gnadau, in the Kuban River District, established in 1871, and some activities of the Ladies’ Society of the parish.
Katharinenfeld Colony Memories from DAI Microfilm #599 - What the Katharinenfeld Colony experienced during the Turkish-Russian War of 1877.
Neudorf School Dedication from DAI Microfilm #599 - Pastor M. Fr. Schrenk comments on the school building in the village of Neudorf, located in the Caucasus region of Georgia, that was dedicated in October of 1889.

Chortiza

Family-specific information

Marriages in Various Villages of Rayon Chortitza from DAI Film #607 - Marriages in the villages of Alexejewka. Augustinowka, Belenjkoje, Bucharowka, Invalidenheim b. Lukaschewka, Ivangorod, Kujliesch, Lowchos Belenjkoye, Lowchos Lissa-Gora b. Belenjkoje, Marjewka, Otradnoje, Pechotinskoje, Portmaschewa, Pricoaljnoje, Rasumowka, Wessoloje.

Village-specific information

German Settlements in the Chortitza District from DAI Film #607 - 1942 report concerning the 19 German settlements on the west side of the Dnjepr, Dnjepropetrowsk General Region.

Crimea

Family-specific information

Brief History of Andreas Demmler from DAI Film #599 - Summary report. His family history in the Volga and the Crimea, the severe famine of mid-1930s and the advance of the German Army.

Dobrudscha

Chronicle of the Village of Caratai, Dobrudscha from DAI Film #318 - A brief account of how ethnic Germans happened to settle in the village of Caratai/Nisipari, located in the Romanian region of Dobrudscha.

Resettlement records

Resettlement Centers in Bessarabia-Bukovina-Dobrudscha
Regions in the Reich with Transit Resettlement Camps
Chronicle of the Village of Caratai, Dobrudscha from DAI Film #318 - A brief account of how ethnic Germans happened to settle in the village of Caratai/Nisipari, located in the Romanian region of Dobrudscha.

Village Plat Maps - Dobrudscha

Village Plat Maps taken from DAI Microfilm T-81, #318

Horoslar Plat 8398b
Horoslar Residents

Grossliebental District

Family-specific information

Grossliebental Deaths in Aug. and Sep. 1919 Insurrection from DAI Film #623 - A list of 36 men killed in Grossliebenthal, Kherson District insurrection.
Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-158 [ ] at Grossliebenthal January 1819

Village-specific information

Letter from Kleinliebenthal-1807 from DAI Film #599 - Kleinliebenthal colonist trying to encourage friends back in his old homeland to come to Russia by revealing to them how good his new land has been to him. Kleinliebenthal located in Großliebenthal District—Kherson/Odessa and established in 1804.

Kherson

Village-specific information

Residents in Six Lutheran Parishes from DAI Microfilm #599 - Lutheran Pastor Martin Friedrich Schrenk served the Glückstal/Odessa Parish 1880—1902 and the Grossliebental/Odessa Parish 1904-1908. Without any explanation, this document appears to be an attempt on the part of Anna, daughter of Pastor Schrenk, to list from memory individuals in the villages of Glückstal, Grossliebental, Hoffnungstal, Bergdorf, Neudorf, Kassel and Berlin where her father once served.
25th Anniversary of Pastor Schrenk’s Ministry from DAI Film #599 - A report by Pastor Birnbach on the celebration in Glückstal, Kherson/Odessa which honored Pastor Martin Friedrich Schrenk on his 25 years in ministry.
A Confirmation in South Russia from DAI Film #599 - A young man attends his confirmation rite in spite of the possibility that he could lose his job.
Biographical Report on Pastor Johannes Alber from DAI Film #599 - Lutheran Pastor Johannes Alber (1845-1932), born in Nikolayev and served in Worms and Grossliebental, Kherson/Odessa.
Experience in a Lutheran Parsonage from DAI Film #599 - A report by the daughter of a pastor who experienced the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution and World War 2 while living in the colonies of Hoffnungstal and Glückstal in Kherson/Odessa.
Sexton-Teacher Weiss and District Secretary Holzwarth from DAI Film #599 - A tribute for the services rendered to the Glückstal community by sexton-teacher Christian Weiss and district secretary Johannes Holzwarth.
German Settlements in Kherson Province in 1916 from DAI Film #606 - Russian farm count of 1916, published by the District Administration of Kherson Province.
Hoffnungstal Colony – An Historical Overview from DAI Film #599 - A brief history of Hoffnungstal Colony, established in 1819, located northwest of Odessa, in the Glückstal Province of the Kherson Jurisdiction.
Kherson Archival Material on Germans in Russia from DAI Film #606 - List of files and Revision Lists pertaining to the Germans, located by DAI staff workers in 1943 at the Kherson Archives.
Pastor M.F. Schrenk in Glückstal – 1880 from DAI Film #599 - A pastor’s perspective on the conditions he finds himself called to as spiritual leader in the huge Lutheran Parish in the Kherson Jurisdiction villages around Glückstal and Neudorf. Previously, he had served in Elisabethtal, Georgia, in the Caucasus.

