American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

Do you have a special item, memorable experience, or valuable service that others would be excited to bid on? We’re seeking high-quality, desirable donations such as Gift baskets, artwork, local outings, gift cards, and other standout items

Every contribution will help support our operating fund and make a real difference in our fundraising efforts.

If you have a submission, please reach out to Emily at [email protected] or bring them with you.

https://ahsgr.org/convention-2026/

Germans from Russia: Food and Culinary Traditions

From apples to wheat, this presentation will explore German-Russian food traditions, production methods and explain how food was tied to their culture. Find out how Germans from Russia were instrumental in bringing food crops to the United States and how this shaped our modern-day agriculture. Learn about recipes that have been passed down through generations and see how dishes varied by region, religion and
family tradition.

Kim Phillips is a writer and history buff who grew up in western Kansas, aware of her German-Russian heritage. She learned to cook Volga German dishes from her grandmother and great grandmother. Kim and her husband Mark ran a country bed and breakfast in central Missouri where they offered farm-to-table dishes sourcing the majority of food from local farms. She now lives in Leawood, Kansas where she researches and practices traditional recipes.

Register today: https://ahsgr.org/convention-2026/

The Calgary Chapter library will be open Tuesday, June 9, 2026 summer hours from 2:00 p.m. to only 6:00 p.m. to allow the librarian to attend another meeting that evening. Please make an appointment for other times, see our website for contact info for Mabel Kiessling.
There will be no DVD shown at the library for June, July and August.
Ascension Lutheran Church
1432 - 19 St NE,
Calgary, AB
T2E 4Y2
Library is located on the main level. Please use the front door on 19th street.
There will be a "Calgary Chapter Library" sign on the door and a doorbell.

The digital Summer Journal and Newsletter are now available to members! Those who receive print publications can expect delivery within the next few weeks.

To read the newsletter, visit: https://ahsgr.org/publications/newsletters/
To read the Journal, visit: https://ahsgr.org/publications/journals/

Get your raffle tickets here!

https://ahsgr.org/event/ahsgr-56th-annual-convention/

This presentation highlights the main features of Braucherei, or the folk traditions of “faith healing,” among many German from Russia Catholics and Protestants. This form of folk culture played an integral role in people’s daily and spiritual lives well into the twentieth century.

Braucherei beliefs and rituals functioned as a quiet but powerful form of Christian folk medicine across Central Europe, the Russian Empire, and beyond to the Americas. Rooted in Scripture, prayer, breath, gesture, and herbal knowledge, these longstanding practices were neither fully sanctioned nor entirely suppressed by official church authorities. Instead, Braucherei occupied a liminal space, remaining primarily domestic rather than institutional, and more often practiced by women. Female Brauche “faith healers” also typically passed down such practices through their female bloodlines.

https://ahsgr.org/event/treffen-tuesday-13-18-7/

A summer kitchen is a separate cooking space often located away from the main house, used primarily during warm weather. It helps keep the house cooler by allowing cooking outside the primary living area. Such kitchens typically featured their own cooking facilities, sometimes including brick ovens for baking and preparing meals and preserves for the winter.

John George Riedel Family in front of a house with summer kitchen. Anna, Lydia, Anna, Marie, Jacob, George, John and a cousin Alex.

Online Collections Database https://ahsgr.org/research/archives-and-special-collections/

Napoleonic Soldiers Join the Volga Germans

In 1814, approximately 180 soldiers that had been captured by the Russians during Napoleon’s invasion were settled among the German colonies along the Russian Volga River. These former soldiers joined a very vibrant and unique Volga German culture. Descendants of many of these soldiers later migrated to the Plains of Kansas. This presentation will delve into this topic with a discussion about who these soldiers were and how they came to be a part of the Volga German diaspora.

Dr. Brent Mai currently serves as the Dean of Libraries at Wichita State University. He is also the director of the Volga German Institute (VolgaGermanInstitute.org). He has spoken worldwide about the history and culture of the Volga Germans. Dr. Mai has also written extensively about the history and culture of Volga Germans, authoring numerous books and articles for AHSGR and translating hundreds of Russian documents that are used by Volga German researchers around the world. Dr.Mai holds degrees from Bethany College (Kansas), George Washington University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Vanderbilt University. Dr. Mai has been a Life Member of AHSGR since 1982.

Register Today: https://ahsgr.org/convention-2026/

AHSGR - American Historical Society of Germans from Russia AHSGR (American Historical Society of Germans from Russia) is dedicated to the preservation and continuation of German Russian heritage.

AHSGR has created a virtual tour of the historic German-Russian neighborhood, the North Bottoms, in Lincoln, NE! We invite you to tour Lincoln’s North Bottoms Neighborhood and learn about the influence of German Russian immigrants on this neighborhood. We would like to thank the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation for funding this project.

View this and other virtual tours at: https://ahsgr.org/virtual_tours/