GRHC to Open New Permanent Exhibit With July 15 Celebration
Posted: 2026-07-09 06:44:40 Expired: 2026-07-16 06:44:40
The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection opens its new museum-quality exhibit, “In Search of a Homeland: The Journey of the Germans from Russia,” with an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, at the NDSU Main Library.
The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection will celebrate the grand opening of its new permanent exhibit, "In Search of a Homeland: The Journey of the Germans from Russia," on Wednesday, July 15. The open house runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at the GRHC in the NDSU Main Library.
The celebration is held in conjunction with the 55th Germans from Russia Heritage Society Convention, taking place in Fargo July 15 through 18. The afternoon will feature community, coffee, and kuchen served by the NDSU Dining Services, along with a first look at the new exhibit. Display tables will represent the Tri-County Tourism Alliance, NDSU Press, and Friends of the Welk Homestead.
About the Exhibit
The exhibit walks visitors through the Germans from Russia story, from life in German-speaking Europe and the reasons families looked eastward in the 1700s and early 1800s, to settlement in the Volga, Black Sea, Bessarabia, and other regions, and later migration to the Dakota prairies and beyond. Along the way it explores village life, faith traditions, foodways, language, work, and the community bonds that developed across generations.
A section on foodways lets visitors take home a recipe card to continue the connection beyond the exhibit. Another space, "Those Who Stayed," tells the story of families who remained in Russia and, later, the Soviet Union, including experiences of famine, repression, deportation, war, and displacement. Interactive elements throughout give visitors the chance to watch, listen, read, and reflect, offering more than one path into the story.
The exhibit was designed and fabricated in partnership with Upland Exhibits of Newton, Kansas, and represents years of planning by GRHC staff along with donors, community members, families, researchers, and students. As part of NDSU Libraries, the GRHC works to preserve this history and make it accessible to descendants, researchers, alumni, students, school groups, and first-time visitors, in keeping with NDSU's land-grant mission.
Location and Parking
The GRHC is located in the NDSU Main Library at 1201 Albrecht Blvd, Fargo, ND 58105. Free parking is available just south of the library in NDSU T-Lot.
More Information
For more information, or to learn about donating family histories and photographs or financially supporting the GRHC, contact Jeremy Kopp at jeremy.kopp@ndsu.edu or 701-231-6596, or Michael Miller at michael.miller@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8416. Additional details are available at www.ndsu.edu/grhc.
-- Academic Affairs: Haley Hamel