NORKA
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People > Notable Norkans > ​​​Edith Müthel

​Edith Müthel

​Edith Müthel is the author of several articles about her life as a German-Russian, including "Recollections of Life in Norka," "Ackerbestunde in Norka," "Norka, a Large Colony on the Volga," and "Christmas in the Colony of Norka on the Volga."

In 2012, Edith's book, An Gottes Hand. Eine deutsch-russische Lebensgeschichte, was published by Verlag Gustav-Adolf-Werks in Leipzig. The book contains a chapter titled "The Last Christmas in Norka," in which Edith describes the joy she experienced during the Advent season of 1931. The spirit of the holiday stood in sharp contrast to the depressed mood in the village resulting from Stalin's forced collectivization of agriculture.

Born Edith Pfeiffer in St. Petersburg (then Petrograd) on August 31, 1919, she was the daughter of Norka's last pastor, Emil Pfeiffer, and his wife Anna Friederike (née Seidl)​. Edith's early years were spent in St. Petersburg while her father was attending the Lutheran seminary. After her father was ordained in 1925, he was assigned to serve the colony of Mühlberg on the lower Volga. In 1927, Rev. Pfeiffer was called to serve the colony of Norka. The Pfeiffer family lived in Norka from 1927 to 1932. As was the fate of many clergy during Stalin's reign of terror, Edith's father was first arrested in 1932 for anti-Soviet activity and taken to Saratov, where he was banned from practicing religion. He was arrested again in 1934, 1937, and 1938 for failure to comply with the ban. In 1939, Rev. Pfeiffer was executed in Moscow by the Soviets. 

Edith, along with her mother and siblings, were
 deported to Siberia in 1941. They remained there until 1956, when ethnic Germans were allowed to move away from the special settlements. The Pfeiffer family was able to relocate to St. Petersburg, where Edith continues living today (April 2016). She is an active member of the St. Petrikirche in St. Petersburg.
An Gottes Hand Edith Müthel
Picture

Source

Müthel, Edith. An Gottes Hand: Eine Deutsch-russische Lebensgeschichte. Leipzig: Gustav-Adolf-Werk, 2012. Print.
Last updated December 10, 2023
Copyright © 2002-2025 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
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    • Reviews
    • Contact
  • People
    • Founders
    • Personal Histories
    • Notable Norkans
    • Stories
    • Photo Identification
    • Photo Gallery
  • Community
    • Village Life
    • Entertainment
    • Agriculture
    • Climate
    • Homesites
    • Geographical Description
    • Government
    • Social Structure
    • Health
    • Education
    • A Land of Ethnic Diversity
    • Cottage Industries >
      • Sarpinka
      • Mills
    • Language
    • Population
    • Military Service
    • Crime and Punishment
  • History
    • Timeline
    • Origins of the Colonists
    • Catherine's Manifesto 1763
    • Why go to Russia?
    • Recruitment 1766
    • Planning 1764-1766
    • Marriages Prior To Emigration 1766
    • Voyage to Russia 1766 >
      • Ship Transport 1766
    • Journey 1766-1767
    • Founding of Norka 1767
    • Early Years 1767-1769
    • Norka 1769
    • Pallas Report 1773
    • Pugachev Raid 1774
    • Norka 1775
    • Norka 1798
    • Norka 1811
    • Napoleons Soldiers
    • Norka 1834
    • Daughter Colonies 1850s >
      • Neu-Norka
      • Oberdorf
      • Brunnental
      • Rosenfeld (am Jeruslan)
      • Neu Hussenbach (Gaschon)
    • Privileges Lost 1871-1874
    • Immigration 1875-1924 >
      • To the United States >
        • Colorado
        • Ft Collins Colorado
        • Globeville Colorado
        • Mason City, Iowa
        • Culbertson, Nebraska
        • Lincoln, Nebraska
        • Sutton, Nebraska
        • Burlington, Oklahoma
        • Weatherford, Oklahoma
        • Canby, Oregon
        • Portland, Oregon
      • To Canada >
        • Duffield, Alberta
        • Ponoka, Alberta
        • Spruce Grove, Alberta
        • Stony Plain, Alberta
        • Vegreville, Alberta
        • Arcola, Saskatchewan
      • To Germany
      • To South America
    • Famine 1891-1892
    • Norka 1898
    • War & Turnoil 1904-1906
    • World War 1914-1918
    • Revolution & War 1917-1922
    • Soviet Rule 1918-1941
    • Famine 1921-1924
    • Famine 1932-1933
    • The Great Terror 1936-1938
    • Deportation 1941
    • Repression 1941-1956
    • Cultural Loss 1957-2006
    • A Culture in Peril
    • Recent Times
  • Traditions
    • Food and Drink
    • Clothing
    • Holidays >
      • New Year
      • Fastnacht
      • Lent
      • Easter
      • Ascension Day
      • Pentecost
      • Founder's Day
      • Harvest Festival
      • Jahrmarkt
      • Christmas
      • Anniversaries & Birthdays
    • Crafts
    • Games
    • Folk Medicine
    • Superstitions
    • Nicknames
    • Folk Music
    • Church Music
    • Funerals and Burials
  • Religion
    • Planning and History >
      • Norka Reformed Church 1767-1864
      • 1909 Norka Parish Report
    • Pastors >
      • Johann Heinrich Fuchs
      • Johann Georg Herwig
      • Johann Baptist Cattaneo
      • Lukas Cattaneo
      • Emanuel Grunauer
      • Friedrich Börner
      • Christian Gottlieb Hegele
      • Christoph H Bonwetsch
      • Gottlieb N Bonwetsch
      • Wilhelm Staerkel
      • Woldemar Sibbul
      • David Weigum
      • Friedrich Alexander Wacker
      • Emil Pfeiffer
    • Church Practices >
      • Baptism
      • Confirmation
      • Weddings
      • Communion
      • Prayers
      • Parochial Certificates
    • Church Buildings
    • Church Organs
    • Bell Tower
    • Brethren Movement
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Research Resources >
      • Arrival Records 1766
      • Descendant Charts
      • German EWZ Records
      • Soviet Gulag Records
    • Maps
    • Glossary
    • Bibliography
    • Periodicals >
      • Die Welt-Post Letters
      • Sonntagsblatt der Omaha Tribune
    • Related Links