Johann Hoff

  Noted events in his life were:

• Family Origin. ⁶⁵¹ Before 1762, the region along the Volga River south of the Simbirak was inhabited by wild Mongolian tribes. catherine the Great desired to retain a hold over this territory. the Russian government made an attempt to induce Russian peasants to inhabit the area. The constant danger of the attacks made this plan unsuccessful. It appeared for along time that the area would never be occupied by permanant settlers.

In the first year of her reign, Caterine the Great decided to solve the problem by issuing a first manifesto inviting people of all nationalities except Jews to come to Russia and settle there. In this way she hoped that a bulwark against the Nomads would be established and that a higher civilization would spread among the Russians. however the first invitation gained no response whatever and it was considered to issue a second manifesto. The second manifesto was written on July 22, 1763 which stated: 1. All people of foreign countries were invited to come to Russia and settle wherever they pleased. They were promised the right to or pursue their old prefession or occupations. 2 All the people were to have freedom of religion. The right to build churches and schools, and to have priests and ministers to guide and direct their spiritual and intellectual life. 3. All those whithout means would be furnished the necessary money to travel to seaport of embarkation to Russia and would also recieve money to defray all expenses until they reached their destiation in Russia. 4. After arrival in Russia, all who needed money for a livelihood to and establish their homes would be lent moneyinterest free by the government. This money to be paid back within ten years in three installments. 4. all the people who settled on the Volga river in groups or colonies were to be exempt from taxes for thirty years. Those who settled in St. Petersburg, Lieflano, Moscow or other large cities and who worked for corporations or merchants were t be exempt for five years. Those settling in smaller government or provincial cities would have ten years. 6. All the people who settled on the lower Volga had the right to choose their own form of government. The sole requirement being that they sumbit to the prevailing form of civil law. 7. all those settlers with money were not to be taxed if they used the money to establish themselves or for their personal needs. 8. Exemption from military or civil duty for all male immigrants for anindefinite time. This had beeninterpreted to mean "forever". Hoever a bonus of thirty rubles would be paid to any voluntary enistee in the Russian army. 9. The government encouraged estabishments of factories and industries which were to be tax and toll free for ten years. They had the right to sell their wares outside of Russia. 10. All of the emigrants who settled in Russia would be free to leave the country at any time, but would have to pay taxes on their total effects should they elect to leave.

These inducements attrracted the greatest attention in Germany. The seven year war ended in 1763 and as usual a post-war period of hard times set in. Whole villages lay devastated. Soldiers were wandering around looking for work and food was also lacking. Poverty existed on all sides. a constant stream of imigration had already begun for poland, America and Hungary and as the appearance of Russian commissioners and agents who were stationed in such cities as Frankfort, ulm and Regensburg in Bavaria. Thousands decided to depart from their native land.

Numerous lies and tricks were practised by the gents in their attempt to gain large numbers of colonists. They were told the country along the Volga was very similar to the one in which they were living. They were told the climate was extremely mild, fertile ground and the entire region a veritable paradise.

People from many different classes and ranks of society listened to the agents and decided to leave. Farmers, officers, doctors, students, members of nobility, artists and craftsman were all to be found among the emigrants.

The immigration finally reached such proportions that after the year 1766 the rulers of many cities including Frankfort, all became alarmed and issued decrees forbidding their people to leave their country.

It was 500 miles from Frankfort to Lubeck where they were to meet the ships. an infantry in good condition might make it in 20 or so days, but it took the immigrants three times as long. When they arrived in Lubeck there were no ships to greet them as promised, instead wooden barracks hastily built by the Russians were to be their homes for the winter. It was September and they were told the ice would soon be forming along the Russian rivers and even the seacoast would soon be ice-bound. During this winter stay 250 couples were married.

as time went on that winter, many lost their enthusiasm to go on but it was to late to turn back. They were not allowed to leave. Those who attempted escape were caught and returned. Guards policed the premises day and night. When winter set in many nearly froze to death some contracted deseases and died. Fortunately priests and ministers were always available to comfort the sick, conduct funerals, perform marriages and baptize the babies. more than 250 babies were born.

Before emigrating in April 1766, each person was given 16 shillings with which to buy food for the trip, the poorest and most ragged were given new clothing. Foods such as bread, Zwieback, pickled meat, wine and French brandy were stored away in the ships hold.

Ordinarily the trip from Lubeck to Kronstadt in Russia took about 10 days. Scrupulous captains mostly of Hanseatic or English descent lengthened the journey in order to seel their provisions at many thiems the normal price. It has been said that the captains would turn the ships backward at night to gain time, as much as six weeks.

