Research Resources

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Research Resources

Below are the known and available resources that will help you research your Norka families. The list is presented in categories and then in chronological order. A brief description of the record type and a link to where the information can be obtained is provided for each source.

Records in Germany (and other parts of Europe)

1766 and earlier. Read about the Founders of Norka. Many of the first settlers in Russia have been documented through research in German parish records. Links to the research articles on these people are provided on the Founders page.

1766 Lists of colonists were made by the head of Russian recruitment, Johann Facius, and his staff. Digital copies of these documents have been acquired, but they do not list all colonists. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1766 Many couples were married before departure from Germany. The lists have been translated and published in the books "German Migration to the Russian Volga (1764-1767): Origins and Destinations" by Brent Mai and Dona Reeves-Marquardt and "Büdingen Als Sammelplatz Der Auswanderung an Die Wolga 1766" by Klaus-Peter Decker.

Images of the original Büdingen marriage records can be viewed on Family History Library Microfilm #1197023.

Images of the original Lübeck marriage records can be viewed on Family History Library Microfilms #326271, #326156, #326254, #326121, #326169.

Russian Ship Arrival Records (the Kulberg Lists) and Transport Lists

1766 The so-called "Kulberg Lists" document the arrival of colonists in Russia by ship. Igor Pleve's translation of these lists is included in his book "List of Colonists to Russia 1766". This book is available for purchase from AHSGR.

Digital images of the original Kulberg Lists have been acquired. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1766 A more complete list of ship arrivals and information about the colonists onboard is presented in "Deutsche Kolonisten Im Jahr 1766 In Oranienbaum Und In Den Siedlungsorten - Die Kuhlberg-Listen" by Andreas Idt and Georg Rauschenbach (published in 2024). This book also documents the colony where the colonists settled and their listing in the 1767 census. Contact the authors for more information.

1766-1767 Transport lists of the colonists have been obtained and translated by Georg Rauschenbach and Andreas Idt in their book "Deutsche Kolonisten auf dem Weg von St. Petersburg nach Saratov - Transportlisten von 1766-1767". Not all Norka families are included in these lists.

Census Lists

1767 Census of Norka. The first census of Norka and all the Volga German colonies was taken in late 1767 and early 1768. A translation of these census lists can be found in Igor Pleve's four volume set titled "Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767" (Immigration to the Volga Region 1764-1767). Norka is included in Band 3 (Volume 3). Unfortunately, this volume is no longer in print or available from AHSGR.

1775 Census of Norka. An English translation of the 1775 & 1798 census of Norka is available for purchase from AHSGR.

Index and List of Corrections by Alexander Baumung (Excel file - German language)

1798 Census of Norka. An English translation of the 1798 Norka census (and all the other German colonies) is included in the 2 volume set titled "1798 Census of the German Colonies along the Volga". Available for purchase from AHSGR.

An English translation of the 1775 & 1798 census of Norka is also available for purchase from AHSGR.

1811 Census of Norka. English translation available for purchase from AHSGR.

Translation and corrections to the AHSGR translation by Alexander Baumung (Excel file).

Additions to the 1811 Norka Census translated by Rick Rye for AHSGR. This list prepared by Alexander Baumung (Word file).

1834 Census of Norka. Dated 20 December 1834. German translation by Alexander Baumung.

1857 Census of Norka. Dated 21 January 1858. German translation by Alexander Baumung.

Church Registers

1834-1845 Norka Church Register. This register has been translated by Michelle Monson and Roger Burbank (view the Google worksheet). Contact Roger Burbank for questions about this translation.

1846-1860 Norka Church Register. Digital images have been acquired and indexed but have not been fully translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups. A list of corrections to the AHSGR translation of this document will be posted here in the future.

1876-1890 Norka Church Register. Digital images have been acquired and indexed but have not been fully translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1891-1905 Norka Church Register. A partial English translation is available from Brent Mai. Households numbered 211 through 278 and 647 through 1033 are missing from this translation. After the publication of this translation, the book containing most of the missing households (647 to 1033) was found at the archive, and digital images were acquired. Entries for the missing households have been translated by Michelle Monson (Excel File). Contact Roger Burbank with any questions about these translations.

