Universität Regensburg

Fakultät für Philosophie, Kunst-, Geschichts- und Gesellschaftswissenschaften

Institut für Südost/Osteuropäische Geschichte
Übung: Auswanderung in das Russische Reich. Eine Einführung in die Migrationsforschung
Dozentin: Prof. Dr. Julia Herzberg
Sommersemester 2020

Reasons for the emigration from southern Germany to the Russian

Empire in the 19th century

Vorgelegt von:
Daniela Forero Nuñez
Ludwig-Thoma-Str. 17
93051 Regensburg
E-Mail: Daniela.Forero-Nunez@stud.uni-regensburg.de

Politikwissenschaft und Geschichte

5. Fachsemester

Regensburg, den 1. Juli 2020

List of contents

1. Introduction
2. Reasons for the emigration of southern Germany to the Russian Empire in 19th Century
2.1 Religious reasons for the emigration from southern Germany to the Russian Empire in
19th century
2.2 Economic and political reasons for the emigration from southern Germany to the Russian
Empire in 19th century
3. Testimonies and literary sources of immigrants in the Russian Empire in 19th century
4. Conclusion
1. Introduction

Migration processes have shaped the European history since the beginning of the humankind.
Indeed, the conditions, motives and consequences of migration have evolved and adapted to the
economic, political and social circumstances, nevertheless the willingness of acquiring better life
conditions has never been fully attenuated. Perhaps migration and specifically the reasons behind
it seem to be more present than ever. The topic of research of the following text focuses on the first
decades of the 19th century and thematizes the reasons for the emigration from southern Germany,
more specifically from Württemberg to the Russian Empire at the time.

The text attempts to explore the reasons of this emigration wave, taking into account some
testimonies and narratives of emigrants that firmly decided to move towards a better life in unknown
lands. The predominant debate concerning the reasons for emigrating focuses on whether the main
motives for emigration were religious, political or economic. On one side, the pietist historiography
and the testimonies of emigrants suggest that the massive migration movements in the first decades
of the 19th century were mainly religious motivated. On the other hand, a contrary thesis introduced
by the contemporary socio-historical migration studies assumes that economic and political factors
-resulting from the crisis period at the beginning of the 19th - were the main reasons for leaving the
region.

The secondary literature about the emigration from Württemberg does not thematize merely the
emigration to the Russian Empire, but has a major focus on other regions, such as the United States
of America and rather provides a historical account about several emigration movements throughout
history. Even though the state of research denotes religious, as well as political and economic
factors, some authors suggest that the emigration in 1817 was mainly religious motivated and others
rather draw more attention to the political and economic circumstances at the time. Thomas Frank
discusses the ecological, political and economic conditions of the 19th century in further detail and
does not designate religion as main reason for emigrating. On the contrary, Heinz-Dietrich Löwe
has a major focus on the religious aspect and suggests that the search of religious freedom was
indeed the reason above all. Andreas Gestrich rather focuses on the still existing debate on the
reasons and stresses the difficulty of stating either religious or political-economic reasons as the
irrefutable cause of emigration at the time.
 In this sense, the texts bears on three theses and attempts to find arguments in favor or against them.
Firstly, the Russian Empire offered important benefits for immigrants, specially the freedom of
religion attracted several German pietists that aimed to escape from the religious intolerance at the
time. Secondly, the bad harvest and the extreme weather conditions of the early 19th century
accentuated the economic hardship and impoverishment of several families, contributing to the
massive emigration of 1817. Lastly, economic and political, as well as religious factors stay in close
correlation with another, leading to the perfect scenario for emigrating to Russian Empire in this
context.

