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Collection · 1974 - 1987

This collection consists of audio recordings and photographs. Recordings include news/talk shows, interviews conducted for CEESSA, and meetings and conference presentations from CEESSA. They cover diverse topics such as: problems in Central and Eastern European studies at the time and how universities and their departments function, immigration, politics, languages, daily life, life on the Canadian Prairies, life in Canada during WWII, CEESSA’s organization, goals, and projects.

Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta
Interview with ...
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c242 · Item · 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interview with a group of interviewees. It is poor sound quality. They discuss Government support to cultural ethnic organizations (?), University of Alberta relation with the community, Multicultural Centre vs Conventional Centre debate(?). The group is discussing the budget and approaching the Government about funds regarding heritage projects(?).

[Ukrainian voice starts from 11:26, sounds of a Jackhammer in the background ]
Various professions the man had to come through
Came to work on a farm. Since 1942 was looking for a job in cities

Sokolovski, J.
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c247 · Item · September 14, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains a recording of a CEESSA Meeting held on September 14, 1976. Topics covered include:
A meeting regarding the project
The government of Alberta gave money for the project
Aim of part 1 of the project on East European groups – to write a book about historical background of East European immigration; size and distribution of their settlements. The book will be comprised of 10 chapters.
Mrs. Matejko on progress of the work: the work started on October of last year with statistics of all kinds on Central and Eastern European groups. Search in the Provincial Archives. Compiled bibliographies. The most detailed ones are on Poles, Russian Germans, and Jews. Less information on Romanians or people from the Baltic countries.
A need to find private collections of documents and cover 3 waves of immigration. Problems: some communities came in the 1880s, very early, like Russian Germans. Latvian immigrants were very rare, mostly after WWII.
Volunteers are needed to make contacts with old timers and do fieldwork. Germans are the largest community in Alberta coming from Volga region, Black Sea region, and Volyn apart from those from Reich. Mr. Sokolovsky was a research assistant last year and did a great job on Russians, Byelorussians. 2/3 Germans in Alberta are from Central and Eastern Europe.
Problems with counting Czechs and Slovaks because of the former Czechoslovakia. Dr. Horna is working on Slovaks group. Ms. Birzgalis is writing a massive thesis on Latvian community in Alberta (around 1010 people altogether). And Latvian community is very young and predominantly urban comparing to other ethnic groups.
Romanian community research – there is an old settler who was born in Romania. A student in anthropology in Calgary wrote thesis on Polish community – there is interest from outside and people want to help..
A linguist from Poland studies the changes of Polish language in Alberta. He has many interviews with life stories.
High schools now offer a course on ethnic groups in Alberta – they could use a source book from CEESSA.
Discussing that 5 ethnic groups under consideration now but possibly extending the number of ethnic groups for research.
Problems of intermixed settlements of Romanians.
Grant of $10000 for research: $5000 for research associates, $4000 – for field trips, $1000 – for typing.
Mrs. Matejco will be working on all the ethnic communities in addition to the Polish one, and she will get half of that grant money. The University is going to handle the money so that CEESSA will not have to deal with the receipts and report to the Ministry.
Mrs. Matejko used to work on the project for free but put in a lot of time and effort.
Field trips should be longer and more extensive when there is money.
Mrs. Horna will be paid only for her trips and Xeroxing.
People interested in working on 2 different ethnic communities on their own budget (one is a former student working in the Provincial Archives).
To complete the project, trips to the National Archives in Ottawa and archives in Toronto should be made + a trip to the B.C. Archives and Saskatoon – those have unique sources that must be included.
Dr. Rudnytskyi and Dr. [Lupul] were assigned to do a federal project on history of Ukrainians in Canada. The project is far from being completed. CEESSA did not touch the Ukrainian community because they already have the Ukrainian Institute working on it and various funding.
The German community is more difficult than any other one – they are spread all over the province.
Federal government project includes 20 ethnic groups. The only group that was not approached was Slovenes. Dr. Priestley was then asked to do the work on that group. Another group was Finns – someone is researching them now.
The federal government is not going to give money any more for researching ethnic communities because it already did so. But money could be obtained for compiling and publishing memoirs of the pioneers – it could become a bestseller.
Getting money from Canada Council would enable to finish the project without begging from the communities.

CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c267 · Item · April 20, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item is a recording of a conference presentation. Shevchenko as a national poet of Ukraine. Major developments that might take place in the next few decades: long term climatic conditions, changes in climate are less predictable; the capacity for food production will be not as good but the population will be expending sharply – tremendous pressure for food, massive famines. Restructuring of political power is coming. Atomic weaponry is a threat. Expansion of education will result in diffusion of power of political decision making. Physical limits of human activity. Redistribution and optimization of natural resources. Economic shocks for the US: Japan’s economic growth, Vietnam war, Chinese experience. Product life cycle. The USA will not be able to impose their will on other nations. In Europe, new political construction will take place. There will be a power bigger than a nation-state. European countries have similar stages of development and are ready for globalization. Every nation will retain its national heritage but they will unite on a global political level. China’s influence will grow in the decades to come. It will be less dependent on other countries. Unlike the Soviet Union, China retained more equality. American model is not appropriate to countries that have no natural wealth. Japanese had high motivation and an obsession for learning technology while preserving own traditions. They have capacity for national cooperation in the face of a threat. Japanese will be performing another miracle – just watch them. They will be a model for European countries. Soviet Union has tremendous range of natural resources. Its potential productivity is very high. Marks’ proposition was true for limited resources. Communist society is supposed to be highly cooperative in the absence of material scarcity. But USSR is the last empire and it is disintegrating quite quickly. What is awaiting for the USSR? It can become a supplier for more developed countries. Atomic war is also a probability but it could happen only accidentally; possibly a conventional war with China. It does not pay to keep an empire. Now much energy is being wasted on keeping that empire alive instead of developing. Ukraine in this context is a modern nation; it has generous natural resources. It has a necessary infrastructure for an efficient country.

CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c223 · Item · October 4, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This file contains an interview with Tom Peterson that was conducted in English on October 4, 1976. Tom Peterson was 77 years old at the time of the interview. He immigrated to Canada from Latvia, arriving at the end of April 1928. He first settled at Pigeon Lake in 1929. During the interview he talks about his process of immigrating and learning English, and meeting other Latvians in Edmonton. He purchased his homestead from the CP and his wife joined him in Canada 6 months later. They farmed until 1951, when he gave his land to his eldest son and moved to Edmonton to become a decorator. He was very active in the Latvian community and discusses this involvement and the immigration and development of Latvians in Canada. Aside from his family and the Latvian community, Tom also discusses politics in the 1930s and 1970s.

Peterson, Tom
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c232-233 · Item · December 4, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interview with Mrs. Gauss, who was born in 1898, her maiden name was Zeider (Cyder?). Her mother originally
came from Württemberg. Her family was working on the land, were not rich. There were the only Germans in their village besides one shepherd. There was also a Lutheran church and a German school (education lasted 7 years). Children started going to school when they became seven years old. At the age of fifteen there usually was a confirmation and then they were working for their father until they got married and created own family. Her village was in the Melitopol district and there was a school in Eichenfeld. In general there were 32 family entities in the village each of them were farming and producing goods. Collectivization started in 1917-1918. The relationship with Russian people was good. There usually were many seasonal Russian workers in the German village. German children learned German and Russian languages in the school. Most of the Russian language they learned from Russian workers. Not many girls extended their school education as mothers needed them at home for help. There were eight children in her family, some families had ten, some six. Russians usually were very poor, had many children and not much land. Pomeschiki had more land. Mrs Gauss remembers how people once all together bought land from pomeschik and created a village. Germans were forced to go to the Russian army as well. Tsar Nicolai was loved by Germans. There was a school which educated doctors as well. She was 16 years old when the war started, Germans were forced to join the Russian army, many were captured in Germany and afterwards returned back to Russia. Her village didn´t have problems during the war, they had a cooperative and the living was good. She visited Krym once many years later. Memories on her village during the revolution. People came from Moscow, took what they wanted and went further to other villages.

Gauss, Emma
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c277 · Item · October 3, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item is a recording of an interview conducted in English on October 3, 1976 with Algis Dudanavicius and Mrs. Birzagalis. Mr.Dudanavicius is a 51 year old telephone technician who arrived in Canada from Lithuania on July 25, 1949. He discusses his career and the Lithuanian community in Edmonton.

