No 9
of this series of publications contained an account on the emigration of
Siegerlaenders to south Prussia in the year 1799. The
settlement of these families on the estates of the hereditary prince Wilhelm von
Oranien-Nassau failed. Some of them
returned already within a short time
to their home-land, most were holding on a few more years, but in 1805 nearly
all of these settlers had disappeared from hereditary estates.
Many returned, completely impoverished, to their old homeland, others
are said to have emigrated to America and very few of them cab be traced into
Russia. – Since the fall of the Mongolian empire Kirgisen, Kalmuecken and
Baschkiren troubled southern Russia. The cities Samara, Saratow, Kamyschin
and Zarizyn were founded in the second half of the 18.
Century in defence against those tribes.
The reign of Katharina II. (1762 –
1796) then saw the regular settlement at the lower Volga.
The empress issued in 1763 a Manifesto, in which she
encouraged for immigration to Russia. Laws
issued for this purpose ensured
•
Free worship
•
Release from taxes for 10 – 30 years
•
Interest-free loans for all acquisitions
•
Release from military service for
life
•
Own municipality and school administration
•
Free allotment of crown land (30 –
80 Dessjatines) to each family.
Alexander
I. (1801 - 1825) continued Katharina's settlement politics. His decree of
20.02.1804, however, was not quite so generous. The emigrants had to prove an ownership over a minimum off
300 guldens, a certificate of good behaviour issued by the homeland authorities
was often required and the annual number of the immigrants was limited.
Now settlement began at the Black Sea coast.
Up until 1823 159 colonies were created in the Governments of Cherson
and Jekaterinoslaw, in Tauria and Bessarabia (since 1812 Russian).
In the Black Sea area there were about 1000 colonies before the Second
World War.
This decree obviously gave
raise to the rumour, which in the summer of 1804 circulated among
the unfortunate settlers in Southern Prussia and which puzzled the Posen
chamber.1
In any case shortly afterwards many
Nassawian settlers set out to go east in expectation of a better future and in
1805 founded the colony Altnassau
in Tauria.2
Of the 60 families,
listed in the Revisonsliste 1811, there are at least six from the Siegerland.
Around
1820 more Siegerlaenders emigrated to Tauria.
They were relatives of those already 1805 immigrated and in the
meantime established settlers. So
far there are no references in Siegerlaender sources. Their origin, however, is clearly documented in the death
records of the Taurian parishes.
Origin
and descendants of these families are compiled in the family lists.
1
Geh.StA Berlin Rep. 96A, Tit. 69E,
Fol. 17
2 Stumpp, K.: Die Auswanderung aus Deutschland nach Russland in den Jahren 1763 bis 1862; S. 883. Tübingen [1972]