[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Land questions for Volhynia

[Jerry Frank]

Edith,

I don't know of any one good source of info that describes the land and ownership conditions.  As Dave indicated, there are good records available from 1860 in the Zhitomir archives but they require personal or hired research.  And of course there is nothing to address the situation between 1830 and 1860 when many Germans arrived.  No one has done a full all-round study of the issue.

A big part of the problem is that in areas to the south around the Black Sea, Germans settled in larger communities so land ownership was probably easier to trace.  In Volhynia, Germans were scattered about in over 1400 small villages which would make tracing ownership much more difficult.  They would have local contracts with original landowners but they might not all be registered with government offices.

There is no doubt that some clearing of land and swamps was required.  Difficult however to determine how much.  It would seem that the forested and swampy areas that do exist are not suited to cultivation.  I can say this with some confidence.  If you compare the 1900s era maps to modern satellite images, you will see that there is little change in the boundaries between cultivated and forested or swamp areas in the last 100 years.  We have no maps pre1860 but my guess is that the land recovered for cultivation in the next 40 years was not in huge amounts.  And of course it would be area dependent.  Some regions may have had more clearing required than other regions.


Jerry




----- Original Message -----
From: Edith McKelvy <edies_hook at msn.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 2:11 pm
Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Land questions for Volhynia
To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org

> Would appreciate any information from SGGEE members. 
>  Many thnx...Edith Rimple McKelvy     
> edies_hook at msn.com 
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gppr-bounces at grhs.org [mailto:gppr-bounces at grhs.org] On 
> Behalf Of
> James Gessele
> Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 10:31 AM
> To: 'Germans to Prussia-Poland to Russia'
> Subject: Re: [Gppr] FW: Land questions for Volhynia
> 
> Edith:
> 
> Your queries seem to indicate you have already looked at what 
> Adam Giesinger
> wrote on the subject in "From Catherine to Khrushchev," p. 79. I would
> recommend you contact Jerry Frank at FEEFHS. That organization 
> has provided
> a better home for Volhynian research than any other.
> 
> Jim Gessele
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Homer Rudolf [mailto:hrudolf at richmond.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:54 AM
> To: Edith McKelvy
> Subject: Re: [Gppr] Land questions for Volhynia
> 
> Good morning, Edith,
> 
> I'm sorry to say that I have done absolutely no research on the land
> holdings in Volhynia. Basically, all that I know is what you 
> have stated
> below.I'm not sure who to refer you to that could help you with your
> specific questions.
> 
> Homer
> 
> 
> > Good Morning Homer Rudolf!  Sorry that I was unable to 
> attend the 
> > recent GRHS convention.  Did you discuss land holding and 
> distribution 
> > in the VOLHYNIA area?  I understand that land in Volhynia 
> was obtained 
> > thru rental or private purchase from existing (Polish-Russian) 
> > landowners; there was no free land.
> >
> > My ancestors,  HAMMERMEISTER, SCHILLER, 
> RIMPEL   were in the
> > Zhitomir/Murawi
> > area approx. 1860-1900.  They may have lived in Kalish PO 
> area previously.
> > (See Odessa3 records)
> >
> > Can you provide a sweeping summary/generality of what they 
> might have 
> > found when they arrived in Volhynia?  How much land did 
> colonists 
> > purchase near these small villages, individually or as a 
> group?  Was 
> > the land already being cultivated, or did they need to clear 
> forests 
> > and drain swamps?
> > Did
> > they cluster/live in the villages or separately on their "acreage"?
> >
> > GRHS seldom addresses the Volhynian settlements, so I hope you 
> can 
> > direct me to some resources specific to this area.  Thank 
> you for any 
> > assistance.
> >
> > Edith Rimple McKelvy      
> edies_hook at msn.com> Silverdale WA
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
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