And while some of them simply want to make their own impression of the new Crimea, others actually entertain the idea of settling there, German TV broadcaster ZDF reports.
Since Crimea’s reunification with Russia, about 1,500 Russian Germans contacted Yuri Gempel, chairman of the Crimean German National and Cultural Autonomy, and asked him to help them relocate there, claiming that they fell a greater connection to the Russian Empire than to modern day Germany.
It should be noted that a considerable number of Germans used to live in Crimea since the times of Tsarist Russia, but all of them ended up deported from there during World War II.
"Some of them are displeased with the current refugee problem. And many are unwilling to put up with the dismantling of the Christian and family values," Gempel explained.
One of the would-be settlers, a Russian German named Willi Sdor, said that it is hard to find a decent-paying job in Germany when you have an accent which makes him feel himself as a "second-rate citizen" there.
"I raise my kids alone, and of course it’s not easy. But when I seek even a little help, the door is always closed for me. Refugees always come first in Germany, and the government doesn’t have money to spare for anything else," he explained.
He also said that he considers Germany as his "second homeland" and Russia as his first because he was born there.
The prospects of a fresh start, along with a familiar feeling of protection and authority – this is what makes Crimea highly desirable for many Russian Germans, ZDF concludes.
