Welcome to The Volga Germans in Portland website. This site is an online resource for learning about the history, heritage and settlement of this ethnic group in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Migrating from the Germanic areas of Western Europe in the 1760's, these colonists settled along the Volga River near the city of Saratov and established colonies on the vast unsettled steppes of Russia.
The colonists built stable communities, established farms, churches, schools and businesses in their new homeland in Russia.
Henry Wunsch and a friend at the service station located on NE 7th and Fremont. Photograph courtesy of Kris (Wunsch) Zelinka.
In the later part of the 19th century, these ethnic Germans looked to find new opportunities, escape political repression and preserve their way of life. Many Germans living in Russia's lower Volga River region came to the United States and Canada during this time period - settling first in the Midwestern regions. By the early 1880s these pioneers were moving west and many came to call Portland their new home.
Henry E. Hergert, a Volga German from Brunnental, Russia, owned two saloons in NE Portland from the early 1900's to about 1912. One of the establishments was on the corner of Union & Russell (shown above) and the other was located at Goldsmith (now Larrabee) & Russell near the Albina rail yard. Photograph courtesy of Carol and Teresa Gass.
The Volga Germans became an integral part of the diverse fabric of this community. This site is dedicated to those families, their ancestors, and the descendants who carry on their memory. I hope that you will explore the culture, history and heritage of the Volga Germans in Portland and become active in its preservation.
The Wooden Shoe Tavern Softball Team in Irving Park. Many of the players were from Volga German families.
Many Volga Germans that settled in Portland were from the colony of Norka, Russia.
Photograph of Henry and Katherine Miller's children about 1925. Photograph courtesy of Chris Kauhi.
The Second German Congregational Church was located on NE 8th and Skidmore until 1961.
The Center for Volga German Studies invites you to attend the
2012 American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Annual Convention
being held at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon
14-17 June 2012
Schedule / Registration / Accommodations / Call for Papers
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RECENT ADDITIONS AND NEWS
The Vogel Family by Ginny Mapes, Marilynne Kinner and Rosemary Meier
Departing for the New World a time of sadness by Milton Bauer
Can you help identify this Derr family from Portland?
German-Russian Recipe books by Reuben Bauer
Jerry Schleining remembers the Volga German neighborhood in NE Portland (139 MB mp3 file)
Newly acquired photograph of the German Congregational Evangelical Brethren Church and congregation circa 1927.
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is evaluating the creation of heritage markers on Martin Luther King Blvd. (formerly Union Avenue). These heritage markers may honor individuals, cultural or historical events, or topics of significance to the inner northeast neighborhoods of Portland. The project website can be seen here. Please contact the PDC and let them know that you support the recognition of the Volga Germans as part of this program.
A wonderful website titled MLK in Motion by historian Alan Silver covers the history of this well known Portland street. Featured on the site are some Volga German landmarks such as the Weimer Hardware Building, now known as the Heritage Building which was purchased by the PDC.
The first house of the Heinrich Hagelganz family at 797 Haight Street, Portland, Oregon, about 1907. Living a few blocks south on Haight street was the Heinrich Gerlach family. Mr. Gerlach sponsored the Hagelganz family (from the colony of Kutter), paying one half of the passage fee. Both families attended the Free Evangelical Brethren Church. Photograph courtesy of Joanne Krieger.
Portland is the home of The Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University. Visit the CVGS website for more information about the Volga Germans and upcoming events in the Portland area.
The Center for Volga German Studies publishes Sigrid Weidenweber's trilogy "The Volga Flows Forever" which tells a story of the Volga Germans from the time of Catherine the Great.
The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability offers an excellent online resource list of Portland street name changes. The list is in Microsoft Excel format.
1938 Second German Congregational Church Confirmation Class Photo
According to Scott Bolliger, this is the home of John and Elizabeth Bauer who lived at 4048 NE Mallory Avenue. This couple had several children: Adam, John Jr., George, Harry and Henry. John was a brother to Adam Bauer. Adam Bauer married Catherine Kniss who was the sister of my Great Grandfather, Conrad Kniss.