Village of Holstein on the Volga

          A German evangelical colony was founded on the west side of the Volga River on May 26, 1765. According to Professor Igor Pleve's book, Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet: 1764-1767, Vol. 2, Kolonien Galka - Kutter (available from AHSGR), the following families appear on Holstein's first settler's list. Pleve's book lists from where the immigrants came, their occupation, members of the family and their age, and when they arrived in Holstein. Michael Grenz probably came from East Prussia which now is part of Poland.

Holstein had 202 residents in 1772. In 1798, Holstein had 354 residents, three apple orchards and one vineyard. The government offices for the Volga colonies were located in Saratov, about 100 miles north of Holstein. Farm products were sold and supplies purchased at Kamyschin, about 30 miles south of Holstein. It was about five miles to Shcherbakovka, six miles to Galka, and four miles to Dreispitz.

Today, Holstein is known locally as Kulaninike, and it belongs to the Volgograd District.

 
1. Johann Wilhelm Kuxhausen
2. Karl Wilhelm Vogler 
3. Joachim Martens
4. Gustaw Hiltermann
5. David Andreas Linde
6. Johann Heinrich Asselmann
7. Peter Hofner
8. Johann Wilhelm Deisner
9. Heinrich Ludwig Stehlfeld
10. Johann Dangelin?
11. Asmus Winick
12. Johann Philipp Pfeiler   
13. Johann Gottlieb Melzer
14. Gottlieb Friedrich Kerbs
15. Christian Hiltermann
16. Friedrich Asmus
17. Jacob Breiniger
18. Johann Adam Jauck
19. Friedrich Stamor?
20. Karl Jauck
21. Hans Koln
22. Georg Detlef Brickmann
23. Hans Christoph Schmiese
24. Asmus Schwin
 25. Samson Jung
26. Maria Agnessa Merine?
27. Ulrich Kast?
28. Christian Wolfgang Kraus
29. Johannes Knaus
30. Ludwig Heider (Hinter/Ginter?)
31. Gottfried Simon
32. Friedrich Ruf
33. Johann Melchior Reichert
34. Michael Borger
35. Leonard Wittmann
36. Michael Grenz
37. Johann Georg Mai     
38. Johann Buchsbaum
39. Johann Adam Beitz
40. Johann Peter Mai
41. Johann Georg Mai
42. Johann Jacob Mai
43. Heinrich Martin Meder
44. Johannes Peil
45. Johann Pom
Information taken from www.lowervolga.org

 
In the Volga region were block houses of the simplest type: smooth logs of fir or pine were squared off, mounted, and chinked with clay, to form a "log cabin" 24 to 30 feet long and 20 feet wide. Better homes were built later, still made of wood, but they were larger and their external appearance indicated prosperity.

Holstein like all villages consisted of  house-farms, called farmyards, which were ordered in checkerboard streets. Each farm yard was divided into a front yard and a back yard. At the side of the street in the front yard stood the house and the bake house (summer kitchen). Sometimes next to the house was the courtyard door (called the "little courtyard door") and the courtgate.
On both of the long sides stood sheds and agricultural buildings. The front yard closed with the stalls for the large animals. The stalls for small animals and the manure piles were in the back yard. Several details can be taken from the sketch. Every back yard connected to the garden. As can be seen from the sketch, the garden of the yard of two streets connected together.

Almost everywhere the colonist house had a somewhat similar floor plan. From the entrance one came into a hallway which led to the kitchen. On either side were living quarters; on the street side were located the living room ("Staats-stube") and the master bedroom; on the corresponding left side were front and rear bedrooms. The floors were of wood and the walls were covered with patterned wallpaper or painted.
Almost all the houses in the Volga had only one story, with two stories built in the larger settlements. The yards were all laid out according to the plan approved by the administrative authorities: 90 to 120 feet wide and 240 to 360 feet long. The front area of the farmyard contained the dwellings, flower garden, summer kitchen, and the well; the back area contained the threshing floor, the straw stacks, manure piles, and the hog barns. In the summer, activities were centered in the summer kitchen. Here the womenfolk cooked and served the meals, made butter and cheese, and baked the tasty peasant bread in an oven fired with straw or wood prunings.

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