[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] germans from russia from ukraine and so on

[Krampetz at aol.com]

The Germans born in "Occupied Poland" from about 1860 on,  were
told they were Russian,  and had to use Russian in their church  documents.
 
And I've mentioned one case of a German born near Lipno, emigrating  before
WWI,  told his grandson (who emailed the story to me),  that his  gf had
 never heard the word "Germany" until he came here.  He thought  of himself
as "German speaking Russian"! 
 
  I'd be interesting to hear that confirmed by others.
 
Bob K.
 
 
 
In a message dated 02/11/11 10:32:35 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
benovich at imt.net writes:

Don't  
we in our minds think of them as "Germans from Poland" rather than as  
"Russian Germans"?  But then again, the very idea of a "Polish  German" has 
been anathema ever since the purveyors of Deutschtum began,  between the 
wars, to bemoan the existence of so many "polonized"  Germans.