Tasks and Projects
Tasks and Projects
The activities of our association “The Galician Germans – History and Culture of Remembrance e.V.”
With the launch of this revised website, the thematic focus has shifted, and it is the association’s task to continue along this path in exploring the history of Galicia.
We publish the newsletter
“Focus on Galicia – The Sacred Bond”
(Published 6 times a year)
as a printed edition and also available in PDF format.
- The interactive section of this website allows for additional contributions to the print edition, as well as media supplements such as films and podcasts.
- Looking ahead beyond 2027, it is conceivable that there will no longer be a printed edition, as the number of subscribers continues to decline. In that case, the online edition will be expanded and distributed in PDF format to members and interested readers.
Maintaining and strengthening internal cohesion within the association with only one in-person event remaining, while adapting to the changing situation and the age structure of its members.
The members of the association are spread across all of Germany, with some living abroad as well.
Further exploration of the historical heritage through our own research, but primarily using the collections of the Martin Opitz Library in Herne.
Networking with universities and platforms that focus on the history of Eastern Europe.
Preservation and strengthening of the friendships that have developed over the past 30 years. This personal closeness, as it existed before the war, must be preserved; one practical method for doing so is through video conferences via Zoom.
Adapting to the times and societal conditions means that part of the activities will take place on online platforms.
What we will organize each year:
- An annual general meeting; starting in 2026, this will take place online via Zoom.
- A cultural conference; starting in 2026, this event will also be limited to a single day. to better adapt to the conditions resulting from a smaller number of members.
This new format is a Galicia Theme Day, which will take place in person.
Regional meetings in areas where descendants of the Galician Germans live, in order to encourage them to participate actively.
We possess extensive documents, writings, and archival materials in both printed and digitized form:
- including the extensive archive of the Galician Germans, which is maintained by the Martin Opitz Library in Herne. The finding aid comprises 268 A4 pages and lists 2,472 documents and various collected items, such as postcards, newspaper clippings, and personal estates.
- Eine weitere Quellenbasis sind die „Lemberger Pfarramts- und Superintendialakten 1778 – 1939“ aus dem Zentralen Staatlichen Historischen Archiv der Ukraine in Lemberg-Lwiw und dem polnischen Staatsarchiv in Przemyśl.- Diese liegen in digitalisierter Form vor und würden etwa 70 000 Seiten A4 entsprechen.
- A private genealogical research center (closely affiliated with the association) with 348 local family books (as of March 2025), which are updated annually as additional church records are made available online by Polish and Ukrainian archives.
What began in the “analog age” on thousands of index cards has, over more than 60 years and through its transition into the digital era, grown into a vast collection:
THE GALICIAN GERMANS – HISTORY AND CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE e.V.
RESEARCH CENTER FOR GENEALOGY
The documentation of the ethnic German population in the former Austro-Hungarian crown land of Galicia (southeastern Poland and southwestern Ukraine) from 1750 to 1940.
This meticulous research into the population goes far beyond simply creating an individual family tree; it brings historical Galicia to life through the lens of generations—from the time of immigration up to the beginning of World War II, when the village communities dissolved.
This collection is complemented by more than 100 village maps, providing a view of the settlement locations and their former inhabitants.
In light of the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine since 2022
Over 30 years of free travel to Ukraine, personal friendships have been established in the former settlement areas — and it is essential to preserve them.
Until the start of the Russian war of aggression, annual excursion trips to Eastern Galicia in Ukraine had taken place since Ukraine’s independence. These trips were an important pillar of the association’s work and led to new members joining the association who had not previously been involved. As of 2025, the opportunity to expand the circle of those interested in Galicia through such travel activities is hardly imaginable anymore.
Under the current conditions (2025), contact with historical Galicia is limited to:
- Excursions in small groups to the former settlement areas of the Galician Germans in Poland
- Maintaining contact with Eastern Galicia/Ukraine is currently limited to internet-based formats, such as the blog section of this website and, to expand outreach, through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
To ensure that we can continue this work in the future, we warmly invite you to become a member of our association. “The Galician Germans – History and Culture of Remembrance e.V.” is recognized as a non-profit organization and finances its work and activities through donations, membership fees, and contributions from its members and supporters. Since the board and all responsible members of our association work on a voluntary basis, all donations are used exclusively for charitable purposes.
Please help us to appropriately represent the history and cultural heritage of the Germans in Galicia! –
For your donation, you will receive a donation receipt from us.
Thank you very much!
Your Galician Germans – History and Culture of Remembrance e.V.
Postbank Stuttgart
SWIFT/BIC: PBNKDEFF
IBAN: DE93 6001 0070 0020 4707 02