2. Reasons for the emigration of southern Germany to the Russian Empire in

19th Century
2.1 Religious reasons for the emigration from southern Germany to the Russian Empire in
19th century

Coming to the religious aspect, it is important to define a vital concept. Pietism can be understood
as a - to some extent - protest movement within Protestant Christianity, whose interest was focused
upon deepening and strengthening the devotional life of the parishioners. Pietism can be also
brought in connection with the aim of having an authentic and vitally significant experience of God,
bearing in mind that a God’ revelation through Christ would be accomplished as a result of an
immense devotion and commitment to religion. Being moral renewal and the achievement of a
genuine holiness the vital objective, the Bible serves a sort of guide of living, according to Jesus
Christ’s model.1

Diverse arguments may sustain the thesis that religious motives were indeed the main reasons for
this emigration. Güll for instance affirms that the main reason of emigrating around 1800 was
indeed the search for freedom of religion.2 According to pietist historiography and the testimonies
of emigrants, religious reasons constituted the basis of the massive emigratory wave in 1817 to the
Russian Empire, in which more than ten thousand people headed to the East. Moreover, the
founding of diverse religious colonies in the Russian Empire, as well as the vast amount of

1
vgl. Stoeffler, Ernest (1973), Preface
2
vgl. Güll, Reinhard (2013), S. 41.
 registered religious separatists among the emigrants serve as additional arguments for supporting
this theory.3

Löwe stresses additionally that not only the expectation of welcoming Jesus Christ, but also the
discontent of the separatists towards the absolutist regime of Friedrich I, were significant reasons
for emigrating massively in 1817 from Württemberg to the Russian Empire. Regarding the religious
motivated massive emigration movements, he also points out that the massive character of the
emigration process is attributable to the emigration of entire towns. Waldorf (Württemberg) serves
as an example of this development. A faithful pietist community was established in the german
town between 1815 and 1820, leading to the emigration of approximately 10% of the total
population to the Russian Empire (around 114 people).4 Gestrich also points out that members of
both lower and higher social class were part of the emigrants. This would mean that, in some cases,
economic circumstances did not play the ultimate role in the decision, but rather religious motives
did.5

Another important factor that contributed to emigration can be traced back to the 18th century. The
Russian settlement policy that began under the ruling time of Catherine II pretended to make
european immigration more attractive. In this sense, western Know-how would be imported in the
Empire and the acquired territories within the Russian expansion towards the southeast would be
inhabited. Frank attributes the high attractiveness of the Russian Empire to other advantages, such
as the owning of the land, free healthcare and tax exemption, etc. Among the advantages of
immigrating to this region, the freedom of religion and the autonomy of newly formed communities
can be considered as the most important benefits of immigrating here.6

The beginning of the 19th century was heavily marked by disputes within the church which led to
the constitution of a popular pietism that managed to spread the faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible
among the lower social classes. This form of pietism evidenced a marked chiliastic character,
meaning that it was founded in the belief in the return of Christus and the establishment of a
thousand year- God’s kingdom. Nevertheless, not every pietist considered emigration in the Russian
Empire the vital step for preparing oneself for the long-awaited occurrence.7

3
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (1991), S. 109-111.
4
vgl. Löwe, Heinz-Dietrich (1999), S. 428.
5
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (1991), S. 116f.
6
vgl. Frank, Thomas (2016), S. 48.
7
vgl. Ebd. S. 113-116.
 The biblical interpretation of the extreme weather conditions that shaped the beginning of the 19th
century may also give a sort of explanation for the significant emigration in 1817. According to
Gestrich a connection between the bad harvest and a God’s signal is to be found in the writings of
theological laymen of the pietist movement. As one of the most influential pietist leaders Johann
Albrecht Bengel had professed, the world had to be prepared for welcoming Jesus Christ, even
though that would mean the actual end of human life. In this sense, the existing weather conditions,
which to some extent posed a threat for many faithful pietists, were interpreted in line with
Albrecht’s interpretation. Thus, pietists that dreamed of the sanctification of their lives had to
separate from the sins and all sort of sinful manifestations and often emigrated to the Russian
Empire to accomplish this God’s commandment, since the arrival of Jesus Christ was expected to
take place in the east. Not every pietist had such an enthusiastic intention, but joined the movement
due to different reasons.8

2.2 Economic and political reasons for the emigration from southern Germany to the
Russian Empire in 19th century

Shippan points out the diverse economic and social backgrounds of the emigrants, stressing that in
the massive emigration of 1803, mostly peasants and members of manual professions emigrated to
the Russian Empire. The following years, specifically the period from 1809 to 1815 were massively
shaped by bad harvest. This was even aggravated in 1816 due to extreme weather conditions of
coldness, which mainly affected the cultivation of grains, fruits and wine.9 Frank emphasizes on the
strong correlation between eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815 and the
deterioration of the weather conditions in the European continent. Resulting from this, the year
1816 “the year without summer” was shaped by extraordinary cold snaps and rainstorms. Both bad
harvest and floods marked the following months and led one year afterwards to the “year of the
hunger”.10

