Starvation Crisis in 1932 - 1933

The following three letters, from Schilling residents, were originally published in Die Welt Post. The letters were written during the 1932 - 1933 starvation crisis in the Volga region, a time when 350,000 German-Russians were purposely starved to death by the Stalin government.

Letter 1 - published on May 25, 1933

April 14, 1933

Dear brother Reinhardt and family:

The peace of the Lord be with you all, Amen. Things are miserable here. I am not able to work, since I have a fracture. And so we hope that you will respond to us, because there is no help we would get from here. Because the children and the parents cannot help each other, they will have to die of starvation, if no outside help comes. Here 3 to 4 people die daily, so help us as quickly as possible, and do not ignore our plea, for our end is not far away now. Our need is indescribable. It's been 5 years since we heard from you. If we have offended you in some way, we ask for your forgiveness. Dear brother, if you could spend just one day here, you would shed tears of blood. The people wander about suffering the greatest hunger, eating the flesh of carcasses - and now even that is no more to be found. So help us as quickly as you can. Greetings to you all. May God reward your kindness.

Your brother and brother-in law,
Johan Nein

I, the writer of this letter, Jacob Feising, son of Heinrich, greet everyone.

Letter 2 - published on July 13, 1932

April 14, 1933

To John Wurster (Worster)
108 C Street
Lincoln, Nebraska

Dear brother!

I've already written you often and have received no reply. I ask you to help me just once. It would not hurt you to send a few dollars, since you still have food to eat. We get by on weeds and stinging nettle, cats, dogs and birds are our meat, and the horses do not die fast enough to serve as our food. We run up to carcasses and tear off the raw flesh by hand and eat it greedily. Cracked millet and dill is our food. Dear brother Johannes, send me money so I can live.

Alt Schilling May 17, 1933
Your brother Alexander

Letter 3 - published on July 14, 1932

May 16, 1932

Dear brother and sister-in-law Katrinlies

We hope this writing is received, finding you in the best of health. We have already written you often, unfortunately we have received no response. Write us, tell us how it's going. Things are very bad here, we couldn't describe it to write it down. We are in the Collective Farm and are required to turn over everything. We still have a cow, but there is no work. Our boys are dead, and if we don't receive help from you, we will have to die of starvation. Apparently, no one thinks of us. Also Johann does not let us hear anything from him. Tell him hello for us. You sent three photographs to Kathrinliesbeth, why none to us?

Greetings from your brother,
Johann Nein and Grethe