Dudanavicius, Algis
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c226 · Item · May, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains one interview with John Liss of Sangudo.
Introduction by the interviewer: John Liss is in a hospital in Edmonton after surgery, he is an activist not only in Polonia matters. He talks at the beginning about Norman Louis, the interviewer should write to him. Mr. Louis is an expert on a kind of wheat which came to Canada from Poland. He (Liss) wrote an article on that. The wheat came probably from Gdańsk to Scotland and later to Ontario, probably not from Ukraine, he had to clarify that. Mr. Liss continues to talk about Karol Horecki, but the interviewer intervenes as she has written a book on him.
The interviewer asks Mr. Liss when he came to Alberta for the first time. He came from Milwaukee to Winnipeg to work and to get acquainted with horticulture. He wanted to get a "preemption to British Colombia". In 1911, he worked as a printer for the "American Echo", then as a journalist for the "Kurier Polsko". He mentions Michał Gruszka who fought a battle for equal rights for the Catholic Church as German and Irish bishops discriminated the Polish clergy. M. Gruszka was the brother Wacław Gruszka, the author of book on Poles in America. M. Gruszka was sent to the poorest Polish colony (in Wisconsin), as German and Irish bishops boycotted the Polish clergy. They asked what newspaper they were reading. If they read the "American Echo" they couldn't get a job. He talks about the Bankhead parish and a priest called Seal. Polish miners from Bielsko-Biała who were reading the Kurier were told by Seal the the paper was "godless". The miners were nice people. Liss wrote an article on the priest Seal, he was told afterwards that he will end in hell.
When he went to Alberta prior to WW I - did he meet Poles in handicraft, trade, or not at all? Liss says that he met Franciszek Hraby, a mechanic of machines used in banks, an important position. He was of Polish descent but a part of his family were Czechs in
Winnipeg. He identified as a Pole, was a Polish patriot. A second person, he met him only once, had studied at Polytechnic University of Gdańsk, he had a German name, but spoke pure Polish, he was an honest Pole. He forgot name (later he recalled the name: Hartwig). His man sold agricultural machines to Poles and Ukrainians, he met him in Edmonton in 1914 after the outbreak WW I.
One of the Poles in West Lake had a business, he forgot his name, his daughter is still living there. I was a long, old-Polish name.
The interviewer asks about the second wave of migration in the 1920s: Did he meet Poles who weren't peasants or laborers? He mentions Andy (Adolf) Solikowski of Edmonton, he was a "contractor"and the owner of apartment houses, he had a building business. Mr. Majewski (May) was active in the mining business, he is an intelligent man and attending Polish activities. The interviewer suggests that there was a huge difference between the first and second wave migrants. Mr. Liss corroborates that. The first wave migrants came from Galicia, were illiterates. In the second wave, there were no people in sheep skins, there was a difference in clothing, and the majority of them settled in cities. The first wave migrants wanted re-migrate and buy additional land in the old country. Mr. Liss recalled how he went from Athabasca 700 Miles by foot with a backpack. He supported himself by hunting and cooked the game in a pan. He bought bread in stores, it was in 1912. He didn't meet any other Poles on the way, but he met at the East River a man called Peters (a Latvian). That man was in Russian service as a sailor, he was good athlete and swimmer, he helped him, pulled him out of the East River when they crossed the river, saved his life. Peters was a Bolshevik, Liss was a social democrat. Peters was the most ardent Bolshevik - Liss thinks that the man is identical with Jakov Peters, a Latvian revolutionary (he saw his photograph in a newspaper). They walked together for one week.
When was the farm founded? In 1915 but he arrived in 1912. His father joined him from Calgary. He built a stable for horses. Later, he went to a soldier's camp at Niagara Lake. What was his most important success among his activities? To support his family. He planted trees at this farm, explains his attachment to the soil with his family history, he had found some documents in the archives of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Mr. Liss continues to talk about cooperative stores and the building of grain elevators. The farmers were at the mercy of large enterprises, they acted in self-defense. They were also at the mercy of large dairies. In the 1920s and at the beginning of the 1930s he founded cooperatives in the whole county, he organized the delivery of flour and apples. He was the only Pole, there were not many Poles in the area, and those who lived there were not interested. They came later, after WW I. There were also some Galician Poles, 7-8 Polish, some sent their children to higher education. They laugh at the American Polonia sitting in their ghetto. Mr. Liss thinks about the Polish Jokes: Many Poles are limited, they don't have ambitions. Asked about the relationship between farmers of different national backgrounds, Mr. Liss states that many have the tendency to 'clannishness'. In mixed areas, with Hungarians, Latvians, Americans, Germans, people have to cooperate and help each other. Asked about the relationship between Poles and Ukrainians prior to WW I, Mr. Liss says that they were very amical. He learned very quickly the Ruthenian language, almost like a
Ukrainian. The visited each other's church at holidays. The interviewer asks why the relationship became so hostile afterwards, in the 1920s and 1930s? The Ukrainians did everything to give their children an education, the Poles did this only later. But there was a
feeling of superiority - I'm Polish and he's Ukrainian. The Ukrainians from Galicia brought hostility towards Poles, there was much propaganda. Any reactions of the Poles? There were no organizations, they ignored it. In a slaughter house in Edmonton where many Poles worked there, the Ukrainians were hostile. It was the same in mines. With Slovakians it was easier but with Ukrainians unbearable. What was the role of Greek Catholic and Orthodox priests? Mr. Liss had no contacts. During WW I, in 1914/15, there were Tsarist agents who disseminated Russophile propaganda among Orthodox Bukovinians. Mr. Liss spoke Russian as he went to a Russian school for 2 years. Who did Sangudo look like? At the beginning a railroad was built in 1912. The hamlet didn't exist, but a few houses - a store and a post office. The inhabitants: Americans of different descend (Swedish, Scottish, English, German). In 1914 there was no train station. The foreman was a Kashubian called Dietz. He collected money for a Polish church with him. In 1912, Dietz' nephew called Piesik (from North Dakota) founded an insurance firm, his Polish was weak. Poles were meeting there, the Parochial committee had its seat there.

