Why might Henry have gone half-way around the world? The Germans in Russia accepted an offer by Catherine the Great (in the mid 1700's) to come to Russia. She made many promises at the time, but by the mid to late 1800's, many of those promises were no longer kept. One big reason why many left Russia in the late 1800's and early 1900's was that for the first time, the Germans were being required to serve in the Russian Military. You can find more info at the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia website at www.AHSGR.org. I hope this helps! Connie Geringer Armstrong garmstrong@mediaone.net