Childhood Memories: Germans from Russia

Germans from Russia children growing up in rural South Dakota during the Great Depression were no strangers to hard work. When that one-room school house bell rang in the fall, it was like a vacation from the daily grind of farming. They knew that education was their ticket to a better life.
Production funding provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and by the members of Prairie Public.
About the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund
In 2008, Minnesota voters passed a landmark piece of legislation - the Minnesota Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment - which provided funding to public television stations serving audiences in Minnesota. Its mission is to help preserve and document the treasures of culture, history, and heritage that make Minnesota special, and to increase access to the natural and cultural resources we all share.

[@landan4924]

I am a Descendent of Germans from Russia raised in Texas..I spoke German before I was 5 yrs. and when I started school my Teachers thought I was stupid. I didn't say hardly anything, because I didn't understand what anyone said. By the time I reached the Second Grade, I started getting better at it. It wasn't until I reached the 5th Grade that I was able to halfway relate to outsiders. It seemed that I lived in the 19th century and the 20th century with one foot in each..

[@reubination]

I am from Saskatchewan, Canada. My Great Grandparents moved from Hamburg Germany to Caucasus, which we believe was Georgia. My father who passed in 2021 knew very little of his Grandparents. N My Grandfather was born in Russia in 1885, was enlisted as a 15 year old in the Russian army. He was scared and fled with a friend and somehow floated rivers until they came to Bukovina where he met Grandma. Anyways I have researched with no success of what may have happened to them. Grandpa never spoke another word after escaping military even living in Canada he was afraid they wound find him. Might you have any resources on German settlements or colonies in the Caucasus’?

[@ОльгаМин-п6е]

I am a German living in Russia. My ancestors lived in the Volga region. Also in the Crimea, the village of Gelbrun (they moved there from Molochna, Prishib). Now there is the question of moving to Germany. And we are again at a crossroads in life.

[@sandranatali1260]

I remember my mother talking some of the same things. My parents both Russia German, learned to speak English in school, then teaching their parents. My parents started working in the best fields at the age of 6. Myself and my siblings were never taught to speak German, because of the hate towards Germans at that time. My parents with only a 7th grade education, worked and achieved the American dream for all of our family. My father achieved many awards in the motion picture technology, with just a 7th grade education. God bless you Mom and Dad.

[@barbarahelwig9131]

I am a German from Russia growing up in Nebraska.......this is the way we grew up......we liked school because it was a vacation after working on the farm all summer. Our parents were for education so going to high school and college was encouraged. Almost all the kids from our little country school went on to obtain advanced schooling and left the farm.

[@Grubbs258]

My family's Germans from Russia and in Nebraska also live here

[@jacobr5934]

@@Grubbs258 Same here! German descent born in Saratov, Russia. Migrated to Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

[@Grubbs258]

@@jacobr5934 no way I live in gering lol

[@jacobr5934]

@@Grubbs258 Our families must have come over together! The R in my name stands for Rebuck. My great grandma (Pauline Thiel) was born in Scottsbluff. Her parents however (Johann/Fred Thiel & Amelia Koch) were both born in Saratov. My dad Stephen Rebuck grew up in Morrill. Do you know what year your ancestors came from Russia?

[@Grubbs258]

@@jacobr5934 right by Saratov called dietel last name is wagner/reichert and my grandma siad late 1800s early 1900s fled Russia

[@thestreamoflife1124]

We came from Transylvania Rumania. Germans... settled in Montreal. My Dad spoke French I am grateful forever that my parents took that journey

[@jarcha4200]

My great grandparents on my mother’s side were all Russian Germans from the Volga river region. My mother’s parents were both first generation born here in Wisconsin. I have such strong memories of childhood family gatherings and the music, singing and dancing.

[@leo-mf22]

My 3rd Great Grandfather and my 3rd Great Grandmother on my Father's side of the family were both born in Glückstal, Russia in 1871 and 1873. Both their families had lived there since 1840s as German Lutheran who settled in modern day Moldova and Russia. In 1930s and 1940s they immigrated to the USA, where I live today. 🇩🇪🇷🇺🇲🇩❤

[@doloresminogue3507]

Lineage came to North Dakota from Bessarabia Russia as immigrated Germans- going back further our lineage was in Luxembourg. So fascinating.

[@TheGabriel12341]

I'm not a descendant of Russian Germans, but my grandfather's cousins were of Russian German roots (my great grandmother side)... I studied all the roots of the family... They are pretty known actually, they were from the Black Sea (a Colony known as Worms in Kherson) they ended up in Nebraska's colony by the end of the 19th century... Some others came in the 20th century in bolshevism... (some were Russian Generals)... The surname is Ochsner...

[@thestreamoflife1124]

I can relate to it all ..... It shaped me who I am today and made me strong to help me survive many difficulties. I miss my family. They are all gone now

[@gaelmacpherson7392]

Loving the background tune - Yoville.

[@jeremystone4193]

Great post.

[@sergeieichmann2267]

Я поволжский немец. Я рад, что моя семья осталась в России. Мы прошли через все испытания истории. Сейчас мы живём в успешнной и свободной России

[@maxdoubled4800]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@zarz3049]

my family moved to the usa unfortunately

[@zarz3049]

my great grandma was volgo german but she moved to america

[@TheGlamoury]

Вы давно не поволжский немец… анализируя ваш комментарий заметно что советы промыли мозги и уничтожили вашу немецкую идентичность - изучайте историю своего народа Немцев Поволжья!!! Национальность не зависит от страны проживания, но в вашем случае будте русским… вам это больше идет!!!

[@aluminumucumber4281]

@@TheGlamoury Если его предки приехали из Германии в Россию при Екатерине 2, но из-за исторических или личных обстоятельств переселились в другие регионы России и республики СССР и даже перемешались с российскими народами. Сейчас он живет в России, возможно даже на Волге, и он все равно не поволжский немец? А вы чистый немец, и живете в Америке или в Германии и Вы считаете что Вы истинный поволжский немец? Где Вам промыли мозги? Вы говорите на платдойч? Невозможно быть русским немецкого происхождения?

[@funsweed]

That's where my parents came from , settled in northern Alberta ,homesteaders

[@goodtim9626]

Do you know the troudts?.

[@funsweed6067]

@@goodtim9626 No dont know the Troudts

[@goodtim9626]

@@funsweed6067 thanks anyways for the reply. I'm trying to find my lost family.

[@LewisC-t1f]

What did you do with the native Americans who were already there? Did you genocide them all?

[@stephansteinmuller3726]

I am russia German from Kasachstan, now I leave in Germany and I want to flight in North Dakota.

[@dougtheviking6503]

Steven the Dakotas are nothing but flat prairie Grasslands, cattle small Grains . Not much trees ect . The far Western parts of the states quite beautiful & scenic DAKOTAS NORTH & SOUTH .

[@Hjk-f9d]

Your memories are much better than those of Polish people. Millions disappeared in HOLOCAUST.

[@aluminumucumber4281]

*Children from modern Russia and children from this old newsreel look the same* So... Russia, Middle Volga, Togliatti city (population: 685,000; ethnic russians 91%), First Day of School 2024, Municipal Language Gymnasium 38 (English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese), song "Hello, School!", short clip *-dVM3Gp18pg* Welcome to Russia!