HUCK 1993

In July 1993 I traveled to Russia and visited the former German villages: Beideck, Huck, Norka, Grimm, Brunnental, Marianburg, Wiesenmuller, Gnadenthau, Katharinstadt, and Engels.

As we left Saratov and headed west I was struck by how much the countryside reminded me of western Nebraska and Kansas. Rolling prairie with trees dotted along infrequent creeks. No fences; village animal herds are tended by shepherds. Paved highway gave way to dirt roads.

Upon our arrival in Huck we were told there was only one German family living there now. Maria (family name KOCH) was born in Huck in 1925. She lived in a former German home on the edge of Huck with her daughter, son in law, and their children. When our van pulled up, her daughter was in the side yard hanging laundry to dry. Maria was inside packing. Several huge bundles - sheets tied up - of their possessions were already prepared. It was a scene straight out of history books - of the "peasants" with their bundles and trunks entering Ellis Island. Maria and her family were preparing to leave for Germany and were due to depart in two days. In spite of all that she needed to do, Maria graciously became our guide.

Maria told us that she is related to the Kindsvater family. (Just how was never made clear.) August 29, 1941 they heard of the evacuation (exile). On September 18, 1941 all in the village Huck were moved. They were loaded in cargo (cattle) train cars and set off for Siberia. When they arrived they found nothing and had to start from scratch. The Huck men worked in the forest and the coal mines. Almost all died of hunger and cold There were many mass graves. From 1942 - 46 Maria was at a work camp in the Urals. She worked in the forest and the cement factory 12 hour per day. There was little to eat and it was very cold From 1946 through 1956 they were still held in Siberia. In 1956 some were allowed to move back to the Volga. In 1958 Maria married her current husband (Russian) and in 1980 they came to Huck.

We found the home of the aunt (Lydia STRAUSS) of one of our tour members. Lydia STRAUSS was a teacher. This house is at least 90 years old. A Russian family living in it now let us tour the house. A very typical German house, but definitely Russian standards of cleanliness in 1993 and very dilapidated condition. Most of the homes still standing in Huck were of German origin, however Maria estimated that fully half of the original village was gone.

In 1913 the first election was held in the old church. In 1933 the Government closed the church. It later became many things including a dance hall (which brought bitter tears to Maria's eyes as she related this to us). It burned in 1980. The Kino Theater now stands just behind the site of the church - built 8 years ago. Some of the old churchyard fence still stands, but the site of the church is nothing more than a parking lot.

The old German prayer house/school still stands and is used by the Government. Next door is the old schoolmaster's house. We saw the "old school" where the teachers once lived It was built in 1910 and later enlarged to use as classrooms. Now it is the office of the Sovhkolz.

As you know, Stalin had the granite and marble cemetary monuments of the German villages removed to Moscow to build the Metro (subway). The Russians are burying their dead on top of our unmarked graves. Huck was the worst of all we saw.

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