Alpachiri

Location

37°22' S 63°46' W

History

The group of Volga Germans that founded Alpachiri had originally settled in Villa Alba when they immigrated from Russia in 1906.  In 1920, the lease on the land they were renting there expired, and the group (29 families including 149 children) moved to Alpachiri.  Alpachiri had been officially founded on 1 May 1910.

Due to drought and poverty, 16 families left in 1929 and moved to Stroeder, Villalonga, Patagones in Buenos Aires Province.

Volga German Families

The following Volga German families are known to have settled in Alpachiri:

Albrecht
Blumenahagen
Brethauer
Faas
Knödel
Pfeifer
Rath
Ruff
Rupel
Rust
Schmidt
Schumacher
Schmidt
Schneider
Stieben
Wagner
Weber
Wertz
Yurck

Volga German Congregation

Following their arrival from Villa Alba, the settlers, all of the Lutheran faith, built a chapel on the land of Gotlieb Knödel (now owned by the Brethauer family).  Daniel Gast served as the lead carpenter.  In 1951 a new adobe church building was dedicated on land donated by Christian Weber.

Pastors

The congregation in Alpachiri was served by the following pastors:

Pastor Franschtat
Pastor Krauce
Arthur Eich
Pastor Schulz
Pastor Hagedorn
Walter Zimmermann
Wilhelm Mirus