Kutschurgan

Village-specific information

Index Welfare Committee file 252-1-277 Reports and voting lists of the Kutschurgan District 1820-1821

Mennonites

Family-specific information

Memories of Molotschna Colonies from DAI Film #599 - Memories of the Molotschna Mennonite colonies, in the Jekaterinoslaw Jurisdiction, as recorded by the wife of Pastor Kludt.
Map of Molotschna Mennonite Colonies [ ] from DAI Film #599 (Frame 5386468) - as drawn by Hippenmeyer in 1852.
Mennonites Emigrating from Prussia to Chortitza 1818 from DAI Film #606 - List of names, ages and place of residence.
Mennonites Emigrating from Prussia to Chortitza 1818b [ ] from DAI Film #623 - Some of the same information as DAI Film #606
Mennonites in Gouv. Jekaterinoslaw Revision List 1795 from DAI Film #606 - Revision list of 1795; Colonists who arrived on 1 August 1789 and also in 1792. Gives age and place of residence.

Village-specific information

Mennonite Villages in Russia from DAI Film #606, #607, #608 - Listing of Mennonite villages (some including their Russian names), districts in which they were located, name of village responsible for new settlement starts.
Mennonite Settlements in Melitopol and Mariupol Districts from DAI Film #606 - German Military Affairs document of 1941 dealing with the area of Kriwoi-Rog, Saporoshje, Dnjepropetrowsk, in the District of Melitopol and in the District of Mariupol including a brief historical sketch of these Mennonite areas.
Mennonites in Europe, North & South America from DAI Film #606 - Information about Mennonite migration to the Americas, dates when settlements were founded and number of inhabitants.

Taurida

Kaisertal-Taurida Lutheran Community 1832-1913 from DAI Film #599 - In commemoration of it's 75 years of existence (1832-1913), Pastor J. Stach, together with others from the community, put together a 33 page document commemorating the history of the Evangelical Lutheran community of Kaisertal in the Eugenfeld Volost, Melitopol District of the Taurida Gouvernement.
Memories from Molotschna from DAI Film #599 - Recollections by the wife of Lutheran Pastor Joh. Kludt of services rendered in the Prischib Parish in Molotschna/Taurida by a pastor’s daughter who came to be known as Aunt Blank.
Mrs. Rike Flemmer of Glückstal from DAI Film #599 - An account of a woman who used her self-education knowledge of medicine to gave medical assistance to her community.
Murder of Pastor Paul Christian Baumann from DAI Film #599 - An account of how a pastor and his family were murdered in the area of Prischib, Molotschna/Taurida just prior to the Russian Revolution in 1905.

Volhynia

Village-specific information

Life in the German Villages around Shitomir, Volhynia from DAI Film #599 - DAI assistant's report about ethnic Germans in the area around Shitomir, Volhynia, life on collective farms, school, the years of famine and banishment, and the arrival of the German troops in World War II.
German Colonies Identified by Military Chaplain from DAI Film #606 - Identifies up to 40 German colonies within the Volhynia area occupied by the Army 1941
Inhabitants of Pulin Rayon from DAI Film #606 - Total number of various ethnic inhabitants within 41 villages in the Pulin Rayon of Volhynia.

