Fred Koch was born in Kolb, Russia in 1901. At the age of 5, he emigrated to the United States with his family to Ritzville, Washington. Koch started in the newspaper business in Wenatchee, Cashmere, Spokane, and Seattle, all in Washington State. During World War II, he was in the Office of War Information in London, the Office of Psychological Warfare in Paris, and was in military government in Frankfurt and Berlin. He was a graduate of the University of Washington.
Koch is the author of "The Volga Germans: In Russia and the Americas, from 1763 to the Present", which is one of the first English-language histories of the Volga Germans.
The Volga Germans are ethnic Germans who settled along the Volga River in southeastern Russia in the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries many immigrated to the United States, settling in a number of states, including Washington, Kansas, and Nebraska.
This collection consists of Fred Koch’s research files on Germans from Russia and their immigration to other parts of the world, including the United States, South America, and Canada. The materials include correspondence to multiple individuals on history and genealogy, newspaper clippings and copies of articles on Germans from Russia, Koch’s personal research notes and annotations, and publications and annotated photocopies of publications on Soviet Union and Russian history, German immigration from Russia to the United States, Canada, and South America, and texts on genealogy.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1965-1983, consists of letters Koch exchanged with individuals who were authors or direct descendants of Germans from Russia. Some correspondence includes attached articles or photos.
Series 2: Research notes, 1908-1982, is comprised of Koch’s personal notes, annotated photocopies of publications and articles, and annotations on publications about Germans from Russia.
Series 3: Published works, 1802-1970, bulk 1916-1970, consists of books and texts that Koch collected, which discuss Germans from Russia history or genealogy.
The collection has been organized into three series: Series 1: Correspondence, 1965-1983, is arranged in folders for respective correspondents, in chronological order therein; Series 2: Research notes, 1908-1982, is organized by subject; Series 3: Published works, 1802-1970, bulk 1916-1970, is arranged in folders for each publication, organized by author’s last name.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item description]
Fred C. Koch Papers, 1802-1983 (Cage 851)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The Fred Koch Papers was donated to Washington State University by Rodney Koch (MS.1984.23).
This collection was processed by Brianna Webb and Steven Bingo in
The Karl Stumpp maps that were donated with this collection will be separated and catalogued with Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections map collection.
Scheuerman/Lust Family Confirmation Certificates, 1899-1924
Richard D. Scheuerman Volga German Papers, 1766-2009
Anna Biedel Weitz Papers, 1904-1983
Emma Schwabenland Haynes Papers, 1927-1982
American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Records, 1968-1984
Emma Schwabenland Haynes Nuremberg Papers, 1940-1984
Dewald Family Story Typescript, 1998
Arthur Hartwig Notes on Germans from Russia, 1916-1999
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.