After their arrival in Kronstadt, they were driven to the city of Oranienbaum near by, where they took an oath of allegiance to the empress who was present at the time. It was here they suffered their first dissillusionment. One of the main privileges of Catherines manifesto had been the right to live wherever they pleased. With the exception of a few craftsman especially doctors they were told they had to make their homes along the Volga River. the doctors and craftman were allowed to live in Petrograd. Some families resisted as long as six weeks, but were told if they refused they would be whipped and sent anyway.

The stage of the journey to Petrograd was covered either by land or sea. In the capital city each individual was again provided with money for traveling expenses of one grochen a day, which was about 4 cents. Soldiers were assigned for the rest of the journey which ordinarily took a year to complete. The route that was followed led them through Novagrad, Waldai and Tver. The it was either by land through Moscow and Pensa or by boat down the Volga to Saratov.

Winter set in after they left Novgorod. They spent the coldest months of the year in Russian villages along the way. One of the things that amazed them very much was that the peasants with whom they stayed kept all their cattle, chickens, seep and evenpigsunder the same roof with them. cabbage soup and millet porridge with a drink called Kwas (fermented Rye or Barley) was the food offered. Plenty of milk was available for purchase. They found the Russian food extremely unappetizing as the Germans were acustomed to fresh butter, eggs and meat.

They were barely settled when an epidemic broke out. Shortage of Doctors and midicine made the situation difficult to handle. During these winter months, priests and ministers appeared from time to tie to comfort the sick, bury the dead, baptize new bor babies and perform marriage ceremonies.

In the spring the journey contienued and finally after many hardships, disappointments, hunger, cold and sickness, they reached the city of Saratov. This journey ordinarily took a year to complete.

The greatest disappointment hoever came when they were driven in wagons out to the open steppes which were to be their future homes.

When they left Germany they had been told that everything would be in readiness for them in Russida. They were expecting houses built, farm implements, livestock on hand, and the land marked out. All their dreams of Paradise suddenly shattered. In some places lean-to's had been constructed and land surveyed, but in other regions absolutely nothing had been done.

One colonist remared: We looked at each other with frightened expressions because we were in a wilderness without even a tree, nothing but the endless dry grass of the steppes.

In order to protect themselves from the cold winter which they now knew would come. They began to build partly underground huts called the Semlinken and were large enought to hose three or four failies. The crowded conditions and lack of ventilation made them far from desireable mode of existence.

All the first colonist were located on the west bank of the Volga called the Berg or hilly side. Later villages were found on the eastern shore as well.

Every family regardless of size could claim 30 dessiantines of land 5 of which were to be used for house and garden, the other 25 for farming purposes. However, the 25 were not regarded as permanent possession. When a person left the colony, his land simply returned to the commune or Gemeinde. then at the beginning of the nieteenth century the Russian "Mir System" was introduced, in which the soil was periodically redivided by lot among all male souls of whom was called a dush. a dessiatine ws 2.170 acres.

During these early years the German colonist suffered many hardships. Besides the poor living conditions already mentioned, scarcity of food, bad water, few doctores andintense cold winters was the threat of Typhus. Typhus killed thousands.

As mentioned many were not farmers, but were given an old Kalmuk horse, a few pieces of lumber to make a plough and wagon, and were calmly told to go to work. Some didn;t even know how to harness the horse and hand never done any field work..

They faced constant danger of attacks from various Nomadic tribes. The Kalmack restricted themselves to horse stealing and robbery. The Baskirs and the Khirghiz would attack and burn village, steal everything in sight then sell the inhabitants into slavery. Women and children were sold into herems of wealthy Mohamedans in countries under the control of Turkey.

Between 1773 and 1775 a bold Cossack named pugachev and his band swept lke a tornado over the Volga colonies, stealling everything in sight. The sick were thrown from their beds. women and children driven from their homes, barns burned and cattle driven away.

Many longed to return to Germany but few managed to escape. Those who tried and were caught were brought back by the Cossacks (Russian Soldiers) However as time went on conditions became more peaceful and after a younger generation grew up they gradually reconciled themselves to their life in Russia. They gave up all hopes of being anything but a farmer.

More spacious houses, water ills and new industry wasintroduced. more honest officials came to rule, so that eventually they began to consider themselves rather fortunate.

During the 150 years that our family lived in Russia, they maintained their German culture. Very few learned the Russian language. They lived in German villages and intermarried only with Germans. The German women were conscientious of clean habits and the German men were very industrious which kept them separate from their Russian neighbors that did not exhibit these same qualities. Their ministers preached in German and their schools were taught in German.

