This photo was taken in Josefstal aprox. 1924.  It features: Back Row, Left to Right: Kaspar Blattner, Gottfried Gerk, Johannes Gerk.

Front Row, Left to Right: Katarina (Gerk) Blattner , Anna Margareta (Rohwein) Gerk, and Maria (Gerk) Leonardt

I’m going to start posting a number of Volga German books I’ve collected over the years. Rather than put them on ebay, this is easier and hopefully quicker. Stay tuned.

This photo, taken in Josefstal, was in my grandmother’s collection…it is of persons unknown.  One former resident thought the young girl on the far left was actually my grandmother, Elisabeth Dieser.  Alas, memories fade with time…it is one of those to be filed under “Unknown”.

This photo was taken in Josefstal around 1914 or so.  The father, Johannes Dieser, had been drafted even as an adult in World War 1.  From left to right are:  Marie Eva (Heit) Dieser, Maria Dieser, Elisabeth Dieser, Anna Margareta (Gette) Heit; Front Row Left to right: Johannes Dieser, Peter Dieser, Lushevka Dieser.

Marie-Eva Dieser would perish in the famine of 1933, with Lushevka dying in 1934.  Elisabeth would marry Paul Gerk and come to Canada in 1925.  That this photo would survive deportation, Siberia and labour camps is a miracle.

This photo was taken circa 1911, and is of the Benz family of Josefstal.  On the far left is a little girl, who is Maria Dieser, born in 1904 and was the daughter of Johannes Dieser and Marie Eva Heit.  Maria was the sister of my grandmother, Elisabeth Dieser Gerk.  Maria is in the photo because Mrs. Benz was her godmother.

Born August 5, 1886, the son of Johannes Hoffman and Anna Maria Konrad, Josef Hoffman died in Josefstal in the famine of 1933.  He had only one hand and could read and write. His siblings included Katarina Hoffman, who would marry Heinrich Schaab; and Susanna Hoffman, who would marry Phillip Blattner.  Both these familes would settle in the USA, but Josef and family were unable to get out of Russia.

Members of the Bellendir Family in the US, are looking for anyone who might have emmigrated to Argentina, or, are from Russia and now live in Germany.  The Bellendir family lived in Josefstal. This photo could be of Nicholas Bellendir and his wife.  We know that Georg Bellendir and family emmigrated to the USA.

Some photos of Josefstal taken in July of 2003.

Dr. Igor Pleve of Saratov a number of years ago wrote a short history of Josefstal.  It is now online, in Russian, and is available here.  I’ll post a translation shortly.

The residents of Josefstal were attempting to survive in Siberia when this photograph was taken by the German Luftwaffe, after being deported in September of 1941.  There are a couple other photos, including one taken in the winter showing the outline of the Church foundation.  Compare this with the Google Earth satellite photo, and you can still see where homes once lay, although the village itself is in ruins.  Fascinating!  You can also view this in Google Maps.