Special Collections

This 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  resources  dealing with the migration of Germans to Russia's open lands of the lower Volga River beginning in the 1760's, the Russian sojourn and subsequent move to the United States over one hundred years later. Publications on local settlements in the United States and 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 are publications on the 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.

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