“The mission of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia is to discover, collect, preserve, and disseminate information related to the history, cultural heritage, and genealogy of Germanic settlers in the Russian Empire and their descendants.”
On October 4, my husband and I took the Self-Guided Tour of AHSGR Headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is a photo of me in front of the Germans from Russia Immigrant Family Statue which depicts the typical German-Russian immigrant family as they arrived in the United States, Canada, and South America. Pete Felten’s sculpture portrays the faith, hardship, and endurance of the Germans from Russia.
The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia International Headquarters was built in Lincoln, in part because of the concentration of the German Russians in the capitol city. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, German Russians made up 40 percent of the population of Lancaster county. This means that four out of every ten people you might meet on the streets of Lincoln would be of German Russian Heritage.
This photo is of the AHSGR/Jake Sinner Headquarters building located at 631 D Street in Lincoln. It houses a small exhibit area, a library, A.A. Flegel Genealogical Research Center, bookstore, gift shop, and museum, upstairs. Here are a few of the photos I took in the museum.
Other buildings to tour are: the All Faiths Chapel, the Summer Kitchen, the Barn and Manger, the Robert Kincaide Blacksmith Shop, and the General Store.
The All Faiths Chapel was built by AHSGR in recognition of the strong religious convictions of the Germans from Russia. This chapel houses the furnishings from the historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado. The Summer Kitchen is a replica built by AHSGR, and represents a common German-Russian household. The barn and manger once stood behind the Amen house. The barn was in use when it was still possible to have farm animals within the city limits. The blacksmith shop is typical of a blacksmith shop found in the German-Russian neighborhoods. Lastly, the general store houses exhibits of items one might find in local German-Russian grocery store.
I highly recommend visiting the AHSGR Headquarters. You will find the people to be helpful and friendly.
