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Mennonite Life MENNONITE LIFEJUNE 1991 In this Issue The Mennonite encounter with National Socialism in the 1930s and 1940s remains a troubling event in Mennonite history, even as the memory of World War II and the Holocaust continue to sear the conscience of Western civilization. How could such evil happen? How could people of good will be so compromised? Mennonites have been a people of two kingdoms. Their loyalty to Christ’s kingdom has priority, but they also believe and confess, in the words of the Dortrecht Confession (1632) that “ God has ordained power and authority, and set them to punish the evil, and protect the good, to govern the world, and maintain countries and cities with their subjects in good order and regulation.” The sorting out of heavenly and worldly allegiances has never been simple. Rulers in all times and places, from Phillip II in the Spanish Netherlands to George Bush in the Persian Gulf region, have claimed to fulfill a divine mandate. In his time Adolf Hitler offered protection from anarchy and from communism. There should be no surprise that some Mennonites, especially recent victims of Russian Communism, found the National Socialist program attractive. In this issue three young Mennonite scholars, all of whom researched their topics in work toward master’s degrees, examine the Mennonite response to National Socialism in three countries: Paraguay, Germany, and Canada. John D. Thiesen, archivist at Mennonite Library and Archives at Bethel College, recounts the story as it unfolded in Paraguay. This article is drawn from his thesis completed at Wichita State University in 1990. Jim Lichti did his master’s thesis at San Franciso State University on the German Mennonite response to the Gestapo’s dissolution of the Rhoenbruderhof. Lichti is currently in a doctoral program in European history at the University of California at Los Angeles. Benjamin Redekop’s article on the Canadian Mennonite response to National Socialism comes from his master’s thesis at the University of British Columbia (1990). Redekop is currently employed as a bicycle mechanic and a part-time instructor at Trinity Western University in the History of Science. In the fall of 1991 he plans to return to the University of British Columbia for studies leading to a PhD in history. This issue also includes the annual Radical Reformation and Mennonite Bibliography. MENNONITE June 1991 Vol. 46 No. 2 LIFE Editor The Mennonite Encounter with Jam es C. Julmke National Socialism: Book Review Editor The Example of Fernheim 4 John D. Thiesen John D. Thiesen Editorial Assistant Barbara Thiesen The German Mennonite Response to the Circulation Manager Dissolution of the Rhoen-Bruderhof 10 Stanley Voth James Irvin Lichti Front Cover Fernheim colony assembly hall in about 1935. The banner reads: “ The common good before The Canadian Mennonite Response individual gain! Believe and know: the com­ mon work that is begun is the future of our to National Socialism 18 children.” Note photo of Hitler below banner. Benjamin Redekop Back Cover Fernheim colony administration building in Book Reviews 25 about 1935. Photo Credits Radical Reformation and All photographs, Mennonite Library and Archives. Mennonite Bibliography 28 Barbara Thiesen MENNONITE LIFE (ISSN 0025-9365) is an illustrated quarterly magazine published in March, June, September, and December by Bethel College, 300 East 27th, North Newton, Kansas 67117. Second Class postage paid at North Newton, Kansas 67117. POSTMASTER: Send ad­ dress changes to MENNONITE LIFE, Bethel College, 300 East 27th, North Newton, Kansas 67117. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: U.S. - One year, $10.00; two years, $18.00. Foreign — One year, $11.00; two years, $20.00 (U.S. Funds). Indexed with abstracts in Religion Index One: Periodicals, American Theological Library Association, Chicago, Illinois; Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life, ABC-CIio, Santa Barbara, California; and available online through BRS (Bibliographic Retrieval Services), Latham, New York, and DIALOG, Palo Alto, California. The Mennonite Encounter with National Socialism: The Example of Fernheim by John D. Thiesen On the evening of 11 March 1944 a were refugees who left the Soviet Union expressed happiness that Germany now group of men assembled in the Men­ in the years 1929 to 1932. A handful had a government “ that freely and nonite colony of Fernheim in Paraguay of Mennonite families from central openly professes God as Creator” and to teach certain “ agitators” a lesson. Poland were also settled there. The col­ “ takes seriously the realization of The people included “ beginning teach­ ony was grouped into 17 villages and Christian principles in social, economic, ers, Sunday School teachers, young and was 52% Mennonite Brethren (MB), and cultural life.” Referring to their older church members, an assistant to 42% Mennoniten-Gemeinde (MG), and own experience with communism, they the Oberschulze with his son, excom­ 6% Evangelical Mennonite Brethren contrasted the New Germany with the municated church members, and non­ (Allianzgemeinde).4 recent past, “ we cannot at all under­ church members” according to the The roots of the minor riot of 11 stand that the earlier governments did elder of the Evangelical Mennonite March 1944 go back to the beginnings not clear away ruinous Communism but Brethren church (EMB or Allianz- of the Fernheim Colony. In its first for years let its undermining influence gemeincle) Nikolai Wiebe.1 The late three years, it had experienced the work upon the German people.” They summer night was clear and well lit, Chaco War, fought between Paraguay thanked God that He had now given just past full moon,2 and the group and Bolivia in Fernheim’s immediate Germany “ men who attacked Com­ made the rounds of its perceived vicinity, and continued to receive new munism with a strong hand.” 6 The let­ enemies. Hans Neufeld gave a perhaps groups of Mennonite refugees. By ter went on to recall the kindness of the overdramatized account of the treatment 1933, however, this initial situation of German people in 1929 and to express of his brother Heinrich: uncertainty and change had ended. gratitude and continued loyalty to My brother, for example, was called out With the political situation stabilized Deutschtum. It was signed by the Ober- [of the house] by the group. Unsuspect­ and its population relatively complete, schulze, or senior colony administrator, ingly he went. It was clear moon light the Fernheimers’ attention could turn to David Löwen, and by the chairman of and my sister Liese could observe and matters closer to their hearts: their own the colony’s clergy, Nikolai Wiebe, the hear the proceedings through the win­ economic progress and the accession of leader of the small EMB group in dow. First fell sharp words of abuse and accusation. Then an energetic and dic­ Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to Fernheim. tatorial voice asked, “ Are you for or power in Germany. “Although we This greeting to the New Germany against the Oberschulze?" Since Legichn always receive the news very late about has a number of interesting character­ had recently resigned his office, Heinrich the events in our Motherland,” said the istics. Certain absences are noticeable: said, “ We have no Obersdntlze." Im­ June 1933 article in the Fernheim news­ there is no mention of the Nazi Party, mediately he received from all sides paper, the Menno-Blatt, “ yet the heart of the Jews, or of the Führer by name blows on the shoulders and upper arms of the Chaco settler beats faster every so that his shirt was torn and the blood or title. What the Fernheimers re­ ran. Then they yelled, “ And tomorrow time he eventually hears that things in sponded to was the introduction of a you’ll get it better. ” 3 Germany are again on an upward more conservative public morality and At least four other friends of Neufeld course.” 5 “ The renewal movement that the eradication of the Communist Party. were roughed up. At a couple of places, today is going through the whole of This was probably not just a reaction such as Heinrich Warkentin’s, the Germandom, both at home and abroad, to the anti-Bolshevik propaganda of the group was warded off with Firearms. has not been without influence on the Nazis but also to the imprisonment of Compared to the violence taking German-minded (deutschflihlende) Men­ German Communists after the Reichs­ place in the rest of the world, this event nonites in the Chaco.” On 18 May tag fire of 27 February 1933. The resi­ seems trivial: a few young men in a Fist 1933, at a meeting of village represen­ dents of Fernheim seem not to have Fight, no serious injuries. What brings tatives in the colony (Bezirksversamm­ noticed the peculiarity of condemning it to our attention nearly Fifty years later lung), Gerhard Isaak, an elderly MB toleration of Communism by earlier is that it occurred among supposedly preacher, spoke about the “ national German governments and then express­ peaceful Mennonites. revolution” (nationale Erhebung) in ing gratitude for aid from the same Fernheim Colony had a population of Germany. The gathered colony leaders governments. about 2000, the vast majority of whom decided to address a letter of greeting Aside from these relatively vague to the new German government. They well-wishes by the adults of Fernhcim, 4 MENNONITE LIFE the Nazi movement made its first vig­ orous impression among the youth. The young people seem to have been some­ what of a social problem at first. Near the end of 1931 the Casado company, the original owner of the land occupied by Fernheim, had begun work on a large agricultural experiment station at Palo Santo, cast of the Mennonite col­ onies. The Casados hired about twenty young men from Fernheim to work at the station.
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