Ellis County is the “German Capital of Kansas” and has a thriving German Heritage that dates back to the 1870's. Many of the people of Ellis County are descendants of German immigrants who came from the Volga River region of Russia and the Bukovina region of Europe.  These settlers were people who migrated from Germany to Russia following the end of the Seven Years War in 1763.  In October and November of 1875, many of these immigrants left their villages along the Volga River and traveled to Saratov, Russia to begin their journey to America.  The first Volga Germans arrived in Hays the middle of February 1876 and traveled south to settle land along the Big Timber Creek.  Liebenthal was the first community to be founded on February 22, 1876.  The other communities of Catherine, Herzog, Pfeifer, Munjor, and Schoenchen were settled during the spring and summer of 1876. Bukovina Germans arrived in Ellis County, Kansas, beginning in 1886 and the subsequent 15 years.   ATTRACTIONS   Bukovina Society of the Americas 718 Washington – Box 81 Ellis, KS 67637 785-726-3388 Oren Windholz 785-625-9492 owindholz@ruraltel.net www.bukovinasociety.org  The museum provides the history of the German immigrants who arrived from Bukovina, which is currently part of Romania and the Ukraine.  They originally migrated from Germany to Bukovina in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The land called Bukovina is located on the eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains and was the easternmost crown land of the Austrian Empire from 1775 to 1918. The Hapsburg emperors encouraged the immigration of colonists to settle the sparsely-settled region. Their numbers included Germans from Baden-Württemberg and the Rhineland Palatinate (generally identified as Swabians) in what is now southwestern Germany, Bohemians from the Böhmerwald in what is now the Czech Republic, and Zipsers from what is now the Spiš County in Slovakia. So after one to two generations of living in Bukovina, the population multiplied and land became scarce which prompted emigration. Many of the German immigrants came to the United States as well as Canada and South America.   Bohemian and Swabian Germans from Bukovina arrived in Ellis County, Kansas, in 1888. Other destinations at that time included Yuma, Colorado; Lewis County, Washington; Edenwald, Saskatchewan (Canada); and Rio Negro, Brazil.     Center for Ethnic Studies FHSU Forsyth Library 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601 785-628-5262 Hours: Open daily Sunday 1 p.m. - Midnight Admission: Free http://www.fhsu.edu/library/ethnic/center-for-ethnic-studies History of the Volga German pioneers, church histories, parish registers, family histories, works on folklore, folk music and art, diaries, genealogies and obituaries make up the core of the collection on file at the Ethnic Studies Center.        Historic Churches Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau 2700 Vine Hays, KS 67601 785-628-8202 Hours: Varies - Sunrise to sunset Admission: Free – donations accepted http://www.volgagerman.net A visit to the beautiful historic churches in our area will provide you with glimpse of our history and an understanding of the strong religious values of the early German settlers in Ellis County. The Roman Catholic influences, artistic gothic style and beautiful stained glass are the most dominant features, yet each church is unique in it’s own way.       Volga German Haus 100 West 7th Hays, KS 67601 785-628-2624 Hours: Tuesday -Friday. Call for summer and weekend hours Admission: $4.00 Adults, $1.00 children 3 –12 years www.elliscountyhistoricalmuseum.org This house was built from information obtained through diaries and other documentation passed down to the descendants and is furnished with authentic household items which were used by the Volga German settlers.     EVENTS   Ellis County Polkafest March 20-21, 2010  Fanchon Ballroom  E. Hwy 40 Hays, KS 67601 785-625-6653 Continuous polka music and dancing all weekend with several polka bands. German food and a polka mass.     Herzogfest August 13-14, 2010 Honey Braun Park Marge Rome Box 433 Victoria, KS 67671 785-735-2352  www.herzogfest.com Celebrate the German heritage of this Volga German community. Carnival, polka music, concerts, parade, talent show, fireworks, food booths, free swimming.    German Feast September 12, 2010 Schoenchen, KS 785-628-3968 – 785-625-6465 Traditional German meal with your choice of green bean dumpling soup, sauerkraut soup, German sausage, ham and beans, noodles, homemade bread and desserts.  Country Store with raffle and prizes.       FHSU Oktoberfest & Homecoming weekend October 1, 2010 Hays Chamber of Commerce 2700 Vine Hays, KS 67601 785-628-8201 Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Parade on Saturday. Admission: Free The Volga German Society Oktoberfest is an annual celebration of the Germans from Russia heritage of Ellis County. It is annual event held the first or second weekend of October and is held at Frontier Park on the Friday before the Fort Hays State University Homecoming. The festival includes various activities and booths that provide food, crafts, refreshments, beer and musical entertainment. The Volga German Society, established in 1974, promotes the heritage of the German immigrants with events, programs and the annual Oktoberfest.       German Buffet October in 2010 (call for date) St. John's Rest Home 701 7th - Victoria  5-7:30 pm 785-735-2208 A special German meal with Kartoffeln und Gloess, creamed dumplings, Guluskys and all the fixings.  Sponsored by the St. John’s Rest Home Auxiliary of Victoria.