Liss of Sangudo, John
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c270 · Item · October 28, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interviews with Mrs. Lydia Kupsch (nee. Rosnal), a German Russian who was born in Volynia in 1896 before immigrating to Canada in 1902. She talks of life in Russia and then life in Stoney Plain and Bruderheim. She also discusses her husband and her wedding. For part of the interview, there is an older interview being played while people are talking over it.

Kupsch, Lydia
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c219 · Item · October 15, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interview recorded with George Webber and Mrs. Henny Webber on October 15, 1976 in Stoney Plain, AB. George came to Canada in 1898 to Stoney Plain. Came over with his parents by boat (boarded in Riga). His family was German, lived in Saratov on Volga River. 40 miles west of Saratov, place [Norka] – all German settlers. The family decided to come to Canada. Catherine II brought Germans to Russia and gave them 100 years of relief from military service. In 1882/3 Russian-Turkish was broke out and his dad had to go to that war, but he did not want to. A relative was at Duma, came to [Norka] and advised them to leave. The family then went to Lincoln, Nebraska. His father and 2 uncles worked together, had mills and farmed at the same time. They did not like it in the USA. So they came to Canada in 1898, when land was $3 an acre. His wife came after him, in 1910, with one of his cousins. He knew his wife’s mother but not Henny. Problems with settling in Stony Plain: clearing land, WWI broke out. People were nice to them and helpful.

Henny was born in [Norka], Russia. Came to Canada in 1925 with her husband. Came to Stony Plain because had friends over there. Did not speak English when arrived. Early life in Canada was difficult. Had sisters in the Old Country, in the Siberia. Some relatives went back to Russia in few years. Speaking German in Russia, attending a Russian school – she understood Russian. She had 7 children; they spoke German at home.
Life in Stony Plain during WWII was not easy – Germans were suspects.

