-being the Magazine/Journal of the Hanover Steinbach Historical Society Inc. Preservings $10.00 No. 18, June, 2001 “A people who have not the pride to record their own history will not long have the virtues to make their history worth recording; and no people who are indifferent to their past need hope to make their future great.” — Jan Gleysteen Mennonite Institutions The Mennonite people have always been richly Friesen (1782-1849), Ohrloff, Aeltester Heinrich portant essay on the historical and cultural origins endowed with gifted thinkers and writers. The Wiens (1800-72), Gnadenheim, and theologian of Mennonite institutions. The personal reflections seminal leaders in Reformation-times compiled Heinrich Balzer (1800-42) of Tiege, Molotschna, of Ted Friesen, Altona, who worked closely with treatises, polemics and learned discourses while continued in their footsteps, leaving a rich literary Francis during his decade long study, add a per- the martyrs wrote hymns, poetic elegies and in- corpus. sonal perspective to this important contribution to spirational epistles. During the second half of the The tradition was brought along to Manitoba the Mennonite people. The B. J. Hamm housebarn in the village of Neu-Bergthal, four miles southeast of Altona, West Reserve, Manitoba, as reproduced on the cover of the second edition of E. K. Francis, In Search of Utopia, republished by Crossway Publications Inc., Box 1960, Steinbach, Manitoba, R0A 2A0. The house was built in 1891 by Bernhard Klippenstein (1836-1910), village Schulze, and the barn dates to the founding of the village in 1879, and perhaps even earlier to the village of Bergthal in the East Reserve. The structure stands as a vivid reminder of Mennonite culture which has often served as a receptacle and mooring for Gospel-centric faith, inspiring genera- tions of Mennonites to remain steadfast as disciples of Jesus. Photo by Ken Loewen, Altona, Manitoba. 16th century Flemish and Dutch writers (the an- and was best exemplified by the three pioneer cestors of the conservative Mennonites in North Bishops Johann Wiebe (1837-1905) of the and South America), brought forth a rich flower- Reinländer (Old Colony), Gerhard Wiebe (1827- Inside This Issue ing of devotional, theological and historical writ- 1900) of the Bergthaler (Sommerfelder/ ings, coinciding with a Dutch “Golden Age”--thou- Chortitzer), and Peter Toews (1841-1922) of the Feature stories .............................. 3-35 sands of books and other writings, mostly unknown Kleine Gemeinde. President’s Report ............................ 37 today. It was good fortune that E. K. Francis under- In 17th and 18th century Prussia, Aeltesten such took the study of the Mennonites in Manitoba in Editorial ..................................... 38-43 as Georg Hansen, Hans von Steen and Peter Epp the 1940s. His doctoral thesis published by D. W. Letters ........................................ 48-52 (uncle of Klaas Reimer, Kleine Gemeinde Friesen & Sons, Altona, in 1955, as In Search of founder), in Danzig, and Gerhard Wiebe, Utopia, became a classic of scholarly writing, re- News ........................................ 53-69 Ellerwald, produced Confessions of Faith, Cat- minding Mennonites of their historical and liter- Articles .................................... 70-119 echisms and devotional writings. In Imperial Rus- ary heritage and their unending quest for utopia, Material Culture .................... 120-136 sia, Old Colony leaders such as Aeltesten David defined as the building of God’s kingdom on earth. Epp (1781-1843) and Gerhard Dyck (1809-87), In this issue we celebrate the work of sociolo- Book Reviews ........................ 137-148 and Molotschna leaders such as Aeltester Abraham gist E. K. Francis with the publication of his im- Preservings Introduction to Issue 18 Feature Story “Mennonite Institutions” In this issue we proudly feature “Mennonite The activities of the Machnovse in the Jasykovo pressions of Preservings and/or matters of impor- Institutions” by Emmerich K. Francis as the lead area north of the Chortitza Colony seem to have tance to them. Presumably some readers are in a article. Reprinted from Agricultural History, Vol- been related to the successful operations of a Men- state of shock that after a hundred years of silence, ume 22, (July, 1948), pages 144-155, the paper nonite Selbschutz. However, as seen in previous conservative Mennonites actually have a voice and stands as a benchmark of research and writing. articles published in Preservings dealing with the are able to articulate their views. It must be an en- Particularly noteworthy is Francis’ description of massacres in Steinbach and Ebenfeld, Borosenko couragement to realize that their faith is intellec- the peculiar inheritance laws of the Mennonites