VGI Updates

Neckarzimmern, Kr. Neckar-Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg

Besler, Matt

Matt Besler was born 11 February 1987 in Overland Park, Kansas. He is the son of Greg and Diane Besler. He is an American soccer player with the Sporting Kansas City team. He is the brother of professional soccer player, Nick Besler.

Matt's Volga German ancestors come from the colonies of Hölzel, Marienberg, and Streckerau.

Besler, Nick

Nick Besler was born 7 May 1993 in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Greg & Diane Besler. He is an American soccer player with the Real Monarchs of Salt Lake City. He formerly played with the Portland Timbers. He is the brother of professional soccer player Matt Besler.

Nick's Volga German ancestors come from the colonies of Hölzel, Marienberg, and Streckerau.

Hergenhein

Three Hirchenhein families migrated to Russia, two of them confirmed to be from the German village of Hain-Gründau. Their relationship to each other, if any, needs additional research.

(1) Heinrich Hirschenhaÿn, son of Carl Hirschenhaÿn from Hain-Gründau, and Anna Maria Dietrich, daughter of Peter Dietrich from Mittelgründau, were married in Hain-Gründau on 8 August 1765.

Yekatrinburg, Yekatrinburg District, Sverdlovsk Oblast (Siberia)

Yekaterinburg, alternatively spelled as Ekaterinburg, was founded on 18 November 1723. It was named after Catherine, the wife of Peter the Great.

In 1924, the name was changed to Sverdlovsk in honor of the Communist party leader Yakov Sverdlov. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the name was changed back to Yekaterinburg in 1991.

After the deportation of the Volga Germans in 1941, many Volga German families moved to the city of Sverdlovsk. Today, most Volga German descendants who had been living there have immigrated to Germany.

Bishkek, Chui Region, Kyrgystan

Bishkek, formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic).

In 1825, Khokand authorities established the fortress of "Pishpek" in order to control local caravan-routes and to collect tribute from Kyrgyz tribes. On 4 September 1860, with the approval of the Kyrgyz, Russian forces led by Colonel Zimmermann destroyed the fortress. In 1868 a Russian settlement was established on the site of the fortress under its original name, "Pishpek".

St. Simon's Lutheran Church - Humboldt Park (Chicago)

St. Simon Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 1540 N. Spaulding, was founded in 1889 and was originally affiliated with the Iowa Synod. St. Simon's was the German-language congregation and St. Peter Lutheran Church, located down the street, was the English-speaking Church. They merged in 1965 to become St. Simon Peter Lutheran Church.

The church was built in 1899. In 1986 the church building was sold to the Salvation and Deliverance Full Gospel Church with the stipulation that Simon Peter be allowed to use the building rent free for the next 10 years.