Please note that this site is under reconstruction. Please be patient as all the content from the old site is added to the new site.
Welcome to The Volga Germans in Portland. This site is an online resource for learning about the settlement of this ethnic group in Oregon. Migrating from the Germanic areas of Western Europe in the 1760's, they settled along the Volga River near the city of Saratov and established colonies on the vast unsettled steppes of Russia. These German colonists built stable communities, were strong in their religious faith, and revered home and family. 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 Americas in the later part of the nineteenth century.
In the late 1800's, Volga Germans began to settle in Portland, Oregon and 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.
Photograph of Henry and Katherin Miller's children about 1925 (contributed by Chris Kauhi)