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The German Russians Come To Sutton

Fertile land and freedom brought these wandering Europeans to Nebraska

In 1763 Catherine the Great of Russia issued a manifesto of sorts. This document asked for Germans to migrate into Russia to farm the lands while also giving them relative autonomy to live. They would become Russian citizens but still were able to maintain their language and culture.

The moved by Catherine was due in part to religious persecution and intolerance going on in Europe during the time. This along with troubled economic conditions made the move to the fertile grounds and ideal situation to many of these Germans. Catherine, who was of German decent, also had a soft spot for the people. She wanted to allow them to settle and prosper under her reign.

She promised these immigrants land to farm, exemption from military service, and freedom to worship however they wanted. Many also saw tax benefits that others in the region did not receive. This was quite the offer considering this was all the way back in the 1700’s and many in the Europe did not have these freedoms. The people who came over from the German lands experienced a way of life that they had never had before. They lived this way for over one hundred years. They worked the land and built up their communities well past Catherine’s rule.

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