Welcome to the Portland, Oregon based chapter of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society

Our Chapter is called:

Germans from Russia

 Oregon and Washington (GROW)

We received our charter from GRHS on July 21, 2001 and became the 33rd Chapter 

registered with the Germans from Russia Heritage Society

WHO ARE THE GERMANS FROM RUSSIA

Germans who emigrated from Germany to Russia at the invitations of Catherine the Great, Czarina of Russia in 1762, and later, her grandson, Alexander I in 1803 to populate Russian lands with farmers and craftsmen.  Generally, the Volga River area began settlement during Catherine's time with the newly acquired Black Sea territories settled by farmers during Alexander's reign.  

Many of these Germans went to Russia because of religious conflicts and the lack of available farmland in Germany.  With incentives from the Russian Government of free land, deferred and reduced taxes and exemption from military service in addition to being allowed to retain their language and culture by living in their own ethnic villages, with German-language schools  and churches, many Germans made the arduous journey to the east.

Beginning in the later 1800s, the military exemptions were removed and the older sons of the German families had to serve in the Russian military.   Additionally, the Germans were no longer allowed to teach school in the German language.  Instead all instruction had to be in Russian.  

This prompted many of the ethnic Germans in Russia to immigrate to North & South America in the late 1800's and early 1900s, generally settling in Argentina, Brazil, and the plains of the United States and Canada.