I love AHSGR! AHSGR has helped me find family members as well as connect with other descendants of the Germans from Russia. It provides records, resources, programs, and a talented, knowledgable staff to help people make connections to the Germans from Russia heritage.
I appreciate the contributions that many people have shared over the years so that I can learn about my ancestry.
What we knew of our German from Russia family story only went back to the early 1900’s. Important words that surfaced in the oral history were, famine, death, arrests, escapes, determination, and triumphs, all key words for me to find. I Joined AHSGR in 2018 as the path to reveal our story of the human experience in the context of history. What I found was an extraordinary journey thru AHSGR recourses and collections. I became a board member to give back what the organization has given our family.
I knew my ancestors were German but had lived in Russia for many years. No one in my family could tell me why they had left Germany for Russia, where they lived in Russia, and why they immigrated to the U.S. Then, I discovered the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR)!!! It has a fantastic, unique library of historical and genealogical information that helped me discover the details of my family's journey and I discovered the names of many other family members. The staff at the AHSGR museum and library in Lincoln NE is always at the ready to assist you in your journey of discovery. You can visit in person (always a fun thing to do) or peruse their resources online.
I have always been interested in the origins of my ancestors. My ancestors were Germans who settled along the Volga river in Russia and later migrated to the western plains of the United States. I was aware of AHSGR as the preeminent non-profit organization focused on Germans from Russia, but I did not get actively involved in the organization until I was nearing retirement. AHSGR has provided me the following:
1. AHSGR publications, library holdings, volunteers and staff helped me confirm the German Russian ancestors of both of my parents (all 8 great-grandparents were born in Russia and died in the United States).
2. Through this process, I connected with many wonderful individuals who shared this common ancestral and cultural background. Spending time with these individuals reminds me of being with my own extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.
3. I have gotten very involved in AHSGR, giving my time to help AHSGR provide programs and research services to other descendants of the Germans from Russia like me..
AHSGR plays a critical role in keeping the history of Germans from Russia alive for future generations.
AHSGR is a wonderful organization dedicated to preserving the history of Germans from Russia. It is very important to preserve the history and path of the hard working immigrants who helped settle many areas in the United States as well as areas in other countries around the world. AHSGR is a forward looking organization with a strong desire to effectively preserve, digitize, and share with the community the plethora of resources they hold in their archives. I am proud to support this organization.
I have been involved with AHSGR for over 25 years. I have met some of my best friends and brand-new relatives through this group. Thanks to AHSGR, I have tracked my family tree back to the late 1600s, a feat I thought impossible.
AHSGR resources and guidance are incredible. I have met cousins and other whose families who descend from my family's ancestral villages. The connections are there, and it's best to meet people, join in the Germans from Russia community, and build relationships to last a lifetime. Searching online is not always the best way to track your family tree.
The AHSGR library is a vast resource of information. Using the interlibrary loan, you have the culture, folklore, and history of the Germans from Russia at your fingertips. Better yet, if you visit the museum and library in Lincoln, Nebraska you can experience the culture first hand.
And, learning about your family history does not have to be stuffy or tedious. Based the items in the AHSGR store, and you will see from Camels to Ladles to Recipes, AHSGR knows how to celebrate German Russian history. Check it out at https://ahsgr.org/shop/.
If you have German from Russian ancestry, in the Volga, Black Sea, Volhynia or Mennonite background, join us to learn more!
I've donated & volunteered for AHSGR.
Benefits received:
1) Help with my family tree, discovering the Colony villages where my family lived in Imperial Russia 1760's-1870's and then going back even more generations to which towns they came from in Germany before the 1760's! Great research records makes this exciting!
2) Great gifts of books, Christmas ornaments, and kids newsletter to generate interest & pass our ancestors stories on to our next generations.
3) Members sharing on the new website, at annual conventions, local chapters, and the large dedicated board has allowed me to meet cousins and make friends across the US, Canada, and discover cousins in South America!
4) Bricks program at our Heritage Center and Library Museum campus will help me leave legacy memory of our grandpa and his ancestors names in the brick patio who courageously brought our family to America!
5) Annual International Conventions and live Zoom meeting events have been an opportunity for me to present and speak to share my experience, tools, knowledge, and stories with my cousins and other member families across North America.
RussArizona 09/11/2023
Thank you for your ongoing dedication, Anna! We greatly appreciate and celebrate you!