Central States Volga Relief Society Refugee Camp List: 8 Sept 1922 #1
January 27, 2012
Thanks to Dennis Zitterkopf
Die Welt-Post: Where Are The Following Volga Germans?
January 27, 2012Page 5, Die Welt-Post, Thursday, March 13, 1924 (Translated courtesy Hugh Lichtenwald)
Where Are The Following Volga Germans?
The refugees in the Homecoming Camp Frankfurt a. O. in Germany urgently asked me when I left to do everything I could to obtain the addresses of some relatives and friends for them. With this I do so and cordially ask all compatriots in America, if they know anything about the whereabouts of the below named persons, to send this to me at the address: Dr. Rothermel c/o Mr. David Lindsay, White Star Line, One Broadway, New York City.
I seek:
Georg Honecker from Marienberg, earlier living in Denver, Colo.; Johannes Distel and Johannes Pascal from Seelmann; Heinrich Schoenmaier from Rosenfeld; R. Kinderknecht, living earlier in Kansas; Johannes Mitzig and Margar. Diener from Goebel; Jakob Weingardt from Rommel; Johannes Peter Graf, Adam Molenthor, Adam Schmidt, Joseph Schaefer, Georg Heinrich from Josepstahl; David and Karl Kraus and Reinwald Graf from Hussenbach; Heinrich Goldman from Krasny Kut; Johannes Keil from Philippsfeld; Gustav Koehler from Boaro; Wilhelm Langenhagen from South Russia; Konrad Heinz, Georg Luchthold, David and Wilhelm Romhard from Neu-Hussenbach; Friedrich Wilhelm Keil ad Mrs. Maria Schilling from Hussenbach; Johannes Bauer and Konrad Brester from Neu-Norka; Jakob and Heinrich Schneidmueller from Hussenbach; Jakob Herrmann and Georg Herrmann from Hussenbach (these last should be living in Canada); Andreas Mueller (brother-in-law of Rudolf Lorfink) from Volhynia; Heinrich Lutz from Langenfeld, Georg Lutz from Eckheim; Franz and Anton Glasmann, Johannes Schmidt, Franz Schreiner from Rohleder; Reinhardt and David Graeb, Peter and Karl Seib, all from Kraft; Peter Gasner (Canada) from Brabander; Johann Philipp Kramer from Warenburg; Heinrich Brehm from Warenburg; Teacher Johannes Elenberger from Brunnenthal; Aloisius Lauer from Rothammel; Gustav, Emil, Rudolf, Berta Heyn, sought by Mrs. Ottilie Rose, nee Heyn.
In addition I ask the following Volga Germans to send me their correct addresses so that I can send them important letters which were returned as undeliverable:
John Eckhardt (Camper Man), Johannes Buchner (Marya, Kansas), Johannes Storm (Kansas City, 1968 Stewart R. ?), Karl Graf (Kansas City?), earlier a confidant in Frankfurt.
Dr. Rothermel
Escape from Brunnental
May 31, 2010ESCAPE FROM BRUNNENTAL — 1921/1922 —-As published in the Summer 1994 Issue of the Frank/Brunnental Village Newsletter For more information, contact Sherrie (Gettman) Stahl, 4189 NW Spoon Pl, Portland OR 97229 USA / Email: sherriestahl@comcast.net / Updated 3/2006
Several accounts have been written about the escapes from Brunnental during the early 1920′s. These have appeared in several issues of the AHSGR Journal (Spring ’82, Summer ’82 and Fall ’82). In these articles, the author, Adam Giesinger, gives us an excellent account of the history leading up to this exodus and tells us what was going on in the Volga colonies at this time. I would like to use direct quotes from his articles to give you a little history about that time period. Then we will bring to you several personal accounts from 3 different families, describing what it was like during that era in Brunnental and personal memories of their escapes from Russia.
But first, a little history according to Adam Giesinger: “During the years 1918-1920 the Bolshevik (Communist) regime, which had seized power in Russia in November 1917, was locked in a desperate struggle with the so-called “White” armies, led by former generals of the old regime. To feed its soldiers and its working class supporters in the cities, the “Red” government resorted to ruthless requisitioning of grain and livestock from the peasants, depriving them of nearly all reserves of food. When a crop failure hit the Volga region in 1920, there were immediate food shortages and soon widespread famine. The Volga farmers, both German and Russian, blamed the Red regime and its local collaborators, and in the spring of 1921 rose in armed insurrection against them. By this time all German villages had some Communists among their own people, mainly such as had been poor before the revolution and now saw hopes of bettering themselves. Won over by Red propaganda, they collaborated with the regime against their better-off-brothers, which led to bitter feuding within the villages and eventually to unbelievable cruelties on both sides.”
Then in another story Adam Geisinger goes on to say:
“An important factor in causing the flight of many German families was a traveling revolutionary tribunal which visited their villages in the early summer of 1921. The purpose of this special court was to mete out punishment to those suspected of having participated in or sympathized with the uprising against Communist rule in the Volga region during March and April 1921.”
“The uprising was a reaction against the violent requisitioning of grain and livestock in the preceding months, which left many families destitute and facing death by starvation. Both German colonists and their Russian neighbors rose up against the oppressors, the Communist officials and their local stooges, and killed many of them….eventually the Red Guard were sent in to suppress the insurrection.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Photo of the Wiesenmuller Refugees at Frankfurt on the Oder
May 31, 2010Found at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeruslannachrichten/WFrankfurtonOder.htm
a good article by by Betty Miley Ashley:
This photograph was given to me in 1982 by Lydia Pinnecker Schmidt of Fresno, CA. I began visiting Lydia in the early 1980’s to learn about the people of the birthplace of my mother, Molly Schafer Miley. Lydia knew I would appreciate the picture of her and her fellow travelers. It became the center of an interesting search which shall be explained below.
