Die Welt-Post Letters
Many letters were written between family and friends living in Norka and North America during the famines of the 1920's and 1930's famines in Russia. A number of these letters were published in Die Welt-Post (The Worldpost), a German language newspaper originally established in Lincoln, Nebraska and later published in Omaha, Nebraska. Die Welt-Post was read by many Volga German families.
Articles from Die Welt-Post newspaper were microfilmed and held by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) in Lincoln, NE. The newspaper articles were indexed by Samuel D. Sinner in his booklet Letters from Hell published by AHSGR in 2000. In order to obtain the original articles, one must buy Sinner's Index and then order the individual articles. The articles are indexed by village, not by surname.
Sinner's research shows that between 1915 and 1949 approximately one million ethnic Germans died in Russia and the Soviet Union. During each of these decades, the Soviet authorities were responsible for the deaths of about one-fourth to one-third of the entire ethnic-German population. In Letters from Hell, Sinner discusses what was known outside of the Soviet Union about the genocide, how the non-communist world overlooked what was occurring, and how this horrible nightmare became a forgotten past.
Many of the letters listed below were written during the terrible famine of the early 1920's are specifically related to the colony of Norka and the heroic relief work performed by native Norkan, George Repp who helped save thousands from starvation.
Articles from Die Welt-Post newspaper were microfilmed and held by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) in Lincoln, NE. The newspaper articles were indexed by Samuel D. Sinner in his booklet Letters from Hell published by AHSGR in 2000. In order to obtain the original articles, one must buy Sinner's Index and then order the individual articles. The articles are indexed by village, not by surname.
Sinner's research shows that between 1915 and 1949 approximately one million ethnic Germans died in Russia and the Soviet Union. During each of these decades, the Soviet authorities were responsible for the deaths of about one-fourth to one-third of the entire ethnic-German population. In Letters from Hell, Sinner discusses what was known outside of the Soviet Union about the genocide, how the non-communist world overlooked what was occurring, and how this horrible nightmare became a forgotten past.
Many of the letters listed below were written during the terrible famine of the early 1920's are specifically related to the colony of Norka and the heroic relief work performed by native Norkan, George Repp who helped save thousands from starvation.
Letters from 1922
Letter from Jakob Deines to Wilhelm Deines published January 12, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Mrs. George Repp published January 12, 1922
Letter from Peter M. to Conrad Schleucher published January 12, 1922
Letter from Johannes and Konrad Blum to David and Katharina Blum published February 2, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published February 2, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published February 9, 1922
Letter from Father Adam Bellendir to Mrs. George Repp published February 9, 1922
Letter from Johann Georg and Katharina Feuerstein to Ludwig Schwindt and Philipp Scheidemann in Hastings, Nebraska published March 2, 1922
Letter from George Repp to John W. Miller in Portland, Oregon published April 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Rev. Kaiser in Weatherford, Oklahoma published April 20, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Die Welt-Post readers published April 27, 1922
Letter from Georg Lehl to his daughter Mrs. Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published July 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker forwarding a letter from Elisabeth Aschenbrenner and Johannes Aschenbrenner to Konrad Koehler in Greeley, Colorado published July 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published August 24, 1922
Letter from Georg Feuerstein to William Feuerstein in Grand Island, Nebraska published November 16, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the National Lutheran Council published December 21, 1922
Original letters published in 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Mrs. George Repp published January 12, 1922
Letter from Peter M. to Conrad Schleucher published January 12, 1922
Letter from Johannes and Konrad Blum to David and Katharina Blum published February 2, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published February 2, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published February 9, 1922
Letter from Father Adam Bellendir to Mrs. George Repp published February 9, 1922
Letter from Johann Georg and Katharina Feuerstein to Ludwig Schwindt and Philipp Scheidemann in Hastings, Nebraska published March 2, 1922
Letter from George Repp to John W. Miller in Portland, Oregon published April 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Rev. Kaiser in Weatherford, Oklahoma published April 20, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Die Welt-Post readers published April 27, 1922
Letter from Georg Lehl to his daughter Mrs. Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published July 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker forwarding a letter from Elisabeth Aschenbrenner and Johannes Aschenbrenner to Konrad Koehler in Greeley, Colorado published July 6, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published August 24, 1922
Letter from Georg Feuerstein to William Feuerstein in Grand Island, Nebraska published November 16, 1922
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the National Lutheran Council published December 21, 1922
Original letters published in 1922
Letters from 1923
Letter from Rev. Wacker to the Volga Relief Society in Portland, Oregon published January 11, 1923
Letter regarding George Repp from the American Relief Administration published March 15, 1923