Colony, equally severe atrocities occurred else- tually and biblically much superior to Protestant which enshrined full equality of male and female, where. On the other hand, it cannot be said for a Fundamentalism which is almost non-intellectual tracing these remarkable protocols to their roots certainty that matters might not have been even by definition. in medieval Flanders, the ancestral home of many worse in the absence of the Selbschutz. Another piece of delightful historical writing of the Russian Mennonites. While deplorable in one sense, the departure by Elizabeth Reimer Bartel, leads off the articles “Mennonite Institutions” celebrates the repub- from Mennonite teachings represented by the section. She presents a well crafted piece continu- lication of In Search of Utopia, E. K. Francis’ Selbschutz was certainly no worse than those who ing the saga of the H. W. Reimer clan of Stein- classic work of the Mennonites of Manitoba, in converted themselves over to Separatist-Pietist re- bach, Manitoba, focusing on her spinster aunt an attractive second edition. The book, based on ligious culture, such as the “Tent Missionaries”. “Ennee”. David K. Schellenberg has contributed research conducted by Francis during the 1940s, In fact, after reading the report that the tent mis- a worthy biography of his grandfather, pioneer was originally published by D. W. Friesen & Sons sionaries had targeted Eichenfeld because of they Steinbach teacher Gerhard E. Kornelsen. The in 1955. The work by E. K. Francis reminds us were staunchly conservative (presumably mean- “Family Chronicle 1900,” by former Kleine of the struggles of our forebears and their sacri- ing they were happy to remain with the genuine Gemeinde Aeltester Peter Toews provides an in- fices in building the foundations upon which the Gospel-centric faith of their fathers), I query triguing view of several ancient dynasties which modern generations are prospering. No doubt the whether the “in your face” religious screed of the had great impact on our community. fact that Francis was Catholic enabled him to em- tent missionaries did not spark the massacre or at The biography of Mennonite film producer pathize with the Mennonite people and their least contribute to its severity? These are questions Otto Klassen, Winnipeg, continues the endeavour struggle to maintain the integrity of their faith that will probably remain unanswered. of Preservings to present the lives and ideas of and culture. Writer Marianne Janzen, Winnipeg, whose contemporaries who have contributed significantly The new edition of In Search of Utopia and grandfather was killed in the massacre, has com- to our fellowship. the recently published The Mennonite Settlements piled a gripping account of the horrible events of The lead article in the material culture section of Southern Manitoba, by geographer Dr. John October 25, 1919, in Eichenfeld. The article is an is the long awaited “Story of Two Gesangbücher” Warkentin, Toronto (see Preservings, No. 17, pages important contribution to the growing literature on by Dr. Peter Letkemann, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 77-80), will soon be joined by a more modern the topic. Hymnody among Russian Mennonites has often popular history being written by Dr. John J. Among conservative Mennonites the empha- been the battle ground between conservatives and Friesen, Professor of History and Theology, Ca- sis regarding the rebirth and salvation has been those who adopted alien religious cultures and/or nadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, mainly on conversion by Christian formation, those seeking fulfilment through accommodation Manitoba, to be ready for publication later this year. namely, the discipling of the young by parents, and assimilation with their host societies, see These three works will provide a sound base of school and Gemeinde. There are still those among Preservings, No. 15, page 66. Dr. Letkemann’s ar- historical writing, interpretation and understand- so-called Evangelicals who hold to the antiquated ticle chronicles the outstanding efforts made by ing for scholar and lay person alike. belief that the only valid way to salvation is by our conservative Mennonite forebears in Prussia Dr. Justina Bergensche (1828-1905), Moun- crisis conversion, notwithstanding that such a in the 1780s to compile a Gesangbuch based in tain Lake, Minnesota, was one of the important teaching cannot be supported biblically. Neverthe- large part on the core hymn texts of the Dutch/ medical practitioners among the Mennonite people less, Protestant Fundamentalist proselytizers rou- Flemish Mennonite church. of Russia and North America. Her story reminds tinely use this teaching as they work among con- Through their valiant efforts these leaders pre-