Adam Pinnecker, Lydia’s father, was a friend of my grandfather, Georg Schafer, of Rocky Ford, CO. Adam’s sister, Mary Katherine Dahmer, lived in Rocky Ford. Her daughter, Molly Dahmer, married my mother’s brother, Fred Schafer of Rocky Ford.
Lydia told me the names of all the people pictured. She knew where most of them had lived immediately following the migration to America. She did not know the fate of the Webers who probably remained in Germany. Mr. Weber lost his wife on the way to Germany. Mrs. Weber, pictured, was a second wife. According to the Frankfurt on Oder refugee list, Mr. Weber was traveling with a son. Read the rest of this entry »
Refugee Camp Frankfurt a. O.- Das Wolga Journal May 1929
October 15, 2009Refugee Camp Frankfurt a. O.
Dr. Rothermel, Chicago
From: Das Wolga Journal, Volume 3, No.4, May 1929
Translation courtesy Hugh Lichtenwald
(7. Continued)
For various reasons, over which the author has no control, this essay had to be interrupted for quite some time. Continuations will once again appear regularly. I come now to speak of one of the most important mechanisms of the camp:
The Volga German Bureau
Immediately following the arrival of the large group of Volga German refugees at the camp, it became necessary to create an organization to coordinate all the complicated aspects of camp life. Medical preparations had been made but there emerged various other questions that the Camp Administration could not solve on its own, which urgently required solutions. Above all, it was necessary to determine exactly how many refugees had arrived, their names, whether protestant or catholic, married or unmarried, etc., etc. The Volga German Society in Berlin asked me to take this problem in hand and accomplish the task. Pastor Friedrich Muth assisted us at the start with his organizational talent and after some “back and forth” I found the men who were to support me in my work. I ask the readers to look at the attached photo.
Frankfurt a.d. Oder: Das Wolga Journal, April 1928
October 15, 2009Frankfurt a.d. Oder
by Dr. Rothermel
From: Das Wolga Journal, April 1928
Translation courtesy Hugh Lichtenwald
The other report comes from Titus, the brother of Mr. Sallet who publishes the “Dakota Free Press.” Titus had, through the “Press,” collected money for the camp refugees and he reported on its distribution in the March 5th edition under the title: “Titus among the Refugees at the Frankfurt Camp.” Some portions are reprinted herein: After his discussion with Pastor Altenhausen and his visit with Mother Leimann, he continued:
”Dr. Rothermel, the Camp Physician.”
“Wherever I went with Dr. Rothermel, in the hospital, in the orphanage, all eyes turned to him expectantly and hopefully as he passed among them comforting, advising, encouraging, joking and amusing each patient. Every patient was addressed, the young ones as well as the adults, the sick, even the seriously ill children were compassionately caressed and the hard-hearted made to smile happily, and he questioned a sick Russian woman clearly and pleasantly in her native tongue. This I have seen only once before in my long life, as you Neu-Ulmers see daily with your physician, Dr. L. A. Fritsche–human beings at the peak of humanity.”
Refugee Camp Frankfurt on the Oder: Das Wolga Journal, Dec 1927
October 15, 2009Refugee Camp Frankfurt on the Oder.
by Dr. Rothermel
From: Das Wolga Journal No. 8, Dec. 1927
Translation courtesy Hugh Lichtenwald
In short words, rapidly and energetically, he gave his instructions, then he was once again outside and I accompanied him on his rounds.
“You have come straight into a witch’s cauldron,” he told me. “The most important questions of the refugees are evenly distributed among these points: Clothing, work, Emigration and the dismantling of the welfare service organization. The relief Doctors, the greater portion of the Sisters and Camp employees have been dismissed. The government must balance its expenditures by making drastic cuts. And then there is unemployment, frankly, the people have had almost all opportunity and desire for work forced out of them. Recently an order came from the government commissioner that everyone who finds work, even if only temporary work, is to have their Camp Identification Card and Food Card taken away. These people will receive no more food and are also not allowed to reside in the camp any longer, and they are not allowed to return in the future. Now-a-days we experience the case where some of the Volga Germans who have found good jobs in the neighborhood are being displaced by Polish workers. As they are not “Reichsdeutsche” (Native born) they receive no government support. They would be starving in the streets in a few days, if…” the Doctor suddenly became quiet as an excited, violently gesticulating man approached us.
Medical Statistics Report from the Heimkehrlager Frankfurt/Oder
October 15, 2009Medical Statistics Report from Heimkehrlager Frankfurt a.O.
By Dr. of Medicine V. Rothermal, Camp Physician
Continuation
From: Deutches Leben aus Russland (Berlin) , No. 2, Feb. 1924
Translation courtesy Hugh Lichtenwald
(Continued)
We now examine diagram 3: Illnesses by age group. The cases of illnesses among those10-20 years old (330 cases) and among those e 20-30 years old (210 cases) immediately catches our eye, more so since the majority of illnesses are usually associated with infants. Here however, the Volga Germans are affected in their prime. The Flu and above all, Spotted Fever are responsible for this skew in the statistics. It must be considered that the Volga Germans of the youth and adult generations that have recently arrived in Germany had suffered the strains of the journey and had fallen victim to them. This exception is valid for those up to the age of 40. Details follow:
