Pages: 575-580

The article sets a question of social-anthropological approach to research of the situation in German society in 16th – early 19th cc. to reveal the reasons behind peculiarities of massive migration of Germans into the Russian Empire, in particular, into southern Bessarabia. The author draws attention to a deep psychological affect caused by an endless row of different disasters in Germany.
Political and economic shocks accompanied by death of many people from Reformation till Napoleonic wars brought to changes in mentality and way of life. Laymen reduced to beggary and desperation were setting off to nowhere, regardless of counteractions undertaken by idle and ignorant nobility. Coming to Russia almost “naked” as they were, the Germans were given the status of colonists. The Czar’s administration ensured such conditions for the emigrants that enabled quick transformation of yesterday’s refugees into exemplary proprietors and law-abiding citizens.