Josefstal – Skripalovo Russia

A German Village on the Volga

Welcome To This Site...

Josefstal, also known by its' Russian name of Skripalovo, was founded in the year 1852 by German colonists. It was located near the Volga River in the Tsarist Province of Saratov. The year 1941 saw the entire German population of this village and the other German colonies banished to Siberia. In 1963 Josefstal was destroyed, in keeping with the Soviet plan to abolish what they considered non-productive small villages.

July 2010
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Book of Remembrance: Josefstal Residents in Nizhny Tagil Labour Camp, Sverdlovsk Region

Posted By egerk on April 29, 2010

The fall of 1941 saw the expulsion of the Volga Germans to Siberia.  Made to fend for themselves in the coming winter in Siberia, many of them perished.  In 1942, all Volga German males were separated from their families and “drafted” into a “Worker’s Army”, located in special “work camps”.  These “work camps” were labour/concentration camps and the work was actually slave labour. (Women were placed in other camps)

Thousands upon thousands would perish.

Some books have been published through the years that document the people in the camps. These books, put together by such groups as “Memorial” do a great service in documenting the Communist crimes against various ethnic groups.

In this case, the book: Gedenkbuch: Gordoe terpen’e. Kniga pamiati sovetskikh nemtsev – uznikov Tagillaga. has also been published on a web site. That site is available, with search capabilities, here.

I’ve searched through and exerpted the names of 9 Josefstal residents that were housed in this labour camp.

This is dedicated to their memory!

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“Das Leben an der Wolga” Chronik der Kolonie Josefstal, Kanton Erlenbach

Posted By egerk on March 30, 2010

(From Volk auf dem Weg, Nr 3/ 2010)

Die 2009 erschienene Chronik der Wolgadeutschen Kolonie Josefstal ist eine wahre Fundgrube für unsere Ahnen- und Heimatforscher. Einer der beiden Autoren ist der Kanadier Edward Gerk. Von unseren amerikanischen Landsleuten wissen wir, dass sie sich stärker als Europäer mit der Ahnenforschung befassen. Hierzulande warden lieber die aktuellen Probleme der Volksgruppe hervorgehoben Dafür steht der Name des Herausgebers, Alexander-Josef Dreser, Auf’n Mühlenwiesen 4a, 59872 Meschede.

So ist auf 175 Seiten im Din-A4-Format eine interessante Mischung aus vielen Namen und einigen wichtigen Daten zur Geschichte der Deutschen in und aus Russland entstanden. Und ein schmuckes Buch obendrein, in gutem Deutsch, mit leicht lesbarer Schrift und vielen bemerkenswerten Schwarz-Weiß-Fotos.

Die zahlreichen Namenslisten umfassen u.a. die Vermögensverhältnisse, Berufe, Geburten, Eheschließungen und Todesdaten der ehemaligen Bewohner des wolgadeutschen Dorfes Josefstal von dessen Gründung 1852 bis zur Deportation seiner deutschen Bewohner 1941.

Das ist natürlich in erster Linie eine Quelle für die heute in der ganzen Welt verstreuten Familienforscher von Josefstal. Wie viele es davon noch gibt, weiß niemand. Wenn jemand aus der Region um Josefstal an der „Suchaja Olchowka” (“Trockene Olchowka”) oder Erlenbach an der „Mokraja Olchowka” (“Nasse Olchowka”) mehr über seine Ahnen erfahren möchte, kann er in dem Buch immer wieder fündig werden. Landsleute mit den Namen Gerk, Dieser, Strömel, Simon, Benz, Holzmann, Kissner, Hollmann, Blattner, Ulrich, Bauers usw. Sind reichlich zu finden, in Wort und Bild, Auch “politisch” wird es in dem Buch gelegentlich.

