Low German Mennonite Colonies in Volyn Governorate (Volhynia), Empire of Russia

 

Low German Mennonites began establishing colonies in Volyn Governorate (Волынская губерния) in 1801 when settlers from Deutsch-Michalin moved to Ostrog Uyezd (county) to establish Karolswalde.  [Note: Deutsch-Michalin, established in 1791, was never located in Volyn Governorate administratively although in Mennonite circles it’s usually grouped together with the Volhynian colonies.  Details below.]  Ultimately, these Low German Mennonites established about 20 colonies although some can occasionally be found living in very small numbers in other villages or towns (such as Martynie, Ponora, or Berdychiv, or villages near Lindenthal).  There were also a great number of German Lutheran colonies in Volyn and as the 19th century wore on, many of the villages where Low German Mennonite colonies existed began to become inhabited by these Lutherans.  For instance, when the great majority of Mennonites left Volyn in 1874, Karolswalde was purchased by Lutherans.  Others, such as Antonowka, Jadwanin, and Mezeliska, were purchased by Czech settlers.  

It is important to note that these Low German Mennonite colonies existed in very close proximity to Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, or Jewish settlements.  Sometimes a Low German Mennonite colony even existed in a village that was otherwise inhabited by Ukrainians or Poles, or German Lutherans.  Historian Kurt Lück used the term Sprachinseln (language islands) to describe the German colonies in Volyn.  This definition is apt since it gives one a sense of how these German-speaking folks lived among the various ethnic groups of the borderlands of Ukraine, Poland, and Russia.

When studying the history of these colonies and villages it is helpful to know their places administratively within the Russian Empire.  In the chart below, colony names, uyezd (county), and volost (district), are all given in Russian as they could have commonly appeared during the 19th century.  Modern names are given in Ukrainian in order to help ease searches on modern maps.

Click here for detailed maps of the locations above.  It is a very large file so allow time.  Alternatively, click here for the blog entry regarding these maps.

