[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Deportations

[GVLESS at aol.com]

Hi, Delores - I think I can provide you with some quick answers but I will 
hope some on this list who are the "experts" will say something.  My husband and 
I by 2001 completed and published a family book so did some research in the 
question that  you asked - was there something going on in Volhynia prior to 
1915, etc.?   Yes, if you check Russian history stuff.  For one thing, all the 
privileges that Catherine the Great gave to the German-speaking people many 
years before such as freedom from military, freedom of language, etc. etc. was 
revoked by later Czars.  Russian had to be taught in schools and used in 
churches.  Men of military age were unwilling to go into the military.  Those that 
did came back with stories of hardship, persecution because they were German, 
etc.  My husband's uncle left Volhynia in 1903 (who came home on leave from the 
military & decided to take his wife and new baby and leave Volhynia thru an 
"underground" escape plan", and his brother (my husband's father) who was 18 in 
1904 came to the States then (probably leaving the same way in a pre-arranged 
"escape plan".  My husband's grandfather on his mother's side left Volhynia as 
early as 1893 because the grandfather's wife's brother who was a medic in the 
Russian army came home in 1890 and said that they should leave as it didn't 
look good for anyone of German heritage.  So personally we have these stories.  
But history material is available telling us of  this change as well in 
attitudes toward our people.  A number of Volhynians left for South America as well 
as North America in the 1890's.  My mother's parents who were from the Volga 
region came to the States even earlier than that, in 1887 to the Midwest.  (I 
can qualify as a descendant of a Nebraska pioneer even!  My grandmother had 4 
brothers of draft age and no doubt their parents just decided it was time to 
leave on their own before being forced out which happened many years later in 
WWII time where Siberian exile was the norm).     The revoking of the 
privileges was the red flag for many.  And, of course, the economic situation was a 
major concern.   I am sure many who were in the Black Sea areas also began to 
question what was developing and began to leave as well.  Especially with the 
Mennonites being pacifists.  By time of WWI of course, it was evident - that all 
German-speaking people were not to be trusted, said the Russians,  so those in 
Volhynia and some in Black Sea areas close to borders where the German army 
would be were "deported" (forced to leave).  It became worse then by the late 
1930's of course when WWII came about.  

Just a short summary above but wanted to respond.  I am excited about the 
responses that people are making right now on the SGGEE listserv asking or 
providing some insight on what they know about the situation in Volhynia, and of 
course, some of the concern about German-speaking people was quite evident in the 
Russian-Poland areas as well.  I think we are just beginning to hear these 
stories since more has always been said about the persecutions of the Germans in 
Russia around the WWII period but never much of those in Volhynia.  All of 
you, keep sharing what you know.  

Sincerely,
Virginia