Insbesondere, wenn es um die Russifizierung zu allen Zeiten, den Bürgerkrieg zwischen Rot und Weiß nach 1917, die Verfolgung um des Glaubens Willen bald danach sowie den Todeskampf der Bauern in den Jahren des Hungers, der Kollektivierung und des Staatsterrors geht.

“Das Leben an der Wolga”, ISBN 978-3-9808811-5-9. Tel.-Nr.: des Herausgebers: +49-291-82994
E-Mail: ajdreser@web.de

-J. Kampen

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Josefstal: Persons Unknown

Posted By egerk on March 24, 2010

This photo, taken in Josefstal, is of unknown persons.

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Josefstal Census: February 14, 1858

Posted By egerk on March 9, 2010

For tax purposes, a census was done in 1857/58 of all villages and colonies in Russia.

The importance of this census for “daughter” colonies such as Josefstal, was that it listed all the residents as of that date, just shortly after its founding in 1852, and it listed where the residents originated.

Researchers can thus discover the ties to the “Mother” colony, and from there, research their family tree with accurate certainty.

Copies of these census returns were made for a number of reasons, and would be used to track draftees, head of household counts, marriages, deaths, etc, as each family was assigned a family “number” – all originating from this 1858 census.

The Josefstal census is available in at least 2 Russian archives, Saratov and Volgograd.

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Emmigration to South America: October 10, 1908

Posted By egerk on January 5, 2010

SS WUERZBURGThe SS Würzburg

By far the largest emmigration of Josefstal residents took place in October of 1908. Over 200 boarded the SS Würzburg in Bremen, and took the long journey to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Most of these would make their way to Argentina, to such places as Santa Anita, Coronel Suarez and Crespo.

The names I just compiled, courtesy of Die MAUS, are:

ARNOLD, Andreas (38), Margareta (34), Eleonora (13), Elisabeth (10), Barbara (8), Marie (5), Andreas (2 ½ )

ROHWEIN, Jakob (28), Katarina (26), Eva (8), Jakob (6), Maria (3 ¼), Georg (10 m)

GÖRK , Johannes (29), Magdalena (20)

DREYESSER, Georg (24), Eva (24), Barbara (4), Josef (9m)

ROHWEIN, Alois (35), Elisabeth (35), Theresa (14), Peter (8), Johannes (5), Anna (3 ¾ ), Barbara (2m)

SOMMER, Josef (37), Margaretha (26), Eugenius (7 ¼ ), Elisabeth (6), Josef (4), Georg (2), Kaspar (5m)

SIMON, Georg (20), Eva (21)

BLATTNER, Johannes (40), Eleonora (41), Josef (5), Anna 1 ½ )

HOLZMANN, Jakob (37), Maria (36), Barbara (16), Josef (14), Adam (13), Johannes (11), Georg (9), Elisabeth (5)

SIMON, Andreas (40), Barbara (43), Clementina (15), Anna (8), Barbara (5 ½ )

KERN, Kaspar (27), Elisabeth (22)

SCHMIDT, Johann (29), Anna (25), Marie (5 ½ ), Margarethe (2 ¼ )

KERN, Johannes (26), Anna Elisabeth (17)

GERK, Martin (20), Elisabeta (20)

GÖTTE, Phillip (42), Barbara (41), Phillip (13 ½ )

BELENDER, Kaspar (50), Margaretha (50), Kaspar (31), Margaretha (31), Georg (10), Johannes (2 ½ ), Margareta (6m)

WAGNER, Jakob (28), Veronika (23), Jakob (1 ¾ )

HOLZMANN, Friedrich (34), Anna (33), Jakob (8), Georg (6), Josef (4)

KÄSS, Nikolaus (37), Barbara (37), Jakob (12 ¼ ), Konrad (5 ¾ ), Magdalena (4 ¼ )

SCHMIDT, Georg (38), Anna (37), Johannes (5), Phillip (2), Auguste (1m)

PFUNDT, Jakob (42), Elisabeth (37), Emilia (12 ¼ ), Jakob (8),    Magdalena (4), Anna (2)

