Russian Archives
Both church and civil records for the colony of Norka are held in at least six separate archives in Russia. The following is a list of known documents related to Norka that are held in the Russian archives.
Engels Archive (State Historical Archive of the Volga Germans)
- 1767 Census Revision List ("First Settlers List"). This list has been translated by Igor Pleve and published in the book Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767. The colony of Norka is included in volume 3. Digital images of the original census list are privately held.
- Parish registers of births: 1833-1855; 1834-1861; 1858-1872; 1872-1883. This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
- Parish registers of marriages: 1849-1868, 1838-1911 (certificates); 1849-1911. This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
- Parish registers of deaths: 1834-1868; 1869; 1849-1872; 1883-1911 (certificates). This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
- Parish registers of confirmations: 1835-1873. This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
- Parish registers of family lists (a combination of birth, confirmation, marriage, death and communion records) were created for the following time periods: 1834-1845, 1846-1860, 1876-1890, 1891-1905, 1905-1907. The registers 1861-1875 were deemed unreadable and destroyed by the archive. The 1846-1860 register has been deemed to be extremely fragile and the archive will not copy it. Digital copies of the 1834-1845, 1876-1890, and 1891-1905 registers were acquired by the Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University. The 1891-1905 is missing a significant number of households, but what remains has been translated to English. The translation of this register can be purchased from Dr. Brent Mai. The remaining two registers that were acquired will also be translated to English.
- Metrical excerpts of the Norka District: 1857; 1858; 1863-1867, 1869; 1871; 1856-1861.
Sources
List prepared by Vera Beljakova-Miller, with revisions by Gary Martens from information provided by the Director of the Russian Archives, Engels (2010-2012), and additional revisions by Mila Koretnikov.
Regional Archives of the Russian Federation
Engles archive website
Regional Archives of the Russian Federation
Engles archive website
Samara Archive
- Census Revision List of 1857.
- The Samara archive also holds a list of Norka households that resettled to other colonies by 1858. The list was filmed by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is available to view and download at FamilySearch.org. The list was translated to English by Alex Baumung.
- A collection of Parochialschein, birth and baptism records were also filmed by the LDS church and are available on FamilySearch.org.
Source
The State Archives of Saratov Oblast (GASO)
The Saratov archive maintained the records for the Office for the Guardianship of Foreign Settlers which was established in 1766 and was maintained until 1870. This office strictly regulated the everyday life and work in the colonies. Many of the early records maintained by the Guardianship were destroyed by the rebel Emelian Pugachev and his followers during their raid on Saratov in August 1774.
- List of Volga German colonists who received passports for travel to America in 1899 (1)
- 1767 Census Revision List (2)
- 1835, 1850, 1857, 1859 census lists (2)
- 1894-1910 births (2)
- 1899-1919 marriages - Fond 637, Opus 18, Delo 158 (2)
- 1898 list of household owners (2)
- Fond 637 - "Collection of registers of births of churches of the Saratov province". Inventories number 3-40: registers of births of churches of Saratov province and the book of the state civil registration (assembly books with birth records, wedding, divorce, death) department of the Registry Office of Saratov Province for 1845-1924. (3)
Sources
(1) Prepared by Igor Pleve and posted on the Wolgadeutsche.net website (Russian).
(2) Information provided by Dr. Lyudmila Koretnikov.
(3) Information provided by Alexander Schreiber.
(4) Samokhvalova, Natalia. "Documents on the Volga Germans History in the State Archive of Saratov Oblast Funds."
(2) Information provided by Dr. Lyudmila Koretnikov.
(3) Information provided by Alexander Schreiber.
(4) Samokhvalova, Natalia. "Documents on the Volga Germans History in the State Archive of Saratov Oblast Funds."
Saratov Oblast Interior Affairs Administration Information Center
- Norka deportation lists - 1941. This 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.
Source
Yulia Tsymbal, AHSGR Translations, Archive Special Projects Coordinator & Research Assistant. The Saratov Regional Department of Interior Affairs Information is currently (2014) closed to researchers, but family members may request deportation records directly from the archive.
St. Petersburg Archive
- Correspondence on the petition of Melchior Konrad Hahn, resident of the colony Norka, Kamyshin uyezd, Saratov Province, to give back his land, which was seized by Obervorsteher Schnell, 1856 (Fond 383, Op. 19, d. 25412). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- Census Revision List of Norka residents, 1798 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 824). This document was translated by Brent Mai and published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.
- Case of the complaint of Norka residents that they did not get enough land in 1802 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 992). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- Documents on the investigation by the senator K.I. Gablitz of the complaints of Norka residents about the lack of land and abuse of timber distribution for the construction of colonists’ houses in 1802 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 989. Pp. 129-134; D. 994. Pp. 27-34). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- Lists of household owners of Norka, Kamyshin uyezd, Saratov Province with information on the amount of plowed land and land under crop as well as taxes paid, 1807-1809 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 1041).
- Lists of those who lost their colonist’s title in Norka, Kamyshin uyezd, Saratov Province in the period from March 5, 1798 till October 26, 1808 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 1046). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- 1811 Census of Norka, Kamyshin uyezd, Saratov Province (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 1060. P. 78-99). Digital images of the original census list have been obtained.
- Case on land surveying in Kamyshin uyezd along the rivers Lomovka and Dobrinka and ravines Karaguchu Bulu and Krutnikovu to give this land to 39 Lutheran colonies, including Norka, 1837-1848 (Fond 383, Op. 29, d. 1126).
- Case on the conversion from Russian Orthodox to Lutheran confession of Heinrich Heiser, Norka resident. 1868-1871 (Fond 821, Op. 5, d. 242). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- Information on the work of the Norka parish pastor Wilhelm Sterkel (Stärkel), 1889. (Fond 821, Op. 5, d. 1454, pp. 153-154). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
- Information on the work of the Norka parish pastor Waldemar Sibbul, 1897. (Fond 821, Op. 5, d. 1477, pp. 168-171). Digital images of the original documents have been obtained.
Source
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Federal Archival Agency, Russian State Historical Archives in St. Petersburg, Russia. Letter listing documents related to Norka translated by Dr. Lyudmila Koretnikov, February 2014, Rastatt, Germany.
Volgograd Archive
- Parish register of marriages: 1904. This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
- Parish register of deaths: 1894-1895. This group of records has not been translated as a complete collection.
Source
Last updated March 14, 2021.