Birth & Baptism Records

1834-1858; 1859-1872; 1873-1883; 1894-1902 Norka Birth Records. Not translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1864-1865 Norka Birth Records. Digital images have been acquired and indexed but have not been fully translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1894-1902 Norka Births Records. An English translation is available for purchase from AHSGR.

1903-1910 Norka Birth Records. Digital images have been acquired but have not been translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

The following records are available from the Saratov (GASO) Archive. Copies have not been purchased. Krasnoarmejskij District (page 232):

1922-1925 Births from Balzer, Grimm, Norka and Beideck (No. 925)

1922-1923 Births from Norka (No. 926)

1924 Births from Norka (No. 932)

1925 Births from Norka (No. 935)

Marriage Records

1849-1868 Norka Marriages Records. Not translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1878-1883 Norka and Huck Marriage Records. Digital images have been acquired but have not been translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

1899-1919 Norka Marriage Register. Digital images have been acquired but have not been translated. Contact Steve Schreiber for look-ups.

The following records are available from the Saratov (GASO) Archive. Copies have not been purchased. Krasnoarmejskij District (page 232):

1922-1925 Marriages from Balzer, Grimm, Norka, Beideck, Moor, Kutter, Anton and Schilling (Nos. 936-939). Some periods are missing from these years, including January-June 1922, October-December 1923, and 1924.

Death Records

1834-1868; 1869-1872 Norka Death Records. Not translated. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

The following records are available from the Saratov (GASO) Archive. Copies have not been purchased. Krasnoarmejskij District (page 232):

1923 Deaths from Balzer, Grimm, Norka, Beideck, Moor, Kutter, Schilling (No. 943)

Confirmation Records

1837-1873 Joanne Krieger obtained photocopies of confirmation records for Norka for this period. The translation (in PDF format) can be downloaded here.

Migration and Deportation Records

1899 List of Volga German colonists who received passports for travel to America in 1899. Prepared by Igor Pleve and posted on the Wolgadeutsche.net website (Russian language. Use Google or Safari browser to translate).

1877-1916 Russian Passport Applications - Searchable applicant list. See details on the AHSGR website.

1941 Norka deportation lists. These lists contain the names of families that were deported to Siberia and Central Asia in 1941 by order of the Soviet government. All ethnic Germans were subject to this order. The Saratov Regional Department of Interior Affairs Information holds these records. Immediate family members may request deportation records directly from the archive.

1941 German EWZ records

1941-1989 Soviet records of Norka colonists in Special Settlements and Gulags.

Records for Neu-Norka and other daughter colonies of Norka

Many residents of Norka moved to daughter colonies in the 1850s. These colonies include Neu-Norka, Brunnental, Langenfeld, Oberdorf, Rosenfeld, and others.

1857 Census of Neu-Norka. Dated 23 February 1858. German translation by Alexander Baumung.

1858 List of colonists from Norka that resettled in Daughter Colonies by 1858. This list is a translation of the original Russian documents (images 574-604) available on FamilySearch.org. The English translation was created by Alexander Baumung.

The following church records for the daughter colony of Neu-Norka were purchased and translated by Alexander Baumung.

1902 Births and Baptisms (German translation Excel file)
1908-1914 Births and Baptisms (German translation Excel file)
1919-1922 Births (To be translated)
1894 and 1905 Marriages (German translation Excel File)
1919-1921 Marriages (German translation Excel File)
1904 and 1913 Deaths (German translation Excel File)
1919-1922 Deaths (German translation Excel file)

Records for the daughter colony of Langenfeld were purchased by Maggie Hein and translated by Roger and Mary Burbank.

1872-1892 Births and Christenings (PDF File)
1872-1891 Langenfeld Deaths (PDF File)

The Langenfeld 1857 census has been acquired. Contact Roger Burbank for look-ups.

Contact Sherrie Gettman-Stahl for Brunnental records.

Descendant Charts and the Norka Database

1766-1900s Descendants charts have been created for many Norka families. Dr. Igor Pleve of Saratov, Russia, prepared most of these charts. These charts begin with the heads of household who arrived in Russia in 1766 and follow their descendants to the late 1800s or early 1900s. AHSGR holds an extensive collection of charts and sells copies if authorized by the donor. The Family History Library has many charts that can be viewed in Salt Lake City.

1766-2000s Many sources listed above have been extracted and incorporated into a computerized Norka Database. For assistance, contact the Norka database manager, Louis Schleuger.

Last updated April 1, 2025