The Victoria Review from Victoria, Kansas • 4

THE VICTORIA REVIEW, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, W5 German-Russian Settlements in- Ellis County, Kansas Written J)y the Rev. Francis S. 0 M. for The Kansas State Historical Society Reprinted from Kansas Historical Collections, Vol. XI $25,000.00 CAPITAL, Seven Steps to Success 13T Catherine II of Russia is known in history as an energetic ruler, who endeavored to improve her land and people.

One means she employed with success for this purpose was to invite colonists to Russia. A summary invitation of this nature was issued December 4, 1762.. The following year, 1763, a more detailed statement followed. Article 6, section 1, of this so-called "manifest," guaranteed to all such foreigners forming colonies in hitherto unsettled districts of Russia free exercise of religion, allowing them to build churches and Common Sense Honor Intelligence Good Cheer Economy Perseverance Hard Wol The door marked snccess Lwill swing wide open to a person who courag- eously takes these seven stVI You will need first class banking connection We are here to serve you well and faithfully. bell towers, but no monasteries, to have priests, etc.

lhese colonists should for thirty years be free from all taxes, levies and land service; they were further exempted from military duty for an indefinite period! In the same year Capt. J. G. von Kotzer, as imperial commissary, assiste i by Messrs. Florentin and Psnau, all Germans by birth, were sent to Frankfurt to invite Germans to-settle in Russia.

They succeeded in inducing some 8,000 families (about 25,000 persons) from Hessia, Saxony, Alsatia, Baden, Wuertemburg, Bavaria, Tyrol, Switzerland and the Palitinate to emigrate. As rendezvous RosslaU near Dessau on the Elbe was obsignated. From this place the colonists proceeded to and embarked at Hamburg. Landing in Krohstadt they proceeded to Oranienbaum, where they were met and welcomed by Catherine II After a brief stay they continued their journey to Moskau and Petrowski, where they wintered. In the spring of 1764 they moved southward toward Saratow, settling on both sides of the Wolga, some as far south as the.

Black Sea. Other colonists followed till 1768. One hundred and four colonies-were founded, 59 on the so-called Farmei State Bank VICTORIA, KANSAS A. P. BRUNGARDT, Cas DOMINIC KUHN, Ass't Cashier, meadow, (eastern) and on the so-called mountain shasized in a peculiar way during a term of court at Novou- tml cAt rf tVp Wolrra nf a rnct to thf crnvi rnment nf ft cpnclf Ralthnrnr R'rnncrardf nnp.

of the iurnrs who had hppn j- I "1 IT -v -f 'JW. 813 rubles, schreiber secret of Herzog for nine years and whose at- The homes of the settlers in Ellis county were: Kath- tention had beenMaded to a paragraph in colonialostaw book by a secretary, entered into a bet with a Mr. arinenstadt popularly called Baronsk because, founded in law 1765 by Baron de Beaur.gardJ, Boregard, 1 unded lbb, Kraft, who Obermoniour, founded 1766, Zug, Gattung, founded' 1767; Luz- decision to denied the liberty to emigrate, both leaving the the procurer, state's attorney, on the morrow. In ern.Roemler, founded 1767; Schoenchen, raninskoje, found- the presence ftj several hundred colonists the procurer af- ed I7b7; bolothern, Wittman, toundea 1u; an lying on tne hrmed the rignrtfr emigrating. ernigrainig.

east bank of the Wolga and north of baratow; Rohleder, It was firgely this ocorance which led to a meeting of 1874. KasKaty, iounaea i oo; orai, rvrutugoiowswa, luunueu iu-t; oi aDoui coionisus at nerzog in tne spring colonists at Herzog in the spring Herzog, Susly. founded 1764, Mariental, Pfannenstiel or Ton- Balthasar Brfgardt was one of the speakers. Hisknow-koschurowka, founded 1766; Louis, Otrogowka, founded ledge of theMeographical subject "he had drawn from a geo-1766, lying north and south of the great Karamann, which graphy implied from Germany, and from Professor Stell-f lows from the south into the Wolga west of Katharinenstadt; ing, who tauj It history and geography in the seminar, col-Liebanthal, founded 1859 from the other colonies, south of lege, at Sarrfw, during Brungardt's college days, 1860-64, the Great Karanunn, Neu Ob rmodjour, founded i859, 10 being at thMame time official of the comptoir. Stelling werst south of Liebenthal, Marienburg, founded 1860, 68 was born j-f the Pacific, his father, a native of Courland werst northeast of Liebenthal.

All these colonies were on washed gofiin California, and delighted to speak of Ameri- the meadow side. On, the mountain side lay a nenka, found- ca. In hff discourse Mr. Brungardt spoke of Brazil and desirable places lor new homes, givinp prefer- flatter place because colder. A uk of this meeting: was the election of five dele- ed 1764.

1 10 werst soutwest of Saratow, 'teller, Gnulska, Nebr founded 1766, 7 werst southwest of Kamenka, Rothamel, ence Pamnatnaja, founded 1767, about 25 werst northwest of Ka- menta, Semanowska, foun led 1766, 15 werst southwest of gates i 5 were The immediate cause of the emigration was the mili- The at the expense of their respective communities Aestigate Nebraska with a view of settling there, t'ates were B. Brungardt, Herzog, Peter Leiker, our, Jacob Ritter, Luzern, Peter Stocklein, Zug, tary law of January 13, I874, which subjected all colonists to Obermj isinger, Schoenchen. Mr. Brungardt declining, his taken by Nicholas Schamme, Graf. They conven- military service, raciors ni riib inuuuuiuuu UdU' uccn jai- nnic ofthe Russian -neighbors, owing particularly' to tthe place drain in the Crimean was lack of caution on the' part of the ed ir fermonjour ana proceeaea Dy way ot Kathennen- colonists, who had been led to sign a document inimical stadt, -atow, Warsehauand Berlin to Hamburg.

Here assisted by Weinberg. Mr. Jos. Koelbe, a of trust, befriended them in to their liberty. The colonists were adverse to military they service, because, during -the six it was almost im- so- Garden.

After remaining two days as guests of Mr. possible for Catholic soldiers to fulfil even their Easter duty Cast they continued their journey through Buffalo, of receiving the sacraments; only members; 01 tne ureeK bcr church could rise to an officer's rank left much Chi ro--remaininp" one aav umana ana Lincoln to but- 1 viant) iiiuUiaorva. vviivi. uiy 1 tiiidlllCU UUC Ufiy. Tn Innp 171.

an edict had limited the oenod of ex- nn ie farm of Mr. Grosshans. examinir the land. MccrQ emption from military service to ten years, with the provis- -Lj er, Stoechlein and Wasinger took about one pound of ion. that, as to furnishing recruits, the laws ruling colonists prairie grass and bluestem grass and some paper should continue in force only till the publication of a gener- moiey to Russia, and each explorer some literature des-al law on military duty.

In this period of ten years colo- the land. The sojourn on American soil was ten nists might emigrate to other countries without forfeiture of dy's- Their report was favorable and subsequently four of any property. This was not generally It was em-tie five emigrated..