Webber, George
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c243 · Item · March 6, 1976
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains a recording from a CEESSA Meeting on March 6, 1976.
Conference meeting (working group)
Opening comments: Central and East European Studies and Research including Cultural Heritage in Edmonton
127 pages
Committee that looks after the University interests in studies related to this topic
Small budget and space but University research is funded from outside the University; University focuses on its relevance to the community of Edmonton. Looking for ways of working with the community. Ukrainian community was successful for getting budget for Ukrainian studies. CEESSA would like to provide leadership.
A need to go out and meet the community people.
Project for historians and high school teachers to write the history of people from Eastern Europe (for the book for schools). Oral history recorded interviews. The project should proceed; advertising it via radio.
Students writing Master’s and PhD thesis on this topic and getting scholarships for that purpose. Getting ethnic groups active.
Not competing with ethnic organizations but making the University useful for the community.
East European Studies achieved a purpose of getting known – they are listed in the directory for the community to find them.
Researching with Dr. Gulutsan in 1966 on cultural orientation of Ukrainians in Alberta/Canada – it was published.
Ukrainian Studies Institute – why is it separated from CEESSA? It would be a part of activities of CEESSA. Mission of the Ukrainian Studies Institute – to compliment the work on CEESSA, not to compete. It focuses on the national level. Hungarian Institute in Toronto.
No established library for CEESSA (Dr. Suchowersky). No demand on books in Hungarian. No budget for buying books. A need for financial aid from the group. Problems with donated books of sets that are incomplete.
The questions of books acquisition depends on whether UofA is going to be committed to CEESSA.
Present: Bill [Shukanovich] – Alberta Heritage Council; Ausma Birzgalis – Latvian community; Tom Priestly – Chair of Slavic Languages; Steven [Yurachek] - President of the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada; Peter Chartoryski; [Maren Kustro] – representing Baltic Germans; [Mongovsky] – representing Canadian-Polish Council(?); Joanna Matejko
Coming up with the agenda. CEESSA comes to the jurisdiction of the UofA’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Special Council. Building a bridge between the University and the community.
CKUA radio plans to broadcast a series of interviews with early pioneers (in English): trying to get 1 person from each country + DPs.
Matejko, Sokolovsky and [??] went to Calgary to investigate the [?] Foundation Archives + to talk to people from the University of Calgary about the project. They have 2 people who work on the journal Ethnic Studies (Dr. Palmer & Dr. [Malytskyi]). University of South California conducting a research project on various ethnic groups, and asked for the bibliography for Alberta province.
An exceptional Ukrainian old gentleman as a candidate for the CKUA radio interview.
Oral history archives should collect interviews in ethnic languages.
Agenda items (not programs ideas): 1) mechanisms for the liaison between UofA and community; 2) proposal for the Research and Studies Foundation to have access to funds to the university people who work on the project; 3) planning and development committee.
A feedback to the UofA is needed. A newsletter idea within the UofA and community for those interested in CEESSA activities. Journal would be better than a newsletter but it needs higher funding.
Proposal: 1) to have a skeleton of a financial committee for the foundation; 2) for the government funding, a financial committee is needed – anyone volunteer? Ethnic groups should also make contributions. Do not go to the communities with the word “Soviet” – no money and no interest in that research. Canadian content in research.
Alberta Heritage Council has a legal status - it should be contacted.
Deciding on the name of the committee that would include “Central and East European Studies” – Central and East European Ways and Means Committee.
How to get people and organizations interested in this committee? Honorary membership should be introduced/considered.
Central and East European Studies Foundation Association – a proposed name. The word “Foundation” is criticized because it means “raising money purpose”.
Central and East European Studies Association of Alberta.
Establishing a smaller working committee.
There are 2 needs: people in the foundation to raise money, and people on board to set policies.
Subcommittees meeting and informing the general committees.

CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c220 · Item · April 19, 1977
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interview with Zdzisław Jan Krywkowski, conducted in Stoney Plain, AB on April 19, 1977. The
How did he come to Canada during the war? He came completely legally, from Switzerland where he had been a student. He studied political sciences at the international labor office. Then he came to France, where the so-called 4. Polish division was formed. He never took part in any battle as there were not enough people. He embarked a ship close to Bordeaux in 1940 and arrived in Plymouth. He English were much friendlier than the French from whom the had received no information. As he spoke some English, he went around with a colonel called Koszałkowski Marian. Afterwards, they were brought to Glasgow, then they were living in tents. He spent the whole war in Britain, predominantly in Scotland. He joined the 1. Corps of the Polish Army (the 2. Corps was commanded by General Anders). Among his superiors were General Maćko, his direct superior was Karol Kraćkiewicz (or Kraśkiewicz). In 1944, the worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Jewish matters. They countered the propaganda (also in the English press) that all Poles are anti-Semites and that they are persecuting the Jews together with the Germans.
His parents remained in Poland, they spent the war there. He calls Włocławek his native city although he was born in Warsaw, but he spent only four years there. His mother was the headmaster of a large school in Włocławek, a former student of her (an ethnic German) warned her after the German invasion in Poland, and his parents relocated to Warsaw. His father spent a part of the war in Żarnów close to Opoczno, his native village. He recalls a family legend that his ancestors came from Ukraine during one of the Cossack uprisings.
Why did he come to Canada? In Scotland, he worked a teacher but his salary was meagre. He had three specialties: history, political science and economics. When he talks about his experiences as a school teacher, the interviewer asked him to switch to English as it will have to translate the interview. He continues in English: He wanted to work in a secondary school. He received an offer from Alberta. In Ontario, he would have had to study for a year at a university, and BC was slow to answer.

