Events to Celebrate Influence, Heritage of Volga-Germans
McDonald, Liz. "Events to Celebrate Influence, Heritage of Volga-Germans." Hays Daily News, 19 July 2001.
Volga-German Homecoming: 125th Jubilee Celebration
More than a century after their arrival in western Kansas, the
influence of the German immigrants from the Volga River region in
Russia is still prevalent in area communities.
Beginning this weekend, events in the six communities founded 125
years ago will celebrate that Volga-German influence and heritage.
Francis Schippers, secretary and treasurer of the Volga German
Society, hopes that the events not only will commemorate the history
but also help preserve the ancestry and traditions of the area.
"We wanted to have separate celebrations in the communities
while we still have them around," he said. "We hope to
bring back people but also share the story of the Volga-Germans
with the younger people of today."
Schippers said they have produced several publications to enrich
the community celebrations, including a cookbook, calendar and children's
"The coloring book is very elementary, so kids can get an
idea of what a Volga-German was like 125 years ago," said Larry
Werth, chairman of the Volga German Society.
An exhibit at the Hays Public Library, "From Far Away Russia:
Russian-Germans in Kansas," highlights the heritage of the
immigrants through historic photographs, quotes and newspaper articles.
Mary Ann Thompson, who arranged for the exhibit to come to Hays,
said the display offers an accurate look at the immigrants' lives.
"Amazingly, most of the photos are from Ellis County, and
they show the arrival of the Volga-Germans," she said. "It
ties in very well with everything that is happening with the local
Thompson, who also heads the library's Kansas Room, said she believes
the influence of the Volga-Germans is most apparent in the agricultural
"They changed the economic perspective of the area, because
it wasn't really an agricultural area. They found that farming would
take care of them," she said.
Liebenthal, Catherine, Pfeifer, Munjor and Herzog were founded
in 1876, and Schoenchen was started in 1877.
On Saturday, Liebenthal, the oldest of the communities, will celebrate
with a Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church, lunch and a traditional
wedding march. The church bells also will be rung 125 times to symbolize
the years spent in Rush County. Liebenthal's original founders were
among the large group that left Saratov, Russia, in October 1875.
Because of a conflict among the first settlers, a group of individuals
broke away from Liebenthal and settled the community of Schoenchen
in 1877. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony
Catholic Church, and residents will celebrate on Sunday with a Mass
and the removal of the church cornerstone. A time capsule with 2001
memorabilia will be buried, a traditional German meal will be served
at noon and a carnival and dance will follow in the evening.
The founders of Catherine were the first to leave their Russian
homeland in October 1875. Arriving in Hays the following March,
they named their establishment after the town they left in Russia,
Katharinenstadt, the largest and most important of the colonies
on the Volga River. On Monday, a polka Mass at St. Catherine Catholic
Church will be held, and a memorial visit to the cemetery will follow.
In the afternoon, there will be food booths, bingo, carnival, dinner
and a dance.
Tuesday has been set aside as a day for family reunions.
The community of Pfeifer will celebrate Wednesday with tours of
the Holy Cross Shrine, Mass, dinner and musical entertainment. Pfeifer's
founders arrived in groups from August 1876 to November 1877.
Munjor, founded by the largest single expedition of Russian immigrants,
will hold a Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church on July 26. In July
1876, 108 families left Saratov, Russia, and arrived in Herzog,
now Victoria, in August before moving to their town site.
The homecoming activities will conclude with the celebration in
Victoria July 27. Before taking the name of Victoria, the community
was settled as Herzog on April 8, 1876. Herzog became the largest
of the Volga-German colonies established. They will celebrate with
a Mass with Bishop George Fizsimons at St. Fidelis Catholic Church,
followed by a luncheon, parade, entertainment and dance.
A limited number of brochures with details about the week's celebration
is available at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, 18th and
--The Volga German Society also has a Web site detailing the week's
events at http://www.haysusa.com/html/volga_german.html.
Reprinted with permission of The
Hays Daily News.