What is Volga Germans?
'''Volga Germans''' ({{lang-de|Wolgadeutsche}} or ''Russlanddeutsche'', {{lang-ru|поволжские немцы}}, ''povolzhskie nemtsy'') were [[ethnic]] [[Germans]] living along the [[Volga River]]. They kept the [[culture]], [[language]], [[tradition]]s and [[religion]]s of Germans, including [[Lutheranism]] and [[Roman Catholicism]]. [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine the Great]] invited Germans to immigrate. She gave them Russian lands, and allowed them to keep their language and culture. The Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic of the Volga Germans ({{lang-de|Autonome Sozialistische Sowjet-Republik der Wolga-Deutschen}}; {{lang-ru|Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика Немцёв Поволжья}}) existed from 1924 to 1942 with the capital in [[Engels, Saratov Oblast|Engels]]. ==South America== Germans from [[Russia]] also settled in [[Argentina]], [[Paraguay]], and [[Brazil]]. Most Volga Germans who settled in [[Latin America]] were [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]]. Many Catholic Volga Germans chose South America as their new homeland because the nations in South America shared their religion. == Other websites == * [http://www.webbitt.com/volga/ Volga Germans] * [http://www.ahsgr.org/ American Historical Society of Germans from Russia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511075251/http://www.ahsgr.org/ |date=2020-05-11 }} * [http://www.volguenses.com.ar Germans from Russia in Argentina Genealogy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830012228/http://volguenses.com.ar/ |date=2005-08-30 }} {{in lang|es}} * [http://wolgadeutschen.narod.ru/index.html Wolgadeutschen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830081342/http://www.wolgadeutschen.narod.ru/index.html |date=2007-08-30 }} {{in lang|ru}} {{Europe-stub}} [[Category:Germanic peoples]] [[Category:Russian people|*]]