Katharinenstadt was founded by Protestant (both Lutheran and Reformed) and Roman Catholic colonists on 27 June 1766 by Baron Caneau de Beauregard.
From the earliest days of the colony, there was also a substantial Russian population in Katharinenstadt.
Following the 1917 Revolution, Katharinenstadt became known as Marxstadt, and today is called Marx.
Katharinenstadt was a large colony with colonists from a variety of faith backgrounds. Soon after the founding of Katharinenstadt, a Reformed parish was established in north Katharinenstadt and a Lutheran Parish in south Katharinenstadt. There was also a Catholic parish in Katharinenstadt. There was also a large Russian Orthodox Church in Katharinenstadt.
Katharinenstadt was the largest of the Volga German colonies on the Wiesenseite, and a commercial hub for much of the industry that developed among the Volga German colonies.
|
Year
|
Households
|
Population
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
||
| 1766 |
83
|
283
|
160
|
123
|
| 1767 |
|
606
|
|
|
| 1769 |
220
|
812
|
431
|
381
|
| 1773 |
163
|
615
|
336
|
279
|
| 1776 |
|
716
|
|
|
| 1788 |
141
|
636
|
326
|
310
|
| 1798* |
142
|
720
|
355
|
365
|
| 1816 |
230
|
1,441
|
743
|
698
|
| 1834 |
382
|
2,468
|
1,286
|
1,182
|
| 1850 |
491
|
3,669
|
1,862
|
1,807
|
| 1857 |
423
|
4,354
|
2,185
|
2,169
|
| 1859 |
427
|
4,654
|
2,334
|
2,230
|
| 1888 |
940
|
6,077
|
3,080
|
2,997
|
| 1891 |
|
|
|
|
| 1894 |
|
9,639
|
|
|
| 1897 |
|
10,331**
|
5,148
|
5,183
|
| 1904 |
|
12,006***
|
|
|
| 1910 |
1,306
|
15,370
|
7,737
|
7,633
|
| 1912 |
|
11,962
|
|
|
| 1920 |
|
15,435
|
|
|
| 1921 |
|
14,476
|
|
|
| 1926 |
|
11,461****
|
|
|
| 1927 | 12,471 | |||
| 1928 | 12,859 | |||
| 1930 | 13,597 | |||
| 1933 | 15,700***** | |||
| 1935 | 15,124 | |||
| 1939 | 16,065 | |||
*The description accompanying the 1798 census enumerates 153 households with a total of 779 inhabitants, of which 389 are male and 390 female. They are divided among the denominations as follows: 86 families are Lutheran, 30 are Roman Catholic, and 37 are Reformed.
**Of whom 9,393 were German (7,686 Protestant & 1,707 Roman Catholic).
***Of whom 11,530 were German.
****Of whom 11,260 were German.
*****Of whom 14,176 were German.
Katharinenstadt (Wolgadeutsche.net) in Russian
Katharinenstadt, Russia (Kevin Rupp)
Marxstadt (Johannes Herber) in German
- Beratz, Gottieb. The German colonies on the Lower Volga, their origin and early development: a memorial for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first German settlers on the Volga, 29 June 1764. Translated by Adam Giesinger (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1991): 350.
- Diesendorf, V.F. Die Deutschen Russlands : Siedlungen und Siedlungsgebiete : Lexicon. Moscow, 2006.
- Heimatbuch der Deutschen aus Rußland, 1972.
- Pallas, P.S. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs. Theil 3,2, Reise aus Sibirien zurueck an die Wolga im 1773sten Jahr (St. Petersburg: Kaiserl. Academie der Wissenschaften, 1776): 613.
- Report of Conditions of Settlements on the Volga to Catherine II by Count Orlov, 14 February 1769.
- Schnurr, Joseph, Die Kirchen und das Religiöse Leben der Russlanddeutschen - Evangelischer Teil (Stuttgart: Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland, 1972): 195-196.
- "Settlements in the 1897 Census." Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (Winter, 1990): 16.
- Katharinenstadt 1767 Census (wolgadeutsche.net)
51.712816, 46.740787
Migrated From
Immigration Locations
Map showing Katharinenstadt (1935).
Panorama of Katharinenstadt taken from the north between 1917 and 1941.
Lutheran church is in the distance on the right; the Catholic church steeple can be seen in the distance toward the right.
Panorama of Katharinenstadt taken from the south.
The Catholic church is at the far left side of the photo and the back of the Lutheran church is in the foreground center.
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Painting of Katharinenstadt showing the Catholic church in the foreground with the Lutheran church behind.
Artist: Michael Boss.
From the collection of Linda Tate, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Map of Katharinenstadt (1933)
[called Marxstadt at the time]
Source: Wolgadeutsche.net
Contemporary Map of Katharinenstadt
Source: Wolgadeutsche.net
Steam Mill of the Sabelfeld Brothers.
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Market Day in Katharinenstadt.
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Russian Orthodox Church in Katharinenstadt.
Source: wolgaheimat.net
Katharinenstadt (about 1894). Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is at the end of the street; the steeple of the Catholic Church can be seen on the right side of the street.
Source: oldsaratov.ru via Jorge Bohn.
"Soviet Square" in Katharinenstadt looking toward the Lutheran Church (1928).
Source: wolgaheimat.net
Demonstration in Katharinenstadt (1920).
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Boys gymnasium (highschool) in Katharinenstadt built in 1922.
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Boys gymnasium (highschool) in Katharinenstadt
Today the School of the Arts (2008).
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Katharinenstadt Oberstadt (upper town) school built in 1910.
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Katharinenstadt Oberstadt school (2008).
Source: wolgadeutsche.net
Market Square in Katharinenstadt with the Lutheran Church in the background.
Source: Jorge Bohn.
Parsonage in Katharinenstadt (1907). Source: Jo. Zitzer via wolgadeutsche.net