The Sidney Heitman Germans from Russia Collection

The Sidney Heitman Germans from Russia Collection is named in honor of the late Dr. Heitman to recognize his years of research and teaching about this ethnic group, the second largest in Colorado.

The collection originally emerged to support research conducted as part of the Germans from Russia in Colorado Study Project, which was active at Colorado State University under Dr. Heitman's direction in the late 1970's. It includes a full range of secondary resources and many original documents dealing with the migration of Germans to Russia's open lands of the lower Volga River beginning in the 1760's, plus sources detailing their Russian sojourn and subsequent move to the United States over one hundred years later. Specialized information on local settlements in the United States and specific accounts of Germans from Russia in Colorado make this collection unique.

The collection documents early migration to Colorado settlements, religious and family matters, occupations, and social mobility. There is considerable material on the early sugar beet industry and the role of the Germans from Russia in its early growth, plus a general view of the history of Colorado from the perspective of this ethnic group. The story of the assimilation and influence of Germans from Russia in Colorado makes this collection an important resource for the understanding of the history and development of the state.

Formats include books, journal articles, theses, dissertations, oral history tapes and transcripts, photographs, manuscripts and government publications. Most of the collection is in English, but some German language materials are included.

In addition to academic study, the collection is frequently used for genealogical research.

A full-text finding aid for the collection is available online.