Letter from Peter, Heinrich and Georg Lehl to Konrad and Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published April 19, 1923
Letter from Georg and Anna Katharina Feuerstein to Peter Staerkel in Havelock, Nebraska published May 3, 1923
Letter from the National Lutheran Council published May 10, 1923
Letter from P. Sinner to the American Volga Relief Society in Lincoln, Nebraska published May 10, 1923
Letter to Johannes Schnell in Ramona, Kansas from family in Norka published May 17, 1923
Letter from Georg Kaiser to Henry Kaiser in Hastings, Nebraska published May 17, 1923
Letter from Jacob Volz to G. J. Schmidt, Secretary of the American Volga Relief Society published May 24, 1923
Letter from Johannes Blum to Carl Krieger in Hastings, Nebraska published August 23, 1923
Letter from Margaretha Weber to Johannes Schnell in Ramona, Kansas published October 11, 1923
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Die Welt-Post published November 15, 1923
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Mr. Jacob Volz published November 15, 1923
Letter from the Norka Distribution Committee to Die Welt-Post published December 27, 1923
Letter regarding George Repp from the American Relief Administration published March 15, 1923
Letter from Peter, Heinrich and Georg Lehl to Konrad and Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published April 19, 1923
Letter from Georg and Anna Katharina Feuerstein to Peter Staerkel in Havelock, Nebraska published May 3, 1923
Letter from the National Lutheran Council published May 10, 1923
Letter from P. Sinner to the American Volga Relief Society in Lincoln, Nebraska published May 10, 1923
Letter to Johannes Schnell in Ramona, Kansas from family in Norka published May 17, 1923
Letter from Georg Kaiser to Henry Kaiser in Hastings, Nebraska published May 17, 1923
Letter from Jacob Volz to G. J. Schmidt, Secretary of the American Volga Relief Society published May 24, 1923
Letter from Johannes Blum to Carl Krieger in Hastings, Nebraska published August 23, 1923
Letter from Margaretha Weber to Johannes Schnell in Ramona, Kansas published October 11, 1923
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Die Welt-Post published November 15, 1923
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Mr. Jacob Volz published November 15, 1923
Letter from the Norka Distribution Committee to Die Welt-Post published December 27, 1923
Letters from 1924
Letter from Jacob Deines to Jacob J. Stroh in Lincoln, Nebraska published February 28, 1924
Letter from the Weber family to the Johannes Schnell family in Kansas published February 28, 1924
Letters from Georg and Heinrich Weidenkeller to Johannes and Barbara Dick in Charleston, Washington published March 13, 1924
Letter from Rev. Wacker to George H. Miller (Mueller) in Portland, Oregon published March 20, 1924
Letter from Maria Traudt to George H. Miller (Mueller) in Portland, Oregon published March 20, 1924
Letter from Ludwig Kaiser to Katherinlies Bihn and family published March 20, 1924
Letter from Heinrich Schwabauer to Jacob Volz published April 3, 1924
Letter from Georg Kaiser to Heinrich and Johannes Kaiser in Hastings, Nebraska published April 3, 1924
Letter from Carl Fritzler to Die Welt-Post published April 10, 1924
Letter from Pastor Kluck to Jacob Volz published April 10, 1924
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Jacob Volz published April 17, 1924
Letter reporting actions of the Norka village council published April 24, 1924
Letter from Wilhelm Bartholomae to Pastor and Mrs. Hagelganz in Portland, Oregon published on May 1, 1924
Letter from Peter Krieger in Norka to Nikolaus Krieger in Portland, Oregon on May 1, 1924
Letter from Konrad Wuerz to Die Welt-Post published on May 22, 1924
Letter from Johannes Oelenberger to Johannes Doell published on June 5, 1924
Letters from Heinrich and Christina Burbach and Heinrich Aschenbrenner to Mr. George Hoffman, Hastings, Nebraska published on June 19, 1924
Letter from Peter, Heinrich and Georg Lehl to Konrad and Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published on June 26, 1924
Letter from the Weber family to the Johannes Schnell family in Kansas published February 28, 1924
Letters from Georg and Heinrich Weidenkeller to Johannes and Barbara Dick in Charleston, Washington published March 13, 1924
Letter from Rev. Wacker to George H. Miller (Mueller) in Portland, Oregon published March 20, 1924
Letter from Maria Traudt to George H. Miller (Mueller) in Portland, Oregon published March 20, 1924
Letter from Ludwig Kaiser to Katherinlies Bihn and family published March 20, 1924
Letter from Heinrich Schwabauer to Jacob Volz published April 3, 1924
Letter from Georg Kaiser to Heinrich and Johannes Kaiser in Hastings, Nebraska published April 3, 1924
Letter from Carl Fritzler to Die Welt-Post published April 10, 1924
Letter from Pastor Kluck to Jacob Volz published April 10, 1924
Letter from Rev. Wacker to Jacob Volz published April 17, 1924
Letter reporting actions of the Norka village council published April 24, 1924
Letter from Wilhelm Bartholomae to Pastor and Mrs. Hagelganz in Portland, Oregon published on May 1, 1924
Letter from Peter Krieger in Norka to Nikolaus Krieger in Portland, Oregon on May 1, 1924
Letter from Konrad Wuerz to Die Welt-Post published on May 22, 1924
Letter from Johannes Oelenberger to Johannes Doell published on June 5, 1924
Letters from Heinrich and Christina Burbach and Heinrich Aschenbrenner to Mr. George Hoffman, Hastings, Nebraska published on June 19, 1924
Letter from Peter, Heinrich and Georg Lehl to Konrad and Katherine Koch in Fort Morgan, Colorado published on June 26, 1924
Letters from 1931 and 1932
Letter to Johannes Schnell in Ramona, Kansas published on September 1, 1932
Letter from Heinrich and Katharina Hahn to Johannes Brehm published on March 4, 1933
Letter from Wilhelm Keller to Rev. Wagner in Denver, Colorado published October 18, 1933
Letter from Heinrich and Katharina Hahn to Johannes Brehm published on March 4, 1933
Letter from Wilhelm Keller to Rev. Wagner in Denver, Colorado published October 18, 1933
Last updated July 6, 2018.