COLONY NAME German name/Slavic Name Cyrillic equivalent (Russian)	19th century ADMINISTRATIVE DESCRIPTION Uyezd/Volost (Russian)	MODERN NAME (Ukrainian)	MOTHER SETTLEMENT	YEAR ESTABLISHED	GPS COORDINATES	NOTES
Antonowka Антоновка	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	Antonivka Антонівка	Przechówko*	1804 [2,18]	50°15'19.9"N 26°23'59.3"E	Colonists came primarily from Jeziorki. 536 Mennonites here in 1874, 474 of whom wanted to leave for America. [15] Village named for landowner Antoni Wyczfinski [18]; owned by Stanislaw Jablonowsky by 1816. [19]
Bereza Береза	Rovno Uyezd; Ludvipol Volost [1] Ровенскій; Селищская	extinct	Home to both Low German and Swiss Mennonites?	unknown	~50°48'36.4"N 26°47'40.1"E [28]	Not to be confused with nearby town of Berezne. Both colonies of Bereza and Horodyszcze can be found on Schubert map. [24] Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]
Dossidorf/Zabara Дозидорфъ/Забара	Novograd-Volyn Uyezd; Zholobne Volost [1] Новоград-Волинський; Жолобенская	Zabara Забара	Przechówko* also home to Swiss Mennonites	1819 [4]	50°26'40.8"N 27°17'34.3"E also 50°22'59.0"N 27°21'44.1"E	Sometimes expressed Dosildorf/Досильдорфъ, established by Antonowka residents. [4] At least part of the colony was owned by Swiss Mennonite Christian Moses Gehring by 1848 [20]. Original landowner was Josef Lubomirscy. [4]
Fürstendorf/Lilewa Фирштендорфъ/Лелева	Ostrog Uyezd; Pluzhne Volost [1] Острозький; Плужанской	Lisna Лісна	Przechówko*	1868 [2]	50°12'26.1"N 26°28'40.8"E	Existed as an uninhabited tract of land known as Nikitska prior to 1868. [23] Colony was likely founded by Dossidorf residents and owned by Jablonowksy family. Shared field land with Fürstenthal and Grünthal. [2]
Fürstenthal/Kustarna Фирштенталь/Кустарна	Ostrog Uyezd; Pluzhne Volost [1] Острозький; Плужанской	extinct	Przechówko*	1869 [2]	50°13'37.9"N 26°35'41.3"E	Located on the edge of a local village named Storonyche. Likely owned by Jablonowksy family and shared field land with Fürstendorf and Grünthal. [2]
Grünthal/Moschanovka Грунталь/Мощановка	Ostrog Uyezd; Siyantsi Volost [1] Острозький; Сионецкая	extinct	Przechówko*	1865 [2]	50°23'30.7"N 26°42'32.8"E	Often labeled on maps as Holendry/Галендри. Elder Tobias Unruh named  colony Pelagin-Grünthal [3]; meaning of "Pelagin" unknown. Likely owned by Jablonowksy family and shared field land with Fürstendorf and Fürstenthal. [2]
Heinrichsdorf/Henrietovka Генрихсдорфъ/Генриетовка	Zhytomyr Uyezd; Ozadovka Volost [1] Житомирський; Озадовская	extinct	Przechówko*	1846 [14]	49°57'52.2"N 28°18'12.7"E	Established by Mennonites returning to Volyn from  Waldheim, Molotschna. 150 Mennonites here in 1874. [15] Legend says colony Elder Benjamin P Schmidt, named the colony for his grandfather Heinrich. [22]
Horodyszcze Городище	Rovno Uyezd; Ludvipol Volost [1] Ровенскій; Селищская	Yalynivka Ялинівка	Przechówko* also home to Swiss Mennonites?	before 1817 [8]	50°46'49.7"N 26°47'07.8"E [24]	Kuhn suggests this is Wolla. [8] Swiss Mennonites moved here by 1837. [12]  Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]
Jadwanin/Novosilka Ядвигинъ/Новоселка	Ostrog Uyezd; Pluzhne Volost [1] Острозький; Плужанской	Novosilka Новосілка	Przechówko*	1834 [5]	50°15'18.5"N 26°30'02.4"E	Landowner in 1834 was Maximilian Jablonowksy (1785-1846). [5] Source of colony name is unknown.
Józefin Юзефины	Lutsk Uyezd; Trostenets Volost [1] Луцкій; Тростенецкая	extinct	Przechówko*	1828 [13]	50°54'25.3"N 25°38'30.9"E	Józefin is likely synonymous with Ostrowa. Established by those leaving Sofjówka (I). [8]  Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]
Karolsberge Карлосъ-берге	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	Prykordonne Прикордонне	Przechówko*	before 1827 [6]	50°16'05.7"N 26°29'21.8"E	The line separating this colony from Karolswalde was likely the Klinovets Stream. Karolsberge was merged into Karolswalde at an unknown time.
Karolswalde/Sloboda Holendry Каролъ-вальдъ/Слободские-Галендры	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	Prykordonne Прикордонне	Przechówko* joined by several Frisian families	1801 [2,21]	50°17'06.4"N 26°29'37.6"E	Colonists came from Deutsch-Michalin in 1801, colony named for Karol Jablonowsky. [21] 750 Mennonites here in 1874, 341 of whom wanted to leave for America. [15]
Lindenthal/Lipovka Линденталь/Липовка	Zhytomyr Uyezd; Puliny Volost [1] Житомирський; Пулинская	Lypivka Липівка	Deutsch-Kazun	unknown	50°25'22.8"N 28°16'51.6"E	Mennonite baptisms were performed in Lindenthal between 1881 and 1913.  Mennonites lived in surrounding villages in small numbers. [11]
Martynie Мартыни/Мартынье	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	extinct	Przechówko*	1817 [31]	51°09'12.3"N 26°05'12.8"E	Under landlowner Wyczfinski, established by Mennonites coming from the Prussian government. In 1851, the 4 families registered to the village were illegally living in Temnoje/Grushynez about 18 miles SE from Rafalivka. [31]
Melianienwald	Rovno Uyezd; Tuchyn Volost [1] Ровенскій; Тучинская	extinct	Low German?	unknown	50°51'36.0"N 26°38'49.1"E	Located on territory of a later Lutheran German colony named Kruhy (Крухи). [8]
Mezeliska Межелиски	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	extinct	Przechówko*	after 1868 [3]	50°14'06.0"N 26°23'55.4"E	Located on the SE edge of the town of Kuniv. [28]
Novomalin-walde [3] Новомалин-вальдъ	Ostrog Uyezd; Kunev Volost [1] Острозький; Куневской	extinct	Przechówko*	after 1854 [3]		Located somewhere in the Novomalin forest: 50°16'44.8"N 26°22'30.2"E, north of Kuniv.
Olizar Colony near Rafalivka (Rafalówka)	Lutsk Uyezd Луцкій	unknown	Przechówko*	1816 [27]	Rafalivka = 51°18'18.2"N 25°59'59.9"E [8]	Narcyz Olizar was landowner. [13]  Colonists left Rafalivka area to form Wolla. [8]
Ollika [11]	unknown	unknown	Deutsch-Kazun	unknown	unknown	Location unknown. There are many villages with similar names throughout Volyn (perhaps this is Olyka at 50°43'24.1"N 25°48'47.3"E?). Baptisms were performed in 1909. [11]
Ostrowa	see: Józefin	see: Józefin	see: Józefin	see: Józefin	see: Józefin	Established by those leaving Sofjówka (I). [8] Colonists lived under landowner Michał Byszkowski/Михаи Бишковский in 1833. [25] Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]
Sofjówka (I) Софиевка	Rovno Uyezd; Vysotsk Volost [1] Ровенскій; Высоцкая	extinct	Przechówko, Schönsee, Montau, Obernessau [30]	1811 [16]	51°44'46.87"N, 26°41'9.09"E	Colony was named after Zofia Kulikowska, née Borejków, the daughter of the landowner, Wacław Borejko. [17]
Sofjówka (II) Софиевка/Трохимброд	Lutsk Uyezd; Silno Volost [1] Луцкій; Силенская	extinct	Przechówko*	1828 [13]	50°55'46.6"N 25°42'17.5"E	Slightly different from Trochenbrod/Трохимброд although some sources say it's the same. Established by those leaving Sofjówka (I). [8] Could this be Wolla? Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]
Waldheim/Solianka Вальтаемъ/Солянка	Novograd-Volyn Uyezd; Zholobne Volost [1] Новоград-Волинський; Жолобенская	extinct	Przechówko* also home to Swiss Mennonites	1817 [2]	50°23'56.6"N 27°21'55.5"E	Many Low German colonists left Waldheim and Dossidorf for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]  Swiss Mennonites moved here by 1837. [12]
Wolla	unknown	unknown	Przechówko*	unknown	unknown	Settled by those leaving Olizar colony near Rafalivka [8]. Colonists lived under landowner Ignacy Byszkowski/Игнатц Бишковский in 1833. [25] Many Low German colonists left for Waldheim, Molotschna, in late 1830s. [13]