Other areas of old Imperial Russia

Family-specific information

Germans Living in Rayon Chorol in Don Kossack Region from DAI Film #606 - List of names, date & place born
Germans Living in Rayon Kamenka 1941 [ ] from DAI Film #606 - List of names, date & place born.
Germans Living in Rayon Prokrowskoje-Jekaterinoslaw from DAI Film #606 - List of names, date & place born
Karl and Wilhelmine Knaut Death Certificate from DAI Film #624 - Couple died at Libau, Latvia, a seaport city.
Kaisertal Settlers of 1838 from DAI Film #599 - List of families who settled Kaisertal Colony in 1838, located in Taurida Gouv., Melitopal District, Eugenfeld Wolost. Extracted from a 75th Jubilee document of 34 pages.
Civilian Prisoners in Sselo Petrowkoje, Orenburg Province 1915 from DAI Film #606 - This region is east of the Volga River, by the Ural River, and was once populated by Mennonites from the Molotschna area although this particular document includes only Catholics, Evangelicals, Lutherans and Reformed of German and Austrian descent.

Village-specific information

Belowesch Parish from DAI Microfilm #599 - Pastor Johann Kludt’s wife giving a brief overview of the Belowesh Lutheran Parish in the Chernigov Gubernia of Russia.
German Settlements in the Dnjepropetrowsk General Region from DAI Film #607 - 1942 report concerning the 10 German settlements in the Districts of Dnjepropetrowsk, Petrikowka, and Werchnje-Dnjeprowsk, in the Dnjepropetrowsk General Region.
German Settlements in the Korosten District from DAI Film #607 - 1942 report concerning the 32 German settlements in the Korosten District, Shitomir General Region, including the Germans in the scattered settlements and Ukrainain small-market town of Goroschki and Korosten.
German Settlements in the Kriwoj-Rog District from DAI Film #607 - 1942 report concerning the 11 German settlements in the District of Kriwoj-Rog, including the scattered Germans in the surrounding Ukrainain villages and Apostolowo.
German Settlements in the Kronau-Orloff District from DAI Film #607 - 1942 report concerning the 26 German settlements of Kronau-Orloff (now Marienburg) District on the Ingulets River, south of Kriwoj-Rog near the Molotschna River.
Ethnic German Settlement at Nestelejewka from DAI Film #606 - A letter from a German soldier on the Eastern Front in 1942 about the Lutheran village of Nestelejewka, near Losowaja/Charkow Province.
Rynowka Parish from DAI Microfilm #599 - Pastor Johann Kludt’s wife reflecting on the work of her husband in Rynowka, an Evangelical (Lutheran) village in the Don District of Russian.

Deutsche Auslands Institut (DAI) Microfilms

These microfilms contain copies of documents captured from Germany by the U.S. after WWII. Many of the documents include information about our ancestors in Russia and during their resettlement back to Germany. Some of these documents are translated and available at this site. Other documents included in the indexes can be viewed on microfilm at the GRHS Library in Bismarck, ND. If you can't visit Bismarck, ND our headquarters personnel can provide copies.

DAI Film #317 - Index - Documents dealing with transporting resettlers out of Bessarabia & Bukovina in 1940, German/Soviet negotiations for removal of settlers, statistics on inhabitants in various villages, family tree documents
DAI Film #318 – Index - Maps of Bessarabia & Romania, village plat maps, Bukovina District statistics, reports on Bukovina & Bessarabian people and villages, camp commander's diary, family tree questionnaires
DAI Film #320 - Index - List of resettlement camps, correspondence with camp leaders, reports on evacuation from Bessarabia
DAI Film #321 - Index - Continuation of Film #320, correspondence and reports dealing with resettlement, statistics on Bessarabian villages
DAI Film #324 - Index - News items about resettlers, propaganda literatures, articles about Galician & Volhynian German resettlement, pictures
DAI Film #598 - Index and introduction [ ] - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #599 - Index and introduction - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #606 - Index and introduction - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #607 - Index and introduction - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #608 - Index and introduction - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #623 - Index and introduction - Introduction includes a summary of the information included in each folder on this film
DAI Film #624 - Index

Welfare Committee records from Odessa Archive, Fond 252

Documents dealing with passports, character reference for travelers, voting lists, financial reports and Orphan Fund information of the Beresan District in South Russia. The microfilm indexed is located in the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) library in Lincoln, NE.

