History > Daughter Colonies
Daughter Colonies
In the mid-1800s, the Volga German colonies experienced rapid population growth. From 1834 to 1850, in the central regions of Russia, the average increase per 1,000 of the population was 50 to 70 persons. The average increase in the Volga German colonies was 500 people per 1,000.
Due to the dramatic population growth and lack of suitable farmland, pasture, and forestland, the Kontora (the Saratov Office for the Guardianship of Foreign Settlers) provided additional land to establish daughter colonies. The daughter colonies were established throughout the Volga German settlement area from the late 1840s through the 1860s.
Families from the mother colony of Norka were among those who established the following daughter colonies:
Brunnental - founded 1855
Gnadenfeld - founded 1855
Hoffental - founded 1859
Langenfeld - founded 1859
Neu-Beideck - founded 1858
Neu-Hussenbach (Gaschon) - founded in 1860
Neu-Jagodnaja (Neu-Yagodnaya) - founded 1855
Neu-Messer - founded 1863
Neu-Norka - founded 1852
Oberdorf - founded 1852
Rosenfeld am Jeruslan (also known as Norka or Norki) - founded in 1855
Due to the dramatic population growth and lack of suitable farmland, pasture, and forestland, the Kontora (the Saratov Office for the Guardianship of Foreign Settlers) provided additional land to establish daughter colonies. The daughter colonies were established throughout the Volga German settlement area from the late 1840s through the 1860s.
Families from the mother colony of Norka were among those who established the following daughter colonies:
Brunnental - founded 1855
Gnadenfeld - founded 1855
Hoffental - founded 1859
Langenfeld - founded 1859
Neu-Beideck - founded 1858
Neu-Hussenbach (Gaschon) - founded in 1860
Neu-Jagodnaja (Neu-Yagodnaya) - founded 1855
Neu-Messer - founded 1863
Neu-Norka - founded 1852
Oberdorf - founded 1852
Rosenfeld am Jeruslan (also known as Norka or Norki) - founded in 1855
A list of re-settlers from Norka to the daughter colonies was created by Alexander Baumung. This list is based on original Russian documents available at FamilySearch.org.
The growth in population, lack of farmland, and unfavorable political changes would create strong incentives for emigration beginning in the 1870's.
The growth in population, lack of farmland, and unfavorable political changes would create strong incentives for emigration beginning in the 1870's.
Sources
Baumung, Alexander. Resettlers from Norka to the daughter colonies - 1858. March 2019.
Lichkov, L. The Collection of Statistical Data on the Saratov Province. Volume 11. Kamyshinsky District. Saratov, 1886.
The Volga Germans website (6 Aug 2020).
Lichkov, L. The Collection of Statistical Data on the Saratov Province. Volume 11. Kamyshinsky District. Saratov, 1886.
The Volga Germans website (6 Aug 2020).
Last updated November 21, 2023