Krywkowski, Zdristas Jan
Art Stelter
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c211-215 · Item · March 6 1977
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains 10 files of audio from an interview conducted by Art Stelter with his father Dan Stelter. Topics discussed include Dan's father coming to Canada, because he had to work for 30-35 rubles a month for a farmer (Polish or Russian) on a contract. A worker could not leave unless found another person to take over his contract. His father worked in Ukraine but was born in Poland. Was 12 years old when moved to Zhytomyr area. His dad was a Prussian. His father’s parents moved from Poland to Ukraine because Russians wanted German settlers to develop their land. Many German farmers were possessors of the land, but his father’s family had their land on a lease. Ukrainian farmers being backward comparing to Germans. Living in a village but having 2-5 acreages outside. Schools in villages. Father could not write but was able to read. Lutheran churches. His father married at 16. One child died. About 1886 he emigrated to Winnipeg at age 30. Grandmother Amalia. Women worked cleaning offices. German community in Canada His mother snuck from Poland to Germany on a false passport; left from Hamburg to Liverpool on a boat, then to Quebec. Rough trip on a ship. Marriage without love, just duty. Mother could write in German. In 1918 the family came to Bruderheim. Most Bruderheimers came from Zhytomyr. Moravians and their church in Bruderheim. Shwartz was the first church minister. Family had 25-30 horses, 250 acres of land. Sold everything in the fall of 1927 and moved to Bruderheim with a big sum of cash to avoid bank charge commission. Dan’s Russian background: grandfather Martin [Stuter] lived near Lublin, Poland. Called themselves Prussians but considered themselves German. But they could have been from Austria. Dan’s grandfather was the youngest in his family. Janott’s mother was Dan’s grandmother. Married a guy named Kobus. Came to Kelowna. Athabasca [Stulters]. Ludwig and Jastina moved from Lublin to Ukraine in 1867 to get a new life. Lutheran church was responsible for finding settlements. Not all families moved to Bruderheim after WWI. 100 years exempt from military service. Clergy: [Shwanke]. Martin was never a citizen of Russia, lived on rented land of a nobleman. Problem of leaving while having an understanding. When he was 12, they moved to Volyn area, in Zhytomyr. Does not know names of villages or family stories. Martin Dan’s family: Amalia born in 1863. Historical circumstances at that time with Russian occupying lands and leading wars against Poland. Polish reaction against the Germans. Family members were hanged. Family moving to Ukraine at that time. Amalia’s mother was still living when they left for Canada. Wendy, Dan’s mother’s sister, died in Bruderheim in 1951. Russian government pension. Amalia had a brother who went to South America (Brazil). Violence against the Germans in Russia. Mother’s side of family coming to Ukraine via Poland in 1857. School teachers having connection with Volga Germans. [Greenwert]. Danny coming directly from Germany. German accents of people from different areas, distinction of High German vs. Low German. Yiddish as German dialect. His family living in Ukraine for 20 years. His mother’s background: sold most of their belongings to come to Canada. When they came it was Spring. Mom’s father bought a cheap place to live. It turned out to be haunted house. Grandmother was the only one who saw the ghost and heard the steps. [Going back and force between moving to Ukraine and to Canada in his story]. Sold the house and the land for cash to a Polish couple on their way to Canada. The ghost was a man who hung himself. Arrived in March. Grandmother’s brother was in the army and that time and did not want to go to Canada. Came in 1905. Bruderheim. Germans in Medicine Hat. Grandparents speaking languages other than German. Naturalization papers of the family.