 

	The Mennonite settlement of Deutsch-Michalin was established in 1791 and it was located on the borders of Zhytomyr Powiat;Kyiv Voivodeship and Vinnytsia Powiat;Bratslav Voivodeship, Kingdom of Poland.  After the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, control of the area passed to Russia and administratively this settlement fell into Bratslav Viceroyalty (Брацлавське намісництво).  Bratslav Viceroyalty was liquidated in 1796 and lands were split between Kyiv (Киевская) and Podol Governorates (Подольская).   At that time, Deutsch-Michalin and presumably Rosentheim, both in Makhnivka Uyezd (Махнівський), went to Kyiv.  In 1846, boundaries for Volyn and Podol Governorates were re-drawn and Berdychiv, no longer in Volyn, took over from Makhnivka as Uyezd seat.  Deutsch-Michalin was never included in Volyn in an administrative sense.
Deutsch-Michalin
COLONY NAME German name/Slavic Name Cyrillic equivalent (Russian)	19th century ADMINISTRATIVE DESCRIPTION Uyezd/Volost (Russian)	MODERN NAME (Ukrainian)	MOTHER SETTLEMENT	YEAR ESTABLISHED	GPS COORDINATES	NOTES
Deutsch-Michalin/Holendry[7] Михалини/Галендри	Berdichev Uyezd; Ogiivka Volost [10] KYIV (after 1846) Бердичевский; Огиевкая - Киевская	Mykolaivka Миколаївка	originally Przechówko**, Montau, Tragheimerweide, and Swiss [13,29]	1791 [2]	49°36'09.9"N 28°47'12.2"E	Located in Kyiv Governorate, not Volyn.  Not to be confused with Ukrainain village named Mykhailyn. Original landowner was Antoni Protazy Potocki. [26]
Rosentheim [9]			Przechówko*?			Location unknown; very near Deutsch-Michalin.
* The majority of colonists or colonists' ancestors were ultimately from Przechówko.  They may have come to said colony via a daughter community such as Jeziorki, Brenkenhofswalde, or even Deutsch-Wymysle, but they were ultimately descended from Przechówko and thus Old Flemish Groningen Mennonites.  Many of these colonies were joined by a small number of Frisian families from Schönsee, Montau or Obernessau.
** Old Flemish Przechówko Mennonites were the original settlers in 1791.  Most of the Old Flemish vacated the village by 1801 and were supplanted by Montau and Tragheimerweide Frisians.  Swiss Mennonites also came to live in this village.

NOTES:

1.  Volyn Gubernia Statistic Committee, "List of the Settlements in Volyn Gubernia", Zhitomir, 1906.

see also: Statistical Council; Ministry of Internal Affairs, "Volosts and the Most Important Villages of European Russia", Vol 3,  St Petersburg, 1885.

