Russian humanitarian organization on the German job market as a factor of adaptation of Russian refugees in the 1919-1920’s

Abstract

The subject of this research is the job market and legal situation in Germany in the 1920’s in the context of arrival of a large number of Russian refugees and former World War I prisoners; activity of the Russian social and professional organizations on overcoming humanitarian crisis faced by the compatriots in exile; process of reproduction of organizational structures of the Russian humanitarian activity in Europe; legal and economic framework of their activity abroad; role of humanitarian organizations in Germany in the process of employment of Russian refugees. Methodology is based on the principles of historicism and systematicity. The latter implies examination of the articulated problem in inseparable connection with the ongoing social processes and events during a specific historical period. For the first time, the history of Russian first-wave émigré is viewed through the prism of processes taking place in the area of labor relations of Russian refugees and German society; as a story of people who faced a severe humanitarian crisis. Sociocultural stress incurred by millions of compatriots caused such phenomena as marginalization and denationalization on a massive scale. The article reflects the role of humanitarian activity in counteracting the aforementioned crisis processes of the examined period.