They then discussed Dan's life. Young years of Dan. Having typhoid as a child. School years of Dan: good at math. A year in Edmonton, Medicine Hat, another year in [Newberg]. Leaning English, prohibition to speak German on school grounds. Finished grade 7 in [Newberg]. Farm work on acres. Reading in German. Identifying birds through a book he got as a gift from a Bishop. Playing sports (baseball). Reading books on Canadian folklore (stories) and German literature (religions, war stories) at home (buying them from a travelling salesmen). Publishing house of Minnesota Germans. German newspapers in Canada.
Family raising cattle of different breeds. Father retired from [Newberg], bought a house in Medicine Hat in 1970. Population there was about 20K people. School in Medicine Hat. Selling the farm. School closed up. Churches his family visited. Moravian Brothers in Poland and Russia. Minister from a Moravian church came to the family to baptize Dan. No regular religious community. Dan stay home till almost 20 y.o., then went to USA and stayed there till 23 y.o. Dan in Michigan for 7 years (construction work mostly, for car companies). Laid off during the Depression. Dan applied for American citizenship. Visiting America, difference of American way.
Farming in Bruderheim. The estate was developed by a Ukrainian who did not built anything on it and was forced to sell the land because a cancellation was reported on his land. A story of a curse that Ukrainian had, broke his leg. Inside story was that he was drinking, fell of the truck and broke his neck. Building various buildings on the land (chicken house, barn, etc). The farm was bought in 1931 for $3000 (2 mortgages of 6%). In 1944 he paid off the second mortgage. The interest was cancelled. [Herman Hendrik] helped him not to lose the farm. A loan from a federal government to pay off the first mortgage. [Abraham] made a motion against the mortgages for farmers. When he started farming in 1931 he started with nothing (no equipment or cattle), married in a year. Then bought horses for $150, another for $50 (on a credit). In 1932, oats were about 6 cents a bushel. He bought a buggy. Got Ribbon (a horse) in 1933 who turned white when was about 6 y.o. Had several cows. Bought one for $16. A bull in the neighborhood for the cows. Returning to Canada broke, to a farm. Crop prices during the Depression (30 cents a bushel). Liberal views. Dan’s first voting in 1935 in Provincial Election. Listening to [Eibrahard] on radio. Major Douglas in Ottawa, socialist. Labor Movement. [Walter Cuhl] a member of Parliament. Uncle Fred involved in politics and Social Credit idea: government giving the banks power, giving national loans. Local leaders in Bruderheim in social credits: [Bas Wirsky] who had a hardware store, UFM members from Kuts, Baker, [Bill Tomski], Toman (a school teacher). Social Credit Board. Social Credit Party progressiveness. East exploiting the West. SCP as a popular movement, its influence on government and politics. [Peter Stefora].
Surface Rental Rights Owners’ Association, 1949-1951: Alberta, farms around Bruderhaiem – the government owned all the minerals rights. Leduc, Red Water area, Calmar. Oil companies paid 1%, the government expected 12% payback. Farmers’ Union went on 5%. Oil companies buying farmers’ lands. Saskatchewan farmers’ being paid too little. Pressure on the government from the oil companies.

CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c228 · Item · November 11, 1977
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains recordings of three interviews. The first interview is with Petrea Mihalchan. Petrea was a Romanian From Boiani, Bukovina, born in 1892. He left Boiani in 1909 and came to Vegreville, Alberta. Petrea talks about immigration and his life in Canada.
The second interview is with an unidentified couple. The interviewer speaks Ukrainian and some English. The interviewed man is a Belorussian who speaks some sort of "Ukrainianized" Belorusian with many Russian words. The woman is Ukrainian but has been born in Canada. She speaks Ukrainian with her husband and mostly English with the interviewer. The first part of the
interview is apparently missing. In the interview they discuss language dialects, churches, and the Russian Federation.
The third interview is with 91 year old, Raveta Toma, who left her home of Boiani, Bukovina/Austria in 1899, when she was 13years old. She talks about coming to Canada and her life in Boiani.

Toma, Raveta
CA BMUFA UF1994.023.c224 · Item · April 8, 1977
Part of Central and East European Studies Society of Alberta collection

This item contains an interview with Pastor Dusterhoff. Pastor was born on December 11, 1897, in a colony [Niedernstine] in the Novohrad-Volynsk district. Both parents were born there too. His great-grandfather settled there around 1855-1860 coming from Poland, from Radom. They were from Posen in Eastern Prussia originally. Polish nobility rented/sold them the land. His great-grandfather had 40 desiatyn of good land. They had mixed farming. He has been a pastor for 52 years in Western Canada, 51 of them in Alberta. He discusses how he came to Canada and how he became a pastor, as well as the German Moravian congregation in the Leduc area.

Pastor Dusterhoff