[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] German Migration to Volhynia

Howard Krushel krushelh at telus.net
Fri Apr 23 19:36:01 PDT 2010


Dick:
S.Nikel in "Deutschen In Wolhynien" speaks to the administrative
requirements for Volhynien immigrants.
On page 18 he indicates that every immigrant had to obtain an exit
certificate which had to be signed off by the local authorities in regard to
his legal status, financial status and status as determined by the Police.
This was enacted as per section 17 and 19 of a Law of May 27, 1836. He was
given 9 months from the date of issuance to decide on a new location of
residence.
Upon completion of the local formalities(in Volhynia) he would be registered
in a particular Village; this registration list he calls the "Reviskaja
skaska", which we call the Revision list.
Nikel claims that there were many hoops to jump through before one was
registered.
Not being registered in a particular village caused many problems.
Page 21 indicates that that the most difficult problem was that as long as
the settler was NOT entered into the, what he calls the "Staatspalata", he
would have to serve his military duty in Poland.
Page 20 has a translation of an Oath of Allegiance which had to be verified
by the Volhynian Government Pastor and a Russian Bureaucrat.
Page 20/21 indicates that a large number of German settlers had German and
Austrian citizenship. In the Shitomir district in 1890 17% (6468) had
foreign citizenship.
This was used against the Germans, as nationalism began to gain favor in
Russia. I do recall reading about Germans traveling to the German consulate
in Kiev in order to renew their citizenship which could expire, was it,
every 5th Year?   
The time period Nikel was generally referring to was the 1860s and 70s.
Page 21 indicates that the Germans were known as "Free people" whereas the
Ukrainians until 1861 were still subservient to a Landlord

This is a quick overview as per Nikel, using my very basic German skills.

Howard Krushel

































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