Cultural Autonomy of Germans in the Georgian Democratic Republic
The history of Germans in Georgia dates back to the 19th century, when they first arrived as part of the Russian Empire's settlement policy. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Catherine the Great of Russia invited ethnic Germans to settle in the empire, offering land and privileges. Many of these settlers, known as the "Volga Germans" or "German colonies," moved to Georgia. They established farming communities and contributed to the local economy.