As new generations are born and the older generations vanish, our youth become ever less aware of their cultural and ethnic origins. An important function of GRHS is to stimulate interest and awareness among young people of the dramatic history of the German Russian people.
    This is important for several reasons.  Knowledge of our cultural origins gives us a sense of identity, of belonging and of continuity. 
    More importantly, an under-  standing of the lives of our ancestors is an important aspect of decision making in our contemporary world.  Although our ancestors lived in a completely different context from our own, many similar societies and cultures still exist. Although many of our ancestors were poor and clung to a much more tenuous existence than we do today, they had the same human needs, emotions and aspirations.
  Understanding how these were expressed and how lives were managed under extreme circum-stances gives us the strength and understanding to manage our own lives today.