50th International Convention of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

This year the 50th AHSGR International Convention (The Golden Jubilee) will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the Association's headquarters are located. A letter from Dodie Rotherham, the current president, related to this event was published in the Winter edition of the Newsletter, which all active members have received.

Understanding that this message is important to reach all those who are not yet members of the Society, and with the approval of the author and the publications committee of the AHSGR, we reproduce that letter here.

AHSGR President’s Message

Our 50Th anniversary convention is rapidly approaching and your society is working diligently to make this “Golden Anniversary” a memorable event. To that end, numerous speakers, both nationally and internationally known, will be presenters. A great selection of tours (some to the previous German Russian settlements, or “bottoms” as they were known, and their German churches), as well as food demonstrations, already are confirmed. An exciting day at the headquarters with fun and interesting learning opportunities is planned along with a fantastic Friday night dance and festivities showcasing the great River Boys band.

The “Golden Anniversary” is a celebration of our society – YOU the members and all our many supporters, volunteers and donors – are the many very important people essential to the well-being of our Society. The convention is really a “must attend” for all those who have researched or are researching their family history, writing their stories, or who have purchased, collected, translated or shared important records and historical information. The convention is for those who love history, who love their culture and want to preserve it. Those who strive to remember the enormous sacrifices and struggles our people endured to establish a better life for us, their descendants, will not want to miss this important and memorable convention.

It is also a recognition and a time to honor our founding members, the fantastic, erudite people who envisioned the dream and followed it through to the founding of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. While preparing to write this message, I wanted to be sure my information was factual so I reread Adam Geisinger’s “A History Based on Documents in the Society Files.” Perhaps many do not know the actual beginning of our society, the concept for the organization or the people who had a dream, a concept for an organization to preserve our heritage.

Although the society was incorporated Dec. 20, 1968, the society was well under way and organizing in 1966 and 1967. There were many debates as to the first, original organizational date (is that surprising?) but suffice it to say April 20, 1967 perhaps is one of the most important dates. Mr. William F. Urbach of Hamden, Conn., was researching and writing about his German Russian heritage well before 1967 when Theodore Wenzlaff, another GR descendant, living in Sutton, Neb., wrote to Urbach to purchase Urbach’s book, “Our Parents were Russian Germans.”

Not only did he want to purchase two books, he, as any good German Russian, provided a constructive critique prior to purchase. This critique and letter began a frequent exchange of letters and information which later, after many starts, stops and twists along the way, led to the foundation of today’s society.

In one of his letters to Wenzlaff, Urbach wanted an opinion regarding Dr. Hatti Plum Williams’s dream as discussed with Urbach several years earlier. “She envisioned an organization of the Russian Germans in this country, with a Board of Trustees, or whatever the head of the group might be called ... to preserve the history of the Russian Germans and their achievements.”

Urbach felt this idea needed to be pursued but being so far from Lincoln made it impossible to “give it a personal push … The trouble is finding someone interested enough, young enough and willing to devote considerable time to the project.” (That sounds familiar!)

In October 1967 Urbach suggested Joseph S. Height might be the right person to take on this new idea of an organization. Height had translated Dr. Karl Stumpp’s book “Die Ruslanddeutschen” “and had responded positively to an approach from Wenzlaff. ... what is needed is a centralized Research Institute where available material could be studied, translated and exchanged.”

The theme of the centralized organization covering all Germans from Russia, not just Volga Germans as Height had proposed, was to dominate the discussions between these three men for several months, sometimes acrimoniously as Height’s suggestion of an “association of scholars in the field of German Russian history … comprised of scholars ... through a cooperative effort to compile a bibliography of the Russian German materials to be found in libraries and related institutions.” And then in a letter of November 1967 he wrote, “I don’t believe it would be feasible to establish a central repository… A bibliography could easily be mimeographed, and copies sent to all members … to exchange ideas, help proof-read material and offer constructive criticism and perhaps publish a semiannual bulletin.” Correspondence with Dr. Height seemed to be minimal after his November letter.

Wenzlaff clearly opposed an organization of just scholars and Urbach agreed. They were set on keeping Dr. Williams’s dream of a central repository and organization. Urbach wrote, “I feel that the appeal to the ordinary intellectual Russian German descendant’s respect for the accomplishments of his forefathers in their struggle against repression and disappointments is also valuable; and the relating of the persons and incidents which brought these people into fulfillment of their higher aspirations is a worthy contribution. My own book was intended to do this … .”

May 15, 1968, at the Urbach apartment, now in Windsor Gardens, Denver, Colo., Mr. and Mrs. David J. Miller and Mr. and Mrs. John Wemer met to continue the pursuit of an organization. No decision was made but from this time onward, David J Miller played a leading role in promoting the formation of a society.

By this time, discussions had been held with such notable people in the German Russian Community as Dr. Karl Stumpp and Arthur Flegel, both of whom were to become solid supporters, charter members and driving forces within the organization. Early on, Urbach and Wenzlaff corresponded with Dr. Stumpp in Germany and began to raise money to help him continue his work that led to publication of his now well-known book “The Emigration from Germany to Russia in the years 1793-1862.” (To my surprise, while I was writing this article, Arthur Flegel’s son, John, his grandson Nick and Nick’s wife, Elizabeth, visited the Society in Lincoln and presented numerous items from Arthur’ personal collection. In the treasure trove was a letter dated June 25, 1968, to Arthur from David J. Miller!)

Sept 8, 1968, in Winsor Gardens, Colo., was an “organizational meeting.” David J. Miller was intent on a “formal legal organization as a prerequisite ... to create an organization of the descendants of Germans from Russia.” The gathering people would “consider articles of incorporation, by-laws, selection of a name and create subcommittees.” It would be a non-profit organization and would require an annual membership fee and a central repository for the collection of information and artifacts of our people.

However, the group was hung up on what to name the organization as there was a lot of resistance to the word Russian. Sept. 24, 1968, Emma Schwabenland Haynes wrote to the committee, “for what it’s worth I’d vote for Historical Society of Germans from Russia and if not too cumbersome, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.” And so the organization was ready for incorporation.

Always central to the discussion was the need for a central repository.

Of course, the story continues as the new organization did not have a repository for all the books, records and artifacts until 1983. However, we will save that for another newsletter.

You are probably wondering where I am going with this history lesson. It’s simple: I want you to know the dream is moving forward and being fulfilled. I want all to know our society history, why we have a repository, a library, a museum in Lincoln, Neb. It is the originators/ founders dream that we collect, disseminate and preserve the history and culture of our people. The founders wanted a place where all materials, such as books, records, transcripts, translations work papers, journals and artifacts would be collected and housed -- available to all. The history tells the why, how and what we are about as well as encourages all members and friends to help us continue this important work, to help us tell our story and to never forget our families, our roots.

Your organization has work mightily to continue to fulfill the dream. Our village coordinators, unsung heroes of the organization, work diligently to gather shareable information for the villages, we have purchased and translated an unprecedented number of records, continue to gather and translate books and publish our journal and newsletter quarterly each year and hold an annual convention and annual meeting each year.

This is just a thumbnail list of the continuing work of AHSGR but all of us, you the members, the board, staff, volunteers, donors, friends, etc., are working to fulfill the dream and save our culture and history.

The Golden Anniversary Convention, July 22-27, 2019, at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln will be a celebration of our past, present and future – a celebration of you the society. You and all involved are the heart of the organization. All of us together make up the organization. All of us together make it possible to carry out the work of the organization. All of us together make it possible to honor our ancestors and our forefathers and carry out the mission of the society. In so doing you are a blessing and you bless your ancestors.

Dodie Rotherham