HISTORY OF THE GLÜCKSTAL COLONIES - Maps: Moldova, Colonies

 

Dr. Adam Giesinger writes in From Catherine to Khruschev, a volume giving an overall history for the German colonies in Russia, the following about the Glückstal District:

 

"Of the German immigrants who were to become the founders of the Glückstal Colonies, the first group, 70 families of Württemberger, were settled in the Armenian town of Grigoriopol on the Dniester in 1804 - 1805. In 1806 they were joined by 9 families from Poland, in 1807 by 24 families from Hungary and in 1808-09 by 3 families from Germany until there were 106 German families, with 525 people, in Grigoriopol. Because of friction with the Armenians and other factors, the government decided to resettle the Germans by having them trade places with the Moldavians of the Village of Glinoi, 10 versts from the Dniester, northeast of Grigoriopol. The resettlement took place in the spring of 1809 and founded three additional villages in 1809-1810. The four colonies thus founded were: Glückstal (1809), Neudorf (1809), Bergdorf (1809), Kassel (1810). The first three were close together; Kassel was about 15 versts to the south. In addition to Württemberger, who formed the largest group among the Glückstal Colonists, there was a large group of Alsatians and smaller numbers from Baden, the Palatinate and various other parts of Germany. All were Protestants, the majority Lutheran, a minority Reformed." ¹

 

Regarding the daughter colonies,

 

"Although the Glückstal Colonies had lost some of their people through migration to Bessarabia in the years 1843-1847 (where they settled in Hoffnungstal), the population of the four villages quadrupled in the first half century, from 1,770 at the founding to 6,890 in 1860. The first daughter colony was founded in 1855; several others in the following decades. Among them were the following: east of Kassel, between Kassel and the Bolshoi-Kujalnik: 1. Klein Neudorf, 2. Klein Glückstal, 3 Neu-Glückstal (Zibuljewka) (1860), 4. Neu Kassel, near Glückstal, 5. Klein Bergdorf (1867), 6. Krontal & Neu Glückstal (Woltschanowka) (1889). There were others as well..." ¹

The Glückstal Parish

The Kassel Parish

The Bergdorf Parish

The Hoffnungstal Parish

The Neudorf Parish

Sources and Suggested Reading

Editorial Notes:

A verst = 0.6629 mile, and is a Russian measure of length.

 

The dates of founding of the Glückstal Colonies, according to Karl Stumpp, The Emigration from Germany to Russia for 1763 to 1862, is given as 1804 for Glückstal, 1810 for Bergdorf, 1808 for Kassel, and 1808 for Neudorf. There are additional obvious inconsistencies in the authoritative information presented by various authors and their research in regards to dates and other details. It is left to the reader to determine what is correct from the various authorities presented.)