There was a shortage of ministers and teachers. They would often serve 3 to 6 colonies. as time went on interest in education lessoned to a very great extent. It became customary to choose teachers whose chief qualification consisted of a willingness to serve for a small amount of money. In some cases the teacher himself had difficulty in reading and writing. As he usually had hundreds of children under his care it is easy to assume that he was not able to teach them a great deal. Instructions consisted primarily of learning to read the Bible and Catechism and memorizing church sonsgs from the Volga Gesangbuch.

The Parsonage with its bell tower was situated i the largest city. Whenever an inhabitant died, it was customary for the bell-ringer to designate by the first few peals whether the person was man, woman or chiil, thenwould toll out the age. Bells also tolled in case of fire and rang steadily when a blizzard was raging, in order to designate to possible wanderers where the village was located.

The principal crops of the lower Volga were grains of all kinds but particularly wheat and rye. The rye was more often kept for home use while most of the wheat was shipped away.

Since very little fertilizer was used, the average yield was not as much as we find in later years. The cattle industry was never of great importance. although, each household usually possessed four to eight cows and sufficient sheep, pigs, chickens and horses for its own use. Oxen were kept for the field work. Camels were sometimes used as a means fo transportation.

The farming ground often lay from 15 to 25 versts (2/3 miles equals 1 verst) from their village. During spring plowing and planting and again in the harvest season a general exodus would take to the fields. they would stay until work was completed.

Thrashing was accomplished by means of a large six cornered stone pulled by two horses walking in a circle. Chaffing was done by shifting the grain on windy days. Children were given the job of bird watching.

The villages were ruled by a Mayor. All small arguments and misdemeanors were settled in villages. The punishments were cruel and brutal. The streets were swept once a week. If so much as watermellon or pumpkin seeds were swept into the street, the property owner received five to ten lashes. he in turn would punish the quilty. Immoral acts would require kneeling at the communion rail for several Sundays. Drunks and gamblers would be whipped with the lash. Minor offences would require facing the congregation on sundays. a woman was found guilty of theft of straw. a part of it was tied to her back and she was forced to parade the streets. Colonist were not allowed to slaughter animals without first consulting the mayor. Buying animals from the Kalmuks was forbidden. If they were caught disobeying this law, the Kalmuks could relaim the animals. The mayor's salaray was 30 rubles and the crop from seven acres of land and three stacks of hay from each 65 acre plot. The poor would recieve 1/8 of the grain of two acres from each 65 acres plots. If there were no needy persons in the village, this fund would be used to defray village expenditures.

Between 1874 and 1914 many of the German settlers began emigrating to the United States of America, Canada and South America. Catherine the Great had made to promises to the settlers that were of great importance to them. One such promise was that they would not have to serve in the Russian Army. The other promise of significance was that they would be able to educate their own children. After 1860 a series of laws were passed withdrawing many of these privaledges. In 1890 a law was passed commanding that a Russian teacher be placed in every German school. On June 4, 1871 a law was passed making military training compulsory to the colonies.

In addition to the changes they were experiencing due to the law, many left Russia because of bad economic conditions due to the lack of adequate land and crop failures in 1879 to 1880 and 1890 to 1893. As a further incentive, the advertisements of american railroad companies promising jobs to all newcomers was very enticing. In many cases the passage money was sent by friends and relatives who had saved it out of their first earning s in the new world. Nebraska became the chief distributing center for thousands of Volga Germans.

In Russia to wash clothes a water softener was prepared the day before from the ashes of the straw. Soiled clothes were dipped in kettles then laid on tables and beat with sticks until soiled spots disappeared. It was then returned to kettles and boiled in same water, reulting in a spotless wash. In summer clothes were washed in the Medwediza or other nearby rivers. In the winter washing was done in summer kitchens then by sled to the river to be rinsed. Holes were cut in the ice, after the lcothes were rinsed they would freeze almost immediately when they were lifted from the icy waters. The mangle wa around piece of wood 4 to 5 inches in diameter two or so feet long. The other part was a bord hollowed out to fit the toller. The clothes were pushed and pulled under the roller till they were smooth.

All members except the head of the house usually occupied the same room the high wooden beds were placed in corners. Curtaines were hung from rods fastened to the top of the bed for privacy and were left on rod at foot of bed during the day. The women were proud to display their fancy spreads and pillows. A special set of pillows for daytime only. Dust-ruffles much like those of today. Smaller beds were proportioned to fit under the high bed when no in use. where over crowded conditions existed, sleeping in barns and in sheds was not uncommon.

a single household often consisted of 25 to 30 people. Married sons and their failies continued to live at home. The father as head of the house wielded complete authority.

During the long winter months, the women would spi the wool into yarn from which many items of clothing were made. In some cases, items were sold to help pay the taxes.

Johann married Christina Unknown 1766 or 1767. (Christina Unknown was born in 1745.)