[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Trolling the Web treasures

[Richard Benert]

Thanks to Helen for news about these sources.

The Matthai work is interesting for its espousal of German colonization in Russia--if carried out carefully by the state, not by private entrepreneurs (as in Volhynia!)--in the face of much Russian criticism of German colonists (see Dietmar Neutatz, The “German Question”).  

On pp. 46-7 he offers some interesting views of “south Germans” and “north Germans,” their differences and how they got along with each other in Russia.  South Germans (from Württemberg, the Palatinate, Saxony, etc) or, in general, “Schwaben,” are described as self-contained, stable, proud of their heritage in Württemberg (which they called “Das Reich”), reliable, honest,  pleasant, but also extravagant, vague and inflexible.  Nevertheless, they have an abundance of Gemütlichkeit. 

The north Germans (mostly from Prussia, Mecklenberg and other areas) were incorrectly called “Kaschuben”  (a topic of emotional interest to Ewald Wuschke, if anyone remembers). They spoke a low German dialect (unlike north Germans). They were more flexible, adaptable, easier to approach and come to an understanding with.  But they have very little Gemütlichkeit (!) and are somewhat lacking in a sense of cleanliness and order.

When the two lived together, the south Germans had the upper hand.  North German children learned the Swabian language more readily than the reverse, and north Germans generally tacitly accepted the primacy of the south Germans.

Matthai was a member of the Imperial Free Economic Society and the Gardening Society of St. Petersburg, but also an officer in the Royal Saxon ArmyI  All are mentioned under his name on the title page.

Question:  was he right about the character of north and south Germans?

Dick Benert



-----Original Message----- 
From: Helen Gillespie 
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 8:16 AM 
To: SGGEE 
Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Trolling the Web treasures 

To the List:

A book about Germans in America ca. 1901:

Chicago und sein Deutschtum  (Chicago and its Germans) published 1901
- half the book has bios of German people - index from page
https://archive.org/details/chicagoundseinde00germ

Maybe you'll find an ancestor....



Some more Archive.org treasures!

*Die deutschen ansiedlungen in Russland *(The German Settlements in
Russia)  authored by *Friedrich Mattai* *in 1866 *(probably published just
as more Germans were moving to Russia!) and published in Leipzig has also
been digitized.  The Wolhynian section is from pages 54-55 (using the
bottom line). (p. 34-36 in the actual text)/  As the entire book is
digitised, including the cover and inside flaps, the pagination isn't the
same.  *The text is in Fraktur. *   I am curious about the "Kolonie
Namenlos" which has 39 people.  It means "a nameless colony".  Would be
interesting to know if it ever was given a name.  It has close to 400
pages, but  provides some great insight into how our ancestors lived.  But
it is a slog to read....

This is the title page
https://archive.org/stream/diedeutschenans00mattgoog#page/n7/mode/1up

The book is divided into 2 sections:  the first includes the St. Petersburg
and Moscow Consistories - history, parishes, the different colonies in
these areas.  The other consistories are also covered. The list of some of
the St. Petersburg settlements/villages cite the numbers of residents and
school age children - sadly no names - but it would give you an idea of the
size of the village and the numbers of inhabitants as of this date.

https://archive.org/stream/diedeutschenans00mattgoog#page/n54/mode/2up

Section 2 has 5 chapters - the first covers the lives of the Germans in
their colonies: farming, homes, industry, school, church; the second covers
the future of the colonies in the various regions of Russia; the 3rd, the
practical implementation of immigration to these colonies, choosing land,
planning, etc.; the 4th on immigration of workers; the 5th on private land
and Pachtland (long term lease) acquisition.



Am not sure I sent this previously - also from the Archive.org digitized
collections
Die Ostprovinzen des alten Polenreichs (Lithauen u. Weissruthenien, die
Landschaft Chelm - Ostgalizien - die Ukraina)
by Wasilewski, Leon, 1870-1936
https://archive.org/details/dieostprovinzend00wasiuoft

<https://archive.org/stream/diedeutschenans00mattgoog#page/n54/mode/2up>

Found this newer book which may be of interest to those whose ancestors
went to the American West.  Perhaps a copy is avlb by interlibrary loan
from a US library.

Originally written as a Master's Thesis in German in 1997 as
*Deutsche in Russland und Russlanddeutsche in den USA (1871-1928) : die
politische, sozio-ökonomische und ... in den Jahren 1763 bis 1862
(Stuttgart, 1974), einer eigenen Jurisdiktion der künftigen deutschen
Siedlungen in Rußland.*

It's been translated!

*From the Russian Empire to the American West: Germans in Russia and
Russian-Germans in the US, 1871-1928*
Author  Susanne Janssen
<https://www.google.ca/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Susanne+Janssen%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=2>
Translated by Jessica Heilman
Publisher  Monterey Institute of International Studies  2002
Length  86 pages



Happy hunting/reading,

Helen Gillespie
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