Evolution of the German Diaspora in Kazakhstan.

Assel MAULIYEVA

Master's thesis

The History of the Formation of German Diaspora in Kazakhstan

Abstract:

Kazakhstan is home to people of different ethnicities with varying cultures and customs. One of the main reasons behind this cultural diversity lies in its history. Its location on the Eurasian continent made it easy for neighboring countries to travel to and explore its territories. Many people migrated to Kazakhstan voluntarily, but most of them did not arrive on their own accord. The main reason for this is that the Soviet authorities, as part of their repressive policies, chose to send people of different nationalities to Kazakhstan. The vast and poorly populated territories of Kazakhstan were perfect places to welcome forcibly deported newcomers. The main waves of Stalin's deportations took place in the 1940s. Germans were one of the ethnic groups severely impacted by this deportation. This thesis aims to examine "The Evolution of the German Diaspora in Kazakhstan." The thesis aims to address a crucial question concerning the evolution of the German diaspora: How did different waves of migration to Kazakhstan impact the ethnic identity of Kazakh Germans? In an attempt to answer this important question, this thesis applies a mixed-methods approach, combining historical methodology using six collections of archives with a semi-structural interview method with five Kazakh German participants. The thesis will help to understand the migration history of Germans to the Russian Empire and Kazakhstan and investigate the transformation of the ethnic identity of Kazakh Germans.

Abstract:

Kazakhstan is home to people of different ethnicities with varying cultures and customs. One of the main reasons behind this cultural diversity lies in its history. Its location on the Eurasian continent made it easy for neighboring countries to travel to and explore its territories. Many people migrated to Kazakhstan voluntarily, but most of them did not arrive on their own accord. The main reason for this is that the Soviet authorities, as part of their repressive policies, chose to send people of different nationalities to Kazakhstan. The vast and poorly populated territories of Kazakhstan were perfect places to welcome forcibly deported newcomers. The main waves of Stalin's deportations took place in the 1940s. Germans were one of the ethnic groups severely impacted by this deportation. This thesis aims to examine "The Evolution of the German Diaspora in Kazakhstan." The thesis aims to address a crucial question concerning the evolution of the German diaspora: How did different waves of migration to Kazakhstan impact the ethnic identity of Kazakh Germans? In an attempt to answer this important question, this thesis applies a mixed-methods approach, combining historical methodology using six collections of archives with a semi-structural interview method with five Kazakh German participants. The thesis will help to understand the migration history of Germans to the Russian Empire and Kazakhstan and investigate the transformation of the ethnic identity of Kazakh Germans.

Keywords

Diaspora, ethnic identity, migration, deportation, Russification.

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 1. 8. 2024

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: Mgr. Lukáš Perutka, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / odbor:
Humanities / Euroculture