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History
Following the elimination in 1874 of the last vestiges of the promises that had enticed the Germans to settled on the Volga in the 1760s, immigration began to North and South America. A group of approximately 200 families settled in southern Brazil intending to continue raising wheat as they had in Russia. While many found the soils there fertile, they were unsuitable for wheat.

In Argentina, President Nicolás Avellaneda signed the Immigration and Colonization Act (Law No. 817) on 19 October 1876. While it did not nullify opportunities for spontaneous immigration, it created a system whereby land could be equitably distributed to specific groups of European immigrants who were willing to work the virgin lands of the expanses of sparcely populated land in Argentina.

In August 1877, four representatives of the group that had settled in Brazil (Andreas Basgall, Jakob Lechmann, Johann Berger, and Adam Weimann) traveled to Buenos Aires where they met with Bernardo de Irigoyen, the Minister of the Interior. Mr. Irigoyen proposed a guarantee for up to 50,000 immigrants to be allowed into the country. The Volga German representatives, however, were more interested in reinstating some of the privileges that they had enjoyed earlier in Russia. In addition to good soil for wheat cultivation, the final agreement provided the colonists with exemption from military service, freedom to worship as they chose, and freedom to educate their children in the German language. Following ratification of this agreement by the Argentine Congress, immigration began.

On 24 December 1877, the first group (8 families and 3 single men) arrived in Buenos Aires. They arrived by train in Azul, southwest of Buenos Aires, and then proceeded by ox-drawn carts another 35 kilometers to Hinojo Creek where they arrived on 5 January 1878. There they founded the colony of Hinojo in the Olavarria Partido (District).

Another group that arrived only a few days later settled in Entre Ríos Province, and yet another group that arrived in 1878 settled in Santa Fe Province. By the end of 1878, there were 1,003 living in the Entre Ríos Province, 379 in Buenos Aires Province, and 152 in Santa Fe Province.

The colonies have remained largely inhabited by Volga Germans through the years. Even in 2005, approximately 90 percent of the inhabitants of these Volga German colonies are descendants of the original colonists.

The Centro Argentino Cultural Wolgadeutsche (C.A.C.W.) estimates that there were 2 million people of Volga German ancestry living in Argentina as of 2007. Many of these people now live in the larger towns and cities of Argentina.

PROVINCES OF IMMIGRATION
Buenos Aires

HISTORY

In the 1950s and 1960s large numbers of Volga German descendants moved into the city of Buenos Aires (Federal Capital District) and the surrounding suburbs.

PRIMARY SETTLEMENTS

Location: 34°51' S 58°03'W
 * City Bell

History: City Bell was founded in 1900 by immigrants from England. It is named after the leader of this early group, Jorge (George) Bell. Volga German families from Irazusta (Entre Ríos) moved to City Bell, a southeastern suburb of Buenos Aires.

Volga German Congregations: There is a Congregational parish in City Bell. LOCATION 34° 46' S 58° 15' W
 * Ezpeleta

HISTORY The history of the Ezpeleta area goes back to the second founding of the city of Buenos Aires just to the north in 1580. It officially became a town on 19 December 1904 and was named after Mariano Ezpeleta, a general during the expedition to Paraguay.

Volga German families from the rural areas of Argentina settled in Ezpeleta, a southern suburb of Buenos Aires.

VOLGA GERMAN CONGREGATIONS There is a Congregational parish in Ezpeleta. History Volga German families from the rural areas of Argentina have moved to José C. Paz, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires.
 * José C. Paz

Location 34°31' S 58°34' W
 * José L. Suárez

History The current settlement of José L. Suárez, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, began in the 1940s with the urban grow

Location 34°39' S 58°43' W
 * Merlo

History Merlo was founded as the village of Villa San Antonio del Camino in 1755 by Francisco de Merlo (1693-1758) and rebuilt by Juan Dillon with the opening of a train station on 11 August 1859.

Volga German families from Lucas Norte and Chañar moved to Merlo, a northwestern suburb of Buenos Aires.

Location 34°48' S 58°28' W
 * Monte Grande

History Monte Grande was founded on 3 April 1889. It is called Monte Grande because the elevation is higher than the surrounding area, and early Spanish settlers had planted it with European trees.

Volga German families from San Antonio moved to Monte Grande, a southwestern suburb of Buenos Aires.

Location 34°28'44 S 58°42' W
 * Pablo Mongués

History Volga German families from the rural areas of Argentina have moved to Pablo Nogués, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires

Location 34°40' S 58°33' W
 * San Justo

History San Justo was founded 25 December 1858 on land requisitioned from prominent land owner Justo Villegas. It is now a western suburb of Buenos Aires.

Volga German families from the rural areas of Argentina have moved to San Justo.

Volga German Congregations: There are both Missouri Synod Lutheran and Congregational parishes in San Justo.

Location 34°31' S 58°32' W
 * Villa Ballester

History Villa Ballester is a northern suburb of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. It was founded on 26 October 1889 and is named after Pedro Ballester whose family owned the fields where the town sprang up.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many people from San Antonio moved to Villa Ballester.

CVGS Resources
Gonzales, C. A. (2001). Germans from Russia in Argentina : their history and culture.

Miller, M. M., Garske, Andy, Reeves-Marquardt, Dona B., Michaels, Dan, Dambach, Bob, & Prairie Public Broadcasting. (2015). We (never) don't forget : Germans from Russia in South America. Fargo, N.D.: Prairie Public Broadcasting.

Riffel, J. (1928). ''Die Russlanddeutschen Insbesondere die Wolgadeutschen am La Plata (Argentinien, Uruguay und Paraguay). Festschrift zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum ihrer Einwanderung (1878-1928)''.

Graefe, I. B., & Wolfram, Richard. (1971). Zur Volkskunde der Russlanddeutschen in Argentinien. Wien: Verlag A. Schendl.

Sources

Göttig, Jorge Luis. Los primeros contingentes de Alemanes del Volga en la Argentina: Una aproximaciórica.

Göttig, Jorge Luis. 1881 Census of Colonia General Alvear

Ley Avellaneda de Inmigración y Colonización

Centro Argentino Cultural Wolgadeutsche