2.  Voronin, Alexander Fedoseevich, "About Foreign Settlers in the Southwest Territory", Kiev, 1873, pp 1-8.

3.  Becker, Martha (trans); Ratzlaff, Rod, "Elder Tobias Unruh Baptism Register" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Tobias_Unruh_Baptism_Register.html.

4.  1819 Dossidorf contract, unpublished; St Petersburg Archives [RGIA], Reel 8, Fond 383, Opis 29, Dielo 1212, Req 155, Doc 41, pp 1-7.

5.  1857 Jadwanin contract, unpublished; Zhytomyr State Archives Fond 58, Inv Verz 1, Akte 1099.

6.  1829 Karolswalde letters, unpublished; St Petersburg Archives [RGIA], Fond 383, Opis 29, Delo 1228, Req 111.

7.  "Kazatin", New Topographic Map of Western Russia 1:84 000/1880 sa 1932.

8.  Kuhn, Walter, “Deutsche Täufersäedlungen im Westukrainischen Raume”, Zeitschrift Für Ostrforschung 4. Jahrgang 1955, Heft 4, p 490-95.

9.  1797 Investigation Committee letter, St Petersburg Archives [RGIA], Reel 4, Fond 383, Opis 29, Dielo 1208, Req 147, Doc 19, p 3.

10.  "Ogiivska volost"; Wikipedia Ukraine, 11 July 2022, https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Огіївська_волость.

11.  Friesen, John; Fehr, Don; Penner, Glenn, "Baptismal Records for the Mennonite Congregation of Deutsch Kazun, Poland" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/poland/DeutschKazunBaptisms.pdf.

12   Schrag, Martin H., "The European History of the Swiss Mennonites from Volhynia", North Newton, 1974, p 50, 55.

13.  Schrag, Martin H. "Volhynia (Ukraine)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 30 Jun 2022. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Volhynia_(Ukraine)&oldid=163540.

14.  1849 Heinrichsdorf letter, unpublished, signed by Benjamin Dirks, to Russian Ministry of Interior.

15.  1874 "LIST" Mennonites in Volyn; St Petersburg Archives [RGIA]; Fond 1246 Opis 1 Delo 8 Page 137.

16.  Geisinger, Adam, "A Volhynian German Contract", American Historical Society of Germans from Russia; Work Paper No. 25; Winter, 1977, p 13.

17.  “Wysock” Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Kingdom), Warsaw 1889, Volume XIV, p 119.

18   Heska, Ola (trans); Ratzlaff, Rod (ed), "Antonowka Land Contract, 1804" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Antonovka_Land_Contract_1804.pdf.

19.  Ratzlaff, Rod, "1816 Revision/census of Antonovka Village" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Antonovka_1816_Revision.pdf.

20.  Brandenburg, Uta, (trans); Ratzlaff, Rod, "Land Contract for Mennonite Colonists Resettling in the Village of Dosidorf, 1848" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Dosidorf_Land_Contract_20_October_1847.pdf.

21.  1801 Karolswalde Land Contract (St Petersburg Archives [RGIA] Reel 8 Fond 383 Opis 29 Delo 1212 Request 155 Documents 37-39), translated by Tatiana Drozdova, edited by Rod Ratzlaff.

22.  Boese, John A., unpublished papers via Heritage Hall Archives, Freeman, South Dakota.

23.  Schubert, Fyodor, "Military Topographic Map of the Volyn Province 1855-1877" Plate XXIII: 5.

24   Schubert, Fyodor, "Military Topographic Map of the Volyn Province 1855-1877" Plate XXI: 5.

25.  Penner, Glenn and Fast, Steve, "Waldheim, Molotschna and Heinrichsdorf, Volhynia: 1. List of those Mennonites who wished to move from Volhynia…" Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Volhynia_to_Waldheim_1833.pdf.

26  “Samohorodek” Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Kingdom), Warsaw 1889, Volume X, pp 247-248.

27.  "Narciss Olizar Land Contract", St Petersburg Archives [RGIA], Reel 8, Fond 383, Opis 29, Dielo 1212, Req 155, Doc 28, p 1-8.

28.  "Belogorodka", New Topographic Map of Western Russia 1:84 000/1880 sa 1931.

29. Goertz, Adalbert, "Deutsch-Michalin Mennonites", Russian Mennonite Genealogical Resources, 11 June 2022, https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/michalin.htm.

30.  Wiebe, Herbert, "Das Siedlungswerk niederländischer Mennoniten im Weichseltal zwischen Fordon und Weissenberg bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts", Marburg a. d. Lahn, 1952, p 47.

31.  1850 Antonovka, Volhynia census extracts of males, Penner, Glenn, St. Petersburg Russia State Archives (RGIA) Fond 384 Opis 7 Delo 28.