[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Deportations

[Richard Benert]

In addition to what Virginia and Jerry have written, I just want to note a
couple of things in your question, Delores.  Our discussion has concerned
deportations DURING WW I, not before that war.  The only exception that I know
of is Virginia's family which experienced it--apparently--in 1913.  I'm still
not sure about that one, but must accept it for want of contradictory evidence.

Virginia and Jerry have both indicated "things taking place" that might have
forced people to leave Volhynia before 1915.  I'm not sure about whether people
were actually expropriated before then, as Jerry suggests, but I'd be curious to
see evidence of it.  It is certain that the government tried very hard to
restrict the buying of land by German colonists, but this eased up after about
1900, although it began to be an issue again about 1910-13.  Other reasons for
leaving had to do with rents being raised by landlords, and, as in the case of
my dad, the desire to avoid being drafted.  Nor am I aware of a deportation in
1905, but again I'd be interested in evidence for it.  And although the language
issue did seemingly drive a lot of colonists (especially teachers) out of
Volhynia in the 1890s, I'm under the impression that after the 1905 revolution,
the government eased up quite a bit and allowed more scope for the use of German
in schools.  If anyone has evidence to the contrary, please advise.  Several
thousand Volhynian Germans left for the Baltic Provinces in the years after
1906, but that was propelled by the tantalizing offers of land and prosperity by
some enterprising Baltic barons.  But always in the background in these years
were the hate articles in the conservative nationalist newspapers which kept up
a drumbeat of dislike for these "traitors", these tools of the Kaiser, who
threatened Russia's security by settling along roads and rail lines in Volhynia.
Overall, this was probably the major issue, at least for people who were aware
of what was appearing in the papers.  I've gotten the sense that politically
aware people were developing quite a sense of dread in the years leading up to
the War.

The reference to "dirty bolsheviks" is interesting since the Bolsheviks really
had little effect on people before 1917, except, perhaps, to cause fear and
trembling of what they intended to do.  I'm not aware that they were active at
all in Volhynia, although I suppose there might have been a cell or two.  I may
be totally wrong, but it seems to me that the evil that the Bolsheviks did
(after 1917) had such a strong effect on some people that they began to loosely
apply the term to nasty officials of the Czarist government.  I've seen this
done in one of the personal accounts of the deportation, so your grandmother has
company here.

Virginia referred in her note to the "experts" on this list.  I'm not sure we
have any when it comes to history (as opposed to genealogy--and I tip my hat to
our genealogical experts).  I think we're all sufficiently in the dark about
what actually happened in Volhynia to warrant our shying away from any claim to
expertise.  Input from all quarters is needed and welcome, and that includes
questions of all kinds. We could also use a huge chunk of money to fund some
good research in the Volhynian and Kievan archives!

Dick Benert

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Delores Stevens" <deloresstevens at sasktel.net>
To: <ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Deportations


> I have been following  this topic with interest and see that it only refers
> to the deportations that took place prior to the first world war.  Were
> there things taking place that would have indicated conflict prior to that.
> My great grandmother came to Canada in 1896, but when talking with one of
> her grandchildren she always made reference to the "dirty bolshevics".  That
> is not in reference to anyone's nationality or to offend anyone.  I just
> wonder what would  be taking place in Volhynia in that time frame that would
> cause her to have such an opinion.
>
> Delores
>
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