Catherine the Great recruited thousands of colonists “to populate her lower Volga River frontier with dependable permanent settlers who not only would bring stability to this lawless; underdeveloped; and uncharted region; but also would reclaim the vast wasteland thereâ€â€”an area larger than the state of Maryland. This recruitment program ended in 1766; after drawing a majority of the colonists (about 30;000) from west central Germany; particularly the Hessian states.Since 1874 many inhabitants of this overpopulated land island between Saratov and Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) have emigrated to the Western world—to homesteads from the plains of western Canada to the pampas of Argentina; but chiefly in the U.S. By 1920 more than 300;000 Volga Germans were counted in the U.S.; mostly in the private states but including 24;000 in the East and 30;000 on the West Coast. Meanwhile; the number of German-derived residents of the Soviet Union exceeded two million—the original Evangelical and Roman Catholic settlers having flourished; despite adversity; and having been joined by Mennonites in 1854.The author paints a vivid picture of the pioneering activities of the Germans on the Volga; meeting the challenges of a hostile environment and raids by brigands; and keeping their culture alive through an elaborate system of parochial schools.A century ago population pressure forced many Volga Germans westward to the Americas; or eastward to Turkestan and Siberia somewhat later. Although Lenin established a Volga German Autonomous Republic; Stalin abolished it in 1941 during the Nazi invasion and deported its population to Siberia and Central Asia. A 1964 Soviet decree retracted wholesale charges of disloyalty against the Volga Germans but denied restoration of their Republic.The story of the Volga Germans and their adventures in North and South America from 1874 to the present is a warm and vibrant one. Both laymen and scholars will find it rewarding.
#1012431 in Books 2015-10-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .60 x 6.00l; 1.00 #File Name: 0268026211240 pages
Review
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. What drove Gregory the Great? According to George Demacopoulos; asceticism.By C. C. I. FennJohn Calvin called him "the last good pope" in his Institutes. This book takes an interesting look at Gregory the Great; a man who lived during a time of great chaos and transition. In this work; Demacopoulos argues that Gregory can only be properly understood by keeping his others-focused asceticism in mind. Since this is the first book that I've read about the 'First Man of Rome'; I don't have much to compare it to but I do feel like I have a much better understanding of who he was and what drove him. Although there's plenty about Gregory that I have issue with (for example; the value he placed on relics); there is also a great deal that I admire (his focus on humility in leadership). Since this is a book that deals in large part with Gregory's motivations; it leaves out some important parts of Gregory's story. For instance; not much is said about the reforms he tried to implement in the area of worship. From what I understand; that was a pretty important part of his work (His name has given us the term 'Gregorian Chant'). Nevertheless; this is a good read though a little specialized and would probably be better as a follow-up to a more generalized biography on the man and his times.