Apart from this, the author also points out that between 1652 and 1802 Württemberg experienced a
significant demographic growth of approximately 500.000 people. As a consequence of this
development, the agricultural area did not suffice for the self-supply of several peasant families. An

8
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (2003), S. 285-288.
8
vgl. Shippan, Michael (1999), S. 65.
10
vgl. Frank, Thomas (2016), S. 20.
 average family spent in the beginning of the 19th century around 70% of its income in food.
Particularly peasants, craftsmen and day laborers suffered the consequences of price increases, since
the demand for goods and services that were not completely necessary for the food production
decreased dramatically. Emigration may have been - for multiple families- a way of escaping from
the latent threat of hunger and unemployment.11

Between 1815 and 1817 approximately 53% of the total amount of craftsmen, 20% of the peasants,
15% of the wine productors, 13% of the day laborers and shepherds abandoned the region. It is
remarkable that the craftsmen indeed constituted the majority among the total amount of emigrants
during this period of time. Moreover, some testimonies suggest that Tbilissi in the Caucasus region
offered proper weather and soil conditions for the agriculture.12

According to the Gestrich’s analysis of the financial assets of the emigrants, it can be concluded
that four of the 27 immigrating families of Waldorf lacked any financial asset. Two families
possessed 2000 guilders, being the only two families with such a high financial asset. Taking into
account that the in average every family member approximately 105 guilders, the author affirms
that the emigrating families did not correspond mostly to the poorest families of the town. As stated
in a list of 1816, just five of the 42 poorest and 26 of the middle-poor families indeed emigrated to
the Russian Empire in 1817. Thus, the emigrants of Württemberg were not necessarily members of
the lowest social class, but were doubtless affected by the bad harvest and the economic crisis. The
craftsmen were particularly at risk of social relegation and attenuated economic hardship. Most of
the 27 families that emigrated to the Russian Empire were part of this guild – 11 weavers, three
peasants, three tailors, one carpenter, one mason, one cooper and one baker.13

The political conditions within the absolutistic regime in the region played a complementary role
to the religious tendencies of the time. In this sense, the biblical figures were transferred to the
political sphere. Napoleon, for instance, was characterized in many cases as the anti-Christ. On the
contrary, the Tsar Alexander was regarded as the “white eagle” that would accompany the return
of Jesus Christ from eastern land.14 Several emigrants named the lacking freedom under the political
regime of Württemberg in 1817 as a reason for leaving the country. Furthermore, the intensification

11
vgl. Ebd. S. 24-26.
12
vgl. Shippan, Michael (1999), S. 65.
13
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (1991), S. 120.
14
vgl. Ebd. S. 115.
 of discriminatory policies towards social minorities, as well as the emigration ban of 1807
augmented the persecution of pietists, which were often seen as radical separatists that had to be
combated. In 1815, after the flexibilization of this policy several pietists abandoned Württemberg
in order to escape from this religious intolerance.15

The extreme weather conditions, the price increase and the resulting economic impoverishment, as
well as the political discontent may be legitimately seen as an externality that had profound
consequences in the agrarian life and consequently in the economic sphere of the population of
Württemberg. Being said this, economic circumstances may have played an additional role in the
decision of leaving Württemberg, but do not seem to be the major motivation in every case. It is
however to consider that the socio-economic situation of the time served as a factor for
strengthening the religious belief and favoring the establishment of a popular, chiliastic form of
pietism.16 Regarding the discriminatory policies towards pietists, religious intolerance and the
demand for religious freedom remain the main motivations for the emigration according to Löwe’s
argumentation.

The following chapter deals in more detail with some of the testimonies of emigrants and allows a
partial interpretation of the main motives for their decisions.