Overview of contents of Fond #252
Index of file 252-1-158
(Reports on individuals filed at Grossliebenthal in January 1819. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-159
(Reports, family lists, mutual consent documents of the Beresan District 1826-1833. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-171
(Reports, passports and travel documents of the Beresan District in 1819. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-256a
(Reports, household lists, instructions, lists of arrivals, vital statistics, sworn oaths of the Beresan District 1819-1830. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-277
(Reports and voting lists of the Kutschurgan District 1820-1821. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-303
(Reports from the Beresan District. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-311
(Financial pages and Orphan Funds of the Beresan District. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-395
(Reports from the Beresan District. Majority in Cyrillic.)
Index of file 252-1-500
(Lists of names and reports from Beresan District. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-525
(Cyrillic documents dated 1829)
Index of file 252-1-527
(Travel documents from the Beresan District. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)
Index of file 252-1-528
(Reports, written authority, death certificates from Beresan District about 1822. A mix of German and Cyrillic documents.)

Germany

Resettlement History & Records

Family-specific information

Johann and Ursula Werner Family Tree from DAI Film #598 - Beginning in the 1600s in the Schorndorf, Giengen, Ludwigsburg area in Württemberg with Johann Georg and Ursula (geb. Kuenkel) Woerner/Werner.
Werner Family Tree (more info) from DAI Film #599 - Johann Georg & Ursula (nee Kunkel) Woerner/Werner family information dealing with church and civil records for the period from 1634 to 1799 of the German towns of Ludwigsburg & Schorndorf (north of Stuttgart) and Giengen on the Brenz River (northeast of Ulm).
Werner Family Baptisms at Schorndorf from DAI Film #598 - Names from Schorndorf, Württemberg area in 1600-1700s.
Request to Emigrate from Hamm/Worms District, Germany about 1840 from DAI Film #623 - Letter to Russian Emissary at Stuttgart in 1841 with request for approval for 11 families from Hamm/Hesse to go to Russia.
Family Tree of Johannes Hammer from DAI Film #624 - Born 26 Oct 1783 at Allmersbach, Württemberg; several notations about moving to Poland.
Nuertingen, Württemberg Release for Emigration from DAI Film #624 - Names and villages of 30 persons released for emigration, by permission from the emperor, through Oberamt Nuertingen, Württemberg.
Potential Emigrants from Württemberg from DAI Film #624 - List of 297 people, places of residence, number in party who received permission in 1816 & 1817 to emigrate by authorities of the Kingdom of Württemberg.
Reasons for Emigrating from Germany to Russia 1818-1820 from DAI Film #599 - This document deals with the names of 17 persons and their reasons given for wanting to leave Oberamt Waiblingen and Vaihingen, Wuerttemberg and go to the Caucasus and Georgia in 1818-1820. It also contains reasons given by others for leaving West Prussia, Danzig, Marienwerder and Flatow in 1875-1880.

Prussia

Pomeranian Colonies and Colonists - 1754 from DAI Film #317 - This document provides a list of Pomeranian colonies and the names of the colonists who were settled there by Prussia’s King Friedrich II, “the Great”, in the years 1747-1754, the main period of Pomeranian colonization. It is a document that can give valuable family research information since most church books do not go back that far.