SCHÄFER, Stefan (34), Margaretha (20), Kataryzna (8 ½ ), Andreas (1 ½ )

DOMME, Johannes (39), Eva (26), Kaspar (3 ½ ), Anna (1 ½ )

ARNOLD, Konrad (31), Susanna (27), Adam (8), Georg (6), Katarine (4), Johannes (1 ½ )

ROCHEL, Jakob (38), Anna (25), Johannes (12), Jakob (11 ½ ), Elisabeth (6m)

SCHMIDT, Adam (23), Anna (18)

HOLLMANN, Johann (37), Elisabeth (35), Josef (8), Georg (2)

ARNOLD, Johann (33), Katharina (30), Katharina (9), Barbara (7 ½ ), Regina (5), Jakob (6m)

GÖTTE, Johannes (25), Margarethe (25), Johann (6), Jakob (3 ¼ ), Marie (6m)

SCHMIDT,  Johan Peter (40), Elisabeth (36), Andreas (16), Marie (5), Georg (6m)

HOLZMANN, Josef (41), Anna (40), Anna (12 ¾ ), Katharina (10), Magdalena (8), Adam (6 ¼ ), Ottylie (4), Georg (9m)

HOLLMANN, Jakob (39), Katarina (40), Georg (12 ¾ ), Marie (4 ½ ), Katharina (5m)

GÖTHE, Adam (36), Elisabeth (31 ½ ), Margaretha (10 ½ ), Apolonia (6), Paul (4),  Josef (1 ½ )

GROO, Adam (52), Katharina (50), Adam (18 ½ ), Eva (15), Johannes (12 ½ )

BREIT, Lorenz (24), Anna (20)

BAUER, Johannes (39), Sophia (35), Georg (8 ½ ), Josef (6 ½ ), Marie (10m), Paul (17)

BLATNER, Josef (34), Anna Maria (24), Andreas (4 ¾ ), Katharine (3 ½ ), Josef (1 ¼ )

BLATNER, Georg (19)

DIESSER, Adam (30), Marie (28), Rosa (3m)

KERN, Konrad (45), Katharina (45), Regina (14), Ottilie (9)

GERK, Georg (40), Dorothea (38), Peter (15), Johannes (4), Barbara (8), Anna (1 ½ )

GERK, Johannes (62), Barbara (56)

KERN, Nikolaus (22), Barbara (20)

GERK, Georg (20), Margaretha (18)

HABERKORN, Georg (32), Katharina (18)

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Das Leben an der Wolga: Chronik der Kolonie Josefstal Kanton Erlenbach

Posted By egerk on October 17, 2009

JosefstalAfter 30 years of work, this book is finally completed.  Alexander-Josef Dreser and myself worked together for a number of years putting the material together.  I have been collecting information for over 30 years.

This book is the result of all those years – and I am mindful of the many people who told me their stories, lent me their photographs…so we could honour and remember the people of Josefstal.

Those interested in purchasing a copy of the book, can contact Alexander-Josef Dreser at: 49-291-82994

If you live in North America, you can email me and I will let you know how you can get your own copy of this 175 page book.

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Josefstal – September 3, 2009: The cemetery

Posted By egerk on September 17, 2009

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Josefstal: Video footage

Posted By egerk on September 11, 2009

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Josefstal: September 3, 2009

Posted By egerk on September 7, 2009

DSC08312

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Josefstal Passenger Lists: 1892-1925 to North & South America

Posted By egerk on July 29, 2009

HAL-PassengerList-Thuringia-FrontCover-250

Over the years I’ve tracked down various passenger lists of those who originated from Josefstal and then travelled to either North or South America.

I’ve recently edited and updated the list.  I have also put a “version” of the document, so researchers can see what edition is the current, as I come across further names.  There are many others who also travelled, this list is only of those I can document.

The complete document can be found here.  Enjoy!

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