Only a half century ago, a visitor to this neighborhood would have found a bustling German speaking people who built here a close knit community based on their common language and shared history. The women tended tidy houses and productive gardens. The men often worked in the nearby grain elevators and railroad yards, or in neighborhood businesses. And the children, for whom the parents nourished the American dreams of freedom and opportunity, were expected to work hard in and out of school.

These people were the Germans from Russia. They established communities like this throughout the cities and farmlands of the central and western regions of the United States and Canada. They came from the German colonies which had been settled in Russia in the late 1700's and 1800's. Then, at the end of the 19th century these independent people began migrating once again, this time leaving the oppressive regime of the Russian regime to pursue the promises of the Americas. Here in the New World, the first generation of immigrants established a unique and fascinating culture.

A group of the descendants of these Russian German immigrants realized that this history was in danger of being lost and forgotten forever. In 1968, they met in Colorado to establish the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia with the purpose of preserving and maintaining their precious heritage.

In just 15 years, AHSGR has become an internationally recognized center for researching and publishing the history to the Germans from Russia. With the dedication of this headquarters and heritage center, in June of 1983, the hard work and generous donations of hundreds of Society members has truly made it possible to preserve the past for the future.