North America

Town History Books

Churches

Intro to Four County Project

Dickey County, ND

Dickey Co. church photos
Dickey Co. church info & photos
Dickey Co. church histories Includes locations, contact information, histories of some churches

LaMoure County, ND

LaMoure Co. church photos
LaMoure Co. church info & photos
LaMoure Co. church histories Includes locations, contact information, histories of some churches
LaMoure Co. Marriage Records 1883-1926 (extracted from county courthouse) (posted Nov. 2008)
LaMoure Co. Marriage Records 1883-1926 Alphabetized by Groom Surname
LaMoure Co. Marriage Records 1883-1926 Alphabetized by Bride Maiden Name
For information from the following Church Records, contact Allen E. Konrad [onamission1939@gmail.com].

Kulm: Congregational Church
Kulm: St. Paul Lutheran Church
Kulm: Zion Lutheran

Logan County, ND

Logan Co. church photos
Logan Co. church info & photos
Logan Co. church histories Includes locations, contact information, histories of some churches
For information from the following Church Records, contact Allen E. Konrad [onamission1939@gmail.com]

Congregational Churches: Emmanuel/Immanuel; Fredonia-Nazareth; Friedensthal-St. Johannes; Long Lake-SD; Salem; Worms
Lutheran Churches: Bethany; Coldwater-St. Paul; Coldwater-Zion I (Bertsch); Danzig-Christus; Dreieinigkeit (Trinity); Emmaus (Ley); Friedens (Peace); Hoffnungs (Hope); Marienberg; St. Jakobus (St. James); St. Johannes (St. John’s); St. Lukas (St. Luke’s); Venturia-St. Paulus (St. Paul); St. Peter; Venturia-Zion; Zion II (Biederstadt)

McIntosh County, ND

McIntosh Co. church photos
McIntosh Co. church info & photos
McIntosh Co. church histories Includes locations, contact information, histories of some churches
For information from the following Church Records, contact Allen E. Konrad [onamission1939@gmail.com]

Evangelical: Bethesda
Lutheran Churches: Bethany; Coldwater-St. Paul; Coldwater-Zion I (Bertsch); Danzig-Christus; Dreieinigkeit (Trinity); Emmaus (Ley); Friedens (Peace); Hoffnungs (Hope); Marienberg; St. Jakobus (St. James); St. Johannes (St. John’s); St. Lukas (St. Luke’s); Venturia-St. Paulus (St. Paul); St. Peter; Venturia-Zion; Zion II (Biederstadt)

Cemeteries

Dickey County, ND

Dickey Co. cemetery photos
Dickey Co. cemeteries with photos
Dickey Co. cemeteries [ ] (revised Jul. 2009)
Includes locations, GPS, info on where records are kept, some names of persons buried, no photos

LaMoure County, ND

LaMoure Co. cemetery photos
LaMoure Co. cemeteries with photos
LaMoure Co. cemeteries [ ] ( revised Jul 2009)
Includes locations, GPS, info on where records are kept, some names of persons buried, no photos
Burial Permits Filed at LaMoure County 1925-1970 (posted Jul 2010; revised Aug 2011)
The first burial permit in the LaMoure Co. Courthouse is dated 1925. This 53-page document includes over 2,570 names. Along with the name, it includes a date of birth or age at time of death, the place of death, where buried, and date of burial. Cause of death has been excluded from this document for personal privacy reasons. Due to the page size of this document, the last column of information has also been excluded. This column shows those burial permits which noted the birth-place of the deceased, the names of parents or next of kin, whether the body was cremated or stored for burial at a later date, or the grave location in the cemetery where the body was buried.

Logan County, ND

Logan Co. cemetery photos
Logan Co. cemeteries with photos
Logan Co. cemeteries [ ] (revised Jul. 2009)
Includes locations, GPS, info on where records are kept, some names of persons buried, no photos

McIntosh County, ND

McIntosh Co. cemetery photos
McIntosh Co. cemeteries with photos [ ] (posted Nov. 2008)
McIntosh Co. cemeteries [ ] (revised Nov. 2012)
Includes locations, GPS, info on where records are kept, some names of persons buried, no photos

South America

Village-specific information

Mennonites in Europe, North & South America - Information about Mennonite migration to the Americas, dates when settlements were founded and number of inhabitants.