Before I start writing my letter I would like to introduce myself. As far as I know, basing my knowledge on all the information I could get, we are relatives.

My name is Heinrich Batt born in Russia in the German Wolga colony in the village of Frank at the river Medwediza, my father was Konrad Batt, my grandfather was Andreas Batt, my grandmother was Catharina Elisabeth Eckhardt.

In the year 1906, two brothers of my father, one sister of my father and a cousin emmigrated to the USA. The names of my uncles and my aunt were: Heinrich Batt, Andreas Batt, Anna Maria Batt and cousin Catharina.

About Catharina I don `t know anything. Not even her complete name. I don't know whether she is still living or anyone of her relatives.

There remained 4 other children in Russia: Konrad Batt, Jacob Batt, Katharina Margaretha Batt and Anna-Margaretha Batt

I was born on 09. October 1926. My father Konrad Batt was born in 1894 and died 1966 in Sibiria.

My mother was Austrian, born 1896 in Austria and starved on 25. September 1943 in Sibiria.

I myself had a very hard livetime in Russia. In addition to that I was prisoned for 7 years in a sovjet concentration camp forced to work because of my criticicm and the fight against the Kommunist Party. After the time in the camp I was deported to my sister Maria to Kasachstan. My sister had also been deported there according to a law by the Highest Soviet.

On the 1st of September 1941 we were deported from our living sites to Sibiria and Kasachstan, Usbekistan, Tatschikistan and far to the the north of the large country. There we were permanently kept under guard by the KGB.

We were not allowed to leave the places until 1955. Then it became a litte better. No guarding any longer.

With the help of the German Chancellor Adenauer we Sovjet Germans were freed from the Stalinist Command so that we were able to move almost unristrictedly.

Then my family and me moved to Lettland and after another 10 years fight against the KGB we forced the allowance to leave the Soviet Union for Germany. That was in the year 1977. Since then I live together with my wife Alwina, born as Flegler in Neu-Dönhof, Wolgacolony, and with my 5 children and 13 grandchildren in Lower Saxony not in Hessen.

For the time we have been living in Germany we are well off. We cannot complain about our live and are very satisfied. But one thing is still in my mind: To find and to get in contact with all the relatives.