Plat map of Hoffnungstal Source: Homesteaders on the Steppe, p.362 |
Hoffnungstal (to be very specific, the one in the Tiraspol District, Hoffnungstal parish, Odessa area, located 47°14'78"N, 30°10'55"E) was a Mother colony founded in 1817 (some sources say 1819) by 280 Separatist emigrants primarily from Württemberg. Although Hoffnungstal was considered a part of the Glückstal colonies in Karl Stumpp's Emigration from German to Russia in the Years 1763 to 1862, it is generally accepted that it is its own enclave with plenty of movement between the Hoffnungstal and Glückstal areas.
Hoffnungstal became its own parish in 1837, with nineteen German villages a part of it. A large stone church was built in 1842 by the community
The town had a volost building for the district's administrative offices. There was also a post office, an apothecary, a flour mill, an inn (hostel) and a monopolka (government liquor store). The town also had vineyards and produced good quality wine.
Location of Hoffnungstal |
Year Population
1817 280
1858 1145
1881 1899
1885 2019
1890 2132
1894 2349
1903 2414
1907 2497
1915 2255
1926 1887
1943 2552
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Sources:
- Black Sea German Research website, plat map collection
- The Emigration from Germany to Russia in the Years 1763 to 1862, Karl Stumpp, p. 678
- Germans from Russia Settlement Locations, Hoffnungstal Colonies map
- German-Russian Handbook, Ulrich Mertens, p. 397
- Map of German Settlements in the Odessa Area, Karl Stumpp
- Homesteaders on the Steppe, Joseph S. Height, p. 361-367
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