 In 1762 Catharine the Great invited German-speaking people (among others) to settle in Russia. Introduction
In 1762, Sophie Fredericke Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst, a German native of Stettin, displaced her husband Peter III and took the vacant Russian imperial throne, assuming the name of Catherine II. "Catherine the Great" published manifestos in 1762 and 1763 inviting Europeans, (except Jews) to immigrate and farm Russian lands while maintaining their language and culture. Germans responded in particularly large numbers due to poor conditions in their home regions. Germans continued to migrate into Russian territories after Catherine's death, sometimes at the invitation of other Czars. Other Germans, especially those in Volhynia, arrived because of the availability of cheap land.
This page introduces you to the records you can use to discover your German-speaking ancestors who moved from German kingdoms and principalities, Alsace-Lorraine, Russian Poland, Switzerland, or Austria-Hungary to the Russian Empire and later from there to the New World. It describes the content, use, and availability of major genealogical records. Use these as suggestions to set meaningful goals and to select the records that will help you achieve your research goals.
Neither Germans who stayed in the Russia/Ukraine area, nor Germans who settled along the edges of the Russian Empire in places like Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia or the Baltic States are the focus of this portal. However, the strategies and records described here often help find such ancestors as well.
Generally, you must know the specific town in Russia or Ukraine where your ancestor was born before beginning research for Germans in Russia or Ukraine. This information is most often found in United States, Canada, or other New World sources.
You will need some basic understanding of genealogical research procedures. You may want to read the Wiki article Principles of Family History Research, or the booklet A Guide to Research (30971) which is also available at the Family History Library and at Family History Centers™.
Opportunities for genealogical research about Germans from Russia are sometimes limited because—
• Some records have been destroyed, lost, or moved to hard-to-locate, private collections.
• Some records are restricted from public use.
• Some records are hard to use or read.
• Some record keepers may be unable or or willing to search the records for you.
Despite these obstacles, there are other sources you can use to find ancestors who were Germans from Russia. This portal discusses those sources.|}
Featured Content
Village coordinators are individuals who coordinate the gathering of information and compiling of databases about the inhabitants of specific Germanic villages in Russia. You are encouraged to share your family information with the village coordinator for the village where your ancestor lived. You may also benefit from information already submitted by others. Read more...
Did you know?
Celebrities with Germans from Russia ancestors:
- Catharine the Great, Empress of Russia, who originally invited Germans to Russia was herself born in Prussia.
- John Denver (singer)
- Vladimir Lenin
Maryland counties
Click on a county to go to that county's page:
Extinct or Renamed Counties: Charles (old) | Durham | Patuxent | Worcester (old)
Things you can do
In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by:
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