Just Höltzer [sic] (1712-1760) married 17 July 1738 in Oberzell to Elisabeth Graußhaar (1716-1758). The baptisms of four sons are recorded in the parish register of Oberzell: (1) Johannes, baptized 7 September 1739; (2) Johann Conrad, baptized 8 October 1745; (3) Johannes, baptized 1 February 1748; and (4) Johann Adam, baptized 18 February 1750.
The oldest brother Johann[es] Hölzer, a farmer, and his wife Elisabeth arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 9 August 1766 aboard the Russian galliot Strelna under the command of Lieutenant Sornev.
The other three arrived on the same day but aboard a different ship. Johann Konrad Hölzer, a farmer, and his brothers Johannes (age 20) and Johann Adam (age 18½) arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 9 August 1766 aboard the pink Slon under the command of Lieutenant Sergey Panov.
They all settled in the Volga German colony of Norka on 15 August 1767.
(1) Johannes Hölzer [the oldest one] had been baptized in Oberzell on 7 September 1739. He married on 9 February 1764 in Oberzell to Elisabeth Külthau, daughter of Johannes Külthau & Barbara Dorn. She had been born in Oberzell and baptized on 1 May 1740. [See Külthau Family.]
Johannes Hölzer is recorded on the 1767 census of Norka in Household No. 5 along with his [new] wife Anna Maria and their 2-week-old son Johann Georg. The single Just Köhler (age 18) is also recorded in this household, but a relationship between the Hölzer and Köhler families is not recorded.
In 1790, widow Anna Maria Hölzer and her son moved from Norka to Anton.
In 1796, Johann Georg Hölzer moved from Norka to Dinkel.
(2) Konrad Hölzer, a farmer, and his wife Charlotta are recorded on the 1767 census of Norka in Household No. 88.
Konrad Hölzer, his wife Charlotte, and children (Anna Elisabeth, age 3½; Johann Konrad, age 1) are recorded on the 1775 census of Norka in Household No. 18.
(3) Johannes Hölzer [the 2nd brother with this name], a farmer, and his wife Anna Maria are recorded on the 1767 census of Norka in Household No. 137.
Johannes Helzer, his wife Anna Maria, and children (Johann Georg, age 7; Maria Elisabeth, age 5; Johannes, age 1½) are recorded on the 1775 census of Norka in Household No. 13.
In 1786, Johannes Hölzer moved from Norka to Schaffhausen.
The 1811 census of Huck records Jakob Hölzer from Schaffhausen in Household No. 78.
(4) Single Adam Hölzer (age 18) is recorded on the 1767 census of Norka in Household No. 164 along with the Johannes Dinges family. No relationship between the Hölzer and Dinges families is recorded on the 1767 census.
Adam Hölzer, his wife Gertrude [Wilhelm], and children (Eckart, age 5; Amalia, age 3½; Konrad, age ½) are recoded on the 1775 census of Norka in Household No. 16.
Both the Oranienbaum passenger list and the 1767 census record that the 3 Hölzer brothers came from the German district of Hessen. The Oranienbaum passenger list records that the 2nd Johannes Hölzer [#4 above] came from the German region of Isenburg. The 1767 census records that he came from the German district of Hessen.
- 1775 Norka Census (Households No. 13, 14, 16).
- 1811 Huck Census (Household No. 78).
- 1857 Rosendamm Census (Households No. 2, 10).
- Campbell, Ellen. "The Helzers from Norka, Russia." The Grand Island Independent (18 February 2005). [Online]
- Idt, Andreas & Rauschenbach, Georg. Auswanderung deutsche Kolonisten nach Russland im Jahre 1766 (Moscow: 2019): 29, 33.
- Mai, Brent Alan. 1798 Census of the German Colonies along the Volga: Economy, Population, and Agriculture (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1999): Dn35, Nr014, Nr016, Nr020, Nr100, Sh41, Mv1930, Mv1952, Mv2022.
- Parish register of Mottgers (including Oberzell).
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 3 (Göttingen: Der Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 2005): 228, 252, 265, & 273.
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010): #4088, #4976.
Brent Mai
Steve Schreiber
Maggie Hein
Roger Burbank