3. Testimonies and literary sources of pietist immigrants in the Russian

Empire in 19th century

Literary sources, mainly letters, constitute one of the most important forms of giving a testimony
about the vital reasons for leaving southern Germany and heading towards unknown lands. Johan
Martin Herre, a German pietist for instance, emigrated in 1821 from Balingen, Baden-Württemberg
to the south of the Russian Empire, more precisely Odessa. Furthermore, a testimony of the
evangelical pastor of the german colony Elisabethental in Tiflis (currently Georgia) stresses how
the Bible corresponds to the basis of the faith of the german town and shapes the lives of the loyal
german people. Resulting from this, he explains how several Germans indeed emigrated to Georgia

15
vgl. Frank, Thomas (2016), S. 28f.
16
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (1991), S. 121.
 with the hope of making a step further towards the sanctification of their lives and the welcome of
Jesus Christ.17

The secondary literature indicates also that the political discontent, particularly due to the existing
nepotism, may have been a reason for emigrating from Württemberg. Jakob Ampf from Eglosheim
manifested in his testimony his rejection towards the nepotism of the mayor and other public
officials. Apart from this, a peasant’s narrative form Ulm thematizes the devastating consequences
of the “year of the hunger” (1817) and stresses how the peasants suffered enormous losses due to
the weather conditions, since the rainfall lasted more than one consecutive month. Additionally, a
tailor from Botenheim, that emigrated to the Russian Empire in 1817, expresses in his narrative that
the price increase and the unemployment obliged him and his wife and five kids to head towards
the East.18

Both theories, one which characterizes economic and political motives as the main reasons for the
emigration movements from southern Germany to the Russian Empire in the 19th century, and the
other one, which affirms that the main motivation was of religious character, lack irrefutable
primary sources and evidence. Even though several testimonies and conjectures regarding the
period of crisis and its consequences in agriculture serve as interesting forms of stating a correlation,
they may not be sufficient for verifying one of the theses. On one side, the trustworthiness of the
testimonies may be subjected to doubt, considering the degree of discontent presented by some of
the emigrants. On the other side, the primary sources that allow us to establish a correlation between
the level of economic hardship and the number of emigrants in this period of time seems to be
insufficient for accusing bad harvest for the massive emigration movements.19

4. Conclusion

Even if the emigration from Württemberg to the Russian Empire in the beginning years of the 19th
century stays in focus of many investigations with the migration studies, certain questions still
remain difficult to be solve irrefutably. On one side the question about the main reasons for the
emigration continues to be a topic of debate, since primary sources and testimonies do not always
provide indisputable answers. Furthermore, heading towards unknow lands may have resulted from

17
Ebd. S, 111.
18
vgl. Frank, Thomas (2016), S. 21; 30; 53.
19
vgl. Gestrich, Andreas (1991), S. 112.
a combination of various factors. Specially in regard of the ecological, economic and political
reasons it can be stated, that there was a significant correlation between the different spheres. In
this sense, bad harvest and inundations; economic hardship, unemployment and price increases, as
well as political tension and discontent due to the lacking freedom should be regarded in close
relation to another. Apart from that, the religious aspect may also be brought in connection with the
political sphere. In other words, the relation between controversial political decrees related to the
religious persecution of minorities and the increasing desire if emigrating with the hope of
embracing freedom of religion should be discussed in further detail.

The Russian Empire and its attractiveness as destination country have been thematized and help to
understand why such a significant emigration movement in 1817 indeed took place. Specially in
times of economic impoverishment and religious intolerance, this region offered, on one side,
proper soil conditions that would favor vastly the agriculture, and on the other hand, freedom of
religion and a greater autonomy. It should not be forgotten, that, according to the pietist belief, the
emigration to the east rather took place voluntarily. The search for the most proper conditions for
preparing the welcome of Jesus Christ and accomplishing a life free from sins also motivated some
of the most faithful pietists. Specially concerning the religious aspect, a multifaceted approach
should be done in order to differentiate the emigration by choice and the emigration due to religious
persecution.

Independently from the debate concerning the reasons for the emigration towards the east, it is
remarkable how migration movements cannot be restricted to a specific region or period of time.
Migration has shaped human history and will doubtless continue to do so. Even if the causes vary
depending on geographical, social, economic and political characteristics, leaving a country and
heading to another one with the aim of having a better life will remain a subject of study as long as
the humankind exists.