Josefstal – Skripalovo Russia

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.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: census

Posted By egerk on January 5, 2010

The 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)

Category: Emmigration | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By egerk on October 17, 2009

After 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.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By egerk on September 17, 2009

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By egerk on September 11, 2009

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By egerk on September 7, 2009

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By egerk on July 29, 2009

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!

Category: Emmigration | No Comments »
Tags: passenger lists

Posted By egerk on July 17, 2009

 The Battle raged.  July 1919 saw forces from the 10th Red Army do battle with White Cossaks for control of the Volga area.  Wrangel had already received word to march towards Moscow.  The British 47th Air Squadron was involved, assisting White Forces by bombing and raids against Red forces.  My grandmother, Elisabeth Dieser Gerk remembered that this was the first time she had ever seen an airplane.  She stated that Josefstal would go back and forth between Red and Whites a number of times.  She remembered that the White forces were kind, but shuddered when she thought of what the Red troops did in her quiet village of Josefstal. She also noted that the “front” was between Josefstal and neighboring village of Marienfeld.  Also on the map are the Volga German villages of Rosenberg, Oberdorf, Erlenbach, Neu Norka, Weisenfeld – these villages all were in the middle of the battles that were fought. Josefstal residents would put bricks into their windows to keep stray bullets from hitting anyone.

One (among many) of the Red Army men were killed near the village, so Red Army troops forced their way into the home of Elisabeth Dieser, were he was worked on by a medic.  After he died the men went outside and fired a salute using their guns.

The map on the left is an enlarged section, featuring Josefstal, listed on the map by its Russian name of Skripalovo.  July 28, 1919,  was the date that many of the battles were fought.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: Civil War

Posted By egerk on July 7, 2009

Civil War near Kamyshin: July 1919

 A Russian battle Map documenting the fighting between Red & White Forces, July 1919, in the Kamyshin area of the Volga River. Map taken from: Kamyshinskaia operatsiia desiatoi Krasnoi Armii. Iiul’ 1919 goda. S 3 skhemami na otdel’nykh listakh.  Kliuev, L:  1928

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: Civil War

Posted By egerk on July 7, 2009

Kamyshinskaia operatsiia desiatoi Krasnoi Armii. Iiul’ 1919 goda. S 3 skhemami na otdel’nykh listakh. 

Kliuev, L  1928

July 0f 1919 saw brutal fighting between the Reds & The Whites all long the Volga River, penetrating even the Volga-German colonies.  Josefstal was no exception.  The town fell to both sides numerous times, with villagers tending to cheer for the Whites because they were treated with more dignity than Red Forces.

This book, published in 1928, chronicles numerous battles in the area.  It is in the Russian language.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: