A Long Journey

1. A Long Journey The Roesch Family

2. Anne Roesch Larson In Loving Memory of

3. Roesch Family in Germany The farthest back that the Roesch family has been traced so far is to Jacob Roesch, born around 1740, and his wife Dorthea B. Seithers. They had Christoph Friedrich Roesch, who married Anna Marie Bergmann and lived in Württemberg, Germany. Their son, Friedrich Roesch, lived in Württemberg until he moved to Glueckstal, Russia, taking advantage of the Second Wave.

4. Catherine the Great of Russia issued a Manifesto on July 22, 1763. Her offer of land and religious and political self-government motivated many Germans to migrate to Russia. The Promise Catherine the Great

5. In 1804, Czar Alexander I renewed Catherine the Great’s manifesto, and the second wave of emigrants moved to Russia. The Second Wave Alexander I

6. The Move Friedrich Roesch and his parents moved to Glueckstal, Russia around 1819 to take advantage of the renewed offer made by Czar Alexander I. He traveled either by way of wagon train or barge, and the journey took two months or more. Once in Russia, he started his new life by marrying Barbara Strobel on December 31, 1822. The Route from Germany to Russia

7. Roesch Family in Russia Friedrich and Barbara had nine children and lived in the colony of Glueckstal. At Catherine the Great’s insistence, each colony was of the same religion. The little colonies flourished and grew from 300 people to over 3,000. Cultures between the colonies blended into a mix of German, Russian, and whatever religion was dominant in the area.

8. The Russian government was not entirely happy with the German immigrants and feared they lacked complete loyalty to Russia. Also, native Russians were jealous of the prosperity of the colonies. Then in 1874, Czar Alexander II said the colonists were no longer exempt from military service. He also instituted a “Russification policy”, which threatened the culture of the Germans by forcing them to adopt Russian cultural aspects. Changes for the Worse Czar Alexander II

9. The Choice In 1862, President Lincoln of the United States issued the Homestead Act, which gave 160 acres of land to anyone who would settle it. The Germans in Russia heard and then had a choice to make: escape the increasingly oppressing Russia and take their chances in a new country, or stay and face oppression but at least have familiarity. Friedrich Roesch decided his family was to move. The Roesch Family- 1905

10. Coming to America On October 11, 1898, Friedrich Roesch (Grandson of Friedrich and Barbara Roesch),his wife Rosina and their family decided to move to America. The parents and their two children, Rose and John, sailed to Ellis Island on the “Kaiser Friedrich”. Their other brother, Friedrich, passed away before the move. He reportedly told his family, “I’m not going to America,” and he died. The family buried him in much sadness and left for America. The Kaiser Friedrich

11. A Better Life Friedrich and Rosina eventually settled in Roscoe, South Dakota with other Germans from Russia. They tilled the rocky soil and turned it into productive farmland. Their family prospered and grew to include nine children: Rose, John, Jake, Fred, Martha, Eva, Anne, Ed, and Marie. Each enjoyed the freedoms of their new homeland, America. Their long journey had been worthwhile. The Roesch Family- 1915

12. Information grhs.com wikipedia.com google.com Virginia Prior (Schumacher) GRHS Headquarters, Bismarck, North Dakota Music “Wheree’r You Walk” from Semele by G.F. Handel Images nndb.com palagems.com americaslibrary.gov reformation.org europeinns.com ehrman.net Virginia Prior (Schumacher) GRHS Headquarters, Bismarck, North Dakota Bibliography

13. The End Thanks to everyone who helped me!