The Influence of Deportation on the Identity of Germans of Russia and Kazakhstan

Abstract

The deportation of the Soviet Germans in 1941 was a turning point in their ethnic history. The deportation had a big influence on the ethnic identity of the Germans and transformed it. The aim of the research is to determine the influence of the deportation of 1941 on the modern identity of the Germans in Russia and Kazakhstan. The article contains facts about the deportation, analyzes its consequences, first of all the radical change in the territorial distribution of the Germans. The central part of the article is devoted to the influence of traumatic events on the identity of the people. The empirical base of the research consists of memories collected in expeditions and archives, as well as the results of an ethnosociological survey of Germans conducted in 2020 with the support of the International Union of German Culture. The final part is dedicated to the historical memory and presentation of the deportation events in the museums of Russia and Kazakhstan. The conclusions of the research are that the events of the deportation continue influencing the ethnic identity of the Germans of Russia and Kazakhstan greatly. The cause of it is incompleteness of rehabilitation, activities of public organizations, historical memory in which deportation occupies a central place. The authors show the need to form a positive identity that generates interest in the history and culture of their own people, a sense of pride and integrity of ethnic identity.

Keywords

• russian germans
• germans of kazakhstan
• ethnic identity
• deportation
• the great patriotic war
• historical memory