Celebrating emigration of Prussian Mennonites

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/11/2014 (3422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A closer look at history this weekend will help give people a better appreciation of a challenging time for many Prussian Mennonites. The two day event marks 225 years since that group of Mennonites made New Russia their new home.

Doctors John J. Friesen and Harvey G. Plett will speak at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg during the Saturday morning learning session. The afternoon lineup includes keynote speaker Dr. Mark Jantzen of Bethel College in Kansas. His presentation is titled From Poland to Prussia to Russia: Mennonite Emigration out of the Vistula Delta.

More historical information will be presented by Dr. Peter Letkemann, Lawrence Klippenstein and Edwin Hoeppner.

The celebration travels to Steinbach for a special Sunday evening service at Mennonite Heritage Village. Music will be provided by The Carillons led by David Wiebe.

This celebration marks a significant time in Mennonite History when over 200 families decided in 1788-89 to leave West Prussia and move to New Russia to establish new homes, Klippenstein told the The Carillon.

“Settlement in Chortitza, in their first villages of New Russia, is sometimes seen as their “birthday” in a new land. That important event, which occurred 225 years ago led to an anniversary celebration this year.

“No one know how many descendants of those families are alive today or where they can be found; literally almost all over the world. We hope very much that many of them can find their way to this remembering and thanking time.”

The Sunday celebration at the museum will begin at 7 p.m.

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