Thomas Bauer
Thomas Bauer was born about 1757, the son of Johann Georg and Louisa Elisabeth Bauer, Reformed faith farmers from Isenburg. The Bauer's had another son, Johann Georg (born about 1761).
In the late spring or early summer of 1766, the Bauer's decided to take advantage of Catherine the Great's Manifesto and the promise of a better life in Russia. They likely joined other would be colonists who were gathering in the city of Büdingen. In Büdingen, the colonists were organized into transport groups for the one year journey to the lower Volga.
In 1766, the Bauer's transport group departed from the port of Lübeck on the north German coast and arrived in Oranienbaum, Russia (now Lomonosov) on August 10, 1766 aboard the Russian pink Vologda. A large group of people who would settle in Norka were traveling on this same ship. Most were from Isenburg and Hessen.
The Bauer family departed from Oranienbaum in the transport group led by Johann Conrad Weigandt. The colony of Norka was originally known as Weigandt in honor of Conrad's service as Vorsteher.
Thomas is shown living in the Weigandt household in 1767 as an orphan. It is likely that Thomas's parents and brother died enroute to the Volga region and the Weigandt's agreed to care for him.
Another single young man, Karl Maul (age 20), who had arrived in Russia on the same ship as the Weigandt's was also living with them at the time of the 1767 census.
In the late spring or early summer of 1766, the Bauer's decided to take advantage of Catherine the Great's Manifesto and the promise of a better life in Russia. They likely joined other would be colonists who were gathering in the city of Büdingen. In Büdingen, the colonists were organized into transport groups for the one year journey to the lower Volga.
In 1766, the Bauer's transport group departed from the port of Lübeck on the north German coast and arrived in Oranienbaum, Russia (now Lomonosov) on August 10, 1766 aboard the Russian pink Vologda. A large group of people who would settle in Norka were traveling on this same ship. Most were from Isenburg and Hessen.
The Bauer family departed from Oranienbaum in the transport group led by Johann Conrad Weigandt. The colony of Norka was originally known as Weigandt in honor of Conrad's service as Vorsteher.
Thomas is shown living in the Weigandt household in 1767 as an orphan. It is likely that Thomas's parents and brother died enroute to the Volga region and the Weigandt's agreed to care for him.
Another single young man, Karl Maul (age 20), who had arrived in Russia on the same ship as the Weigandt's was also living with them at the time of the 1767 census.
Sources
Pleve, I. R. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg. Saratov, Russia: Saratov State Technical U, 2010. Print.
Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in Das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767 Kolonien Laub- Preuss. Gottingen: Nordost-Institut, 2005. Print.
Schultz, Ruth. Research LDS International Film # 1195346.
The Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University
Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in Das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767 Kolonien Laub- Preuss. Gottingen: Nordost-Institut, 2005. Print.
Schultz, Ruth. Research LDS International Film # 1195346.
The Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University
Last updated May 30, 2018.