About the North Star Chapter of MN
The North Star Chapter of Minnesota is an organization dedicated to the preservation of the Germans from Russia Heritage. The Germans from Russia are a unique people who emigrated from South Russia to the United States and Canada in the later part of the 19th Century. They settled in areas from Oklahoma to North Dakota in the United States and also immigrated to Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada. More information is available through the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society. Links to each societies website can be found elsewhere in this website.
The Germans from Russia are descendents of Germans who settled in Russia during a period of approximately one years, from 1763 to 1862. The history of German settlements in Russia began with the reign of Tsarina Catherine II (Catherine the Great) and her issuance of a manifesto in July 1763 enticing West Europeans to settle in Russia.
Much history including wars and oppression by the government that followed Catherine and turmoil within Russia is what lead up to many immigrating to North and South America. Those in North America settled from Kansas to North Dakota and also into Colorado but you will find descendents of Germans from Russia in other states including Ohio, Wisconsin, Washington and California.
Others did stay in Russia and it is estimated that perhaps two million of German ethnic origin remain in the former USSR today.
