Germans in Bessarabia: historical background and present-day relations

Abstract

This article provides a history of the experiences of German settlers in Bessarabia, now divided between modern-day Moldova and Ukraine. German influence in the area stems back to the activities of the Russian Tsar Alexander I, who offered German settlers the opportunity to locate in the area in the early nineteenth century, providing them with a range of privileges and freedoms. Despite the initially tough living conditions, as well as the ending some time later of some of the privileges and freedoms, the branding of the community as an 'enemy within' during the First World War and the subsequent occupation of the region by the Romanian army, the population grew to a figure in excess of 80 000 and a prosperous community of more than 150 German municipalities developed until it was evacuated in 1940 after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Today, historic-cultural networks operate which seek to provide a friendly link, as well as restoration, relief and aid projects, between the citizens of the area today and the descendants of the German settlers.