The Building of the Alexanderwohl Church, 1860-1868
Rodney D Ratzlaff July
2023
Odessa State Archives, Ukraine, Fond 6, Opis 4, Delo 19964
includes documents listing correspondence regarding the building of a new
church structure in Alexanderwohl Village, Molotschna Colony.
On 27 January 1860, the District Assembly wrote a letter to
the Guardians Committee of the Foreign Colonists in the Southern Region of Russia
(Fuersorgekomitee) stating that the current church building was in
disrepair. The parishioners had
submitted a proposal for a new building which would cost 4,580 Rubles,50
Kopeks which would be collected as a tax from the parishioners. The old church building would be sold, and
240 Rubles income would be collected for the old pews alone. The 9 January 1860 parish (Alexanderwohl)
meeting approved the plan, and 101 signatures were collected from the Bruderschaft,
including those of 1 deacon, 3 ministers, and the elder (this represented more
than 2/3rds of the Bruderschaft). The plans included detailed lists of
materials needed for the project. David
Friesen, Oberschulze in Halbstadt, Beisitzer Klaas Wiebe, Schreiber
Martens, approved the plans and sent them on to the Committee.
On 10 February 1860, the Committee held a meeting. Based on the preceding report, the Committee
agreed to finance the construction on 8 March.
On 27 July 1868 the District Assembly wrote a letter to the
Committee stating that the decree of 8 March 1860 (the building of the new
church structure) had been fulfilled. On
30 June 1868, elected representatives of Alexanderwohl, including Abraham
Reimer, Andreas Schmidt, Kornelius Wedel, and Peter Unruh, inspected the new
building, reviewed the plans, and declared the project satisfactorily completed
according to the approved budget. 124
parishioners, plus 6 ministers and the elder, signed off on the completed
project. Abraham Driedger, Oberschulze
in Halbstadt, Beisitzer Dück and Johan Fast, Schreiber
Harder, approved the completion of the project on 17 July 1868 and sent the
documentation on to the Committee. The
Committee added that the case was considered completed as of 30 June 1868.
The Molotschna Oberschulz in 1860 was David A. Friesen
(GM#126920) (Oberschulz 1848-1865).
He was Oberschulz during a time of disputes over how to handle
the landless (Einwohner). He seems
not to have had much sympathy for the Einwohner and was released of his
duties due to his role in the dispute.[1] The Oberschulz in 1868, when the
construction was complete, was Abraham Driedger (GM#61993) (Oberschulz
1867-68).
Peter Wedel, listed as Ältester
is GM#32275 (b1792 in Przechówko, his father was Benjamin Wedel
GM#47896 who was elected Ältester in 1799 and died in 1813). Wedel’s grandfather, Benjamin Wedel, was Ältester
in Przechówko
at the time of the March 1773 census.
Wedel’s half-uncle was Jacob Wedel GM#106634, compiler of the Przechówko
church records.
Other members of the Alexanderwohl Church Council (Lehrdienst)
listed in the documents include:
·
Peter Voth, Lehrer (minister),
GM#60458?
·
David Schröter, Lehrer, GM#49363. This man arrived in Alexanderwohl in 1820
from Podwitz, Prussia.
·
Kornelius Richert, Lehrer, GM#48309.
·
Heinrich Richert, Lehrer, GM#48308.
·
David Gäddert, Lehrer, GM#89128. This man was uncle to Ältester Dietrich
Gäddert, leader aboard the S.S. Teutonia and at Hoffnungsau (KS).
·
Jacob Buller, Lehrer, GM#32903. This is Ältester
Buller who succeeded Peter Wedel GM#32275.
Elected as Lehrer in 1859, he became Ältester in
1869. He came to USA in spring 1873 (see
S.S. Frisia, 29 May 1873) to scout locations for new home for the congregation. He was the leader aboard the S.S. Cimbria and
is buried at Alexanderwohl (KS).
·
Gerhard Bärgen, Diakon (deacon) GM#31675. This man came to Molotschna from the Dirschau
(Tczew) area of Prussia.
Descriptions of some Molotschna churches can be found here: https://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/Molotscha_Ministers_1835.pdf, but the sources for the information (dated 1835)
showed nothing in regards to a church building at Alexanderwohl.
Przechówko villagers established Alexanderwohl Village beginning in July 1820, but we do not know when they built their church. This map indicates the presence of a church in Alexanderwohl Village by 1829.[2]
Molotschna Colony,
1829
Alexanderwohl Village 1836
We also know that a modern view of village Svitle (Світле),
Ukraine (current-day Alexanderwohl), clearly shows the site of the 1860-8
church building (marked in blue).[4]
Svitle, Ukraine 2023
This map from 1855 shows a building different to a regular house
(center of the village, circled in red) directly across the
street north from where the 1860-8 building was erected (circled in gold).[5]
Alexanderwohl Village 1855
Likewise, this 1865 map seems to show the same as the 1855
map (site of old church marked in red; site of new church marked in gold).[6] The map does not yet reflect the new church
building.
Alexanderwohl Village 1865
This 1874 map shows the site of the 1860-8 church building,
as well as the schoolhouse across the street to the north which perhaps sat on
the site of the earlier church.
Alexanderwohl Village 1874
The first Alexanderwohl Village church building was very
short-lived. It would have been built in
the years following 1821 after the village and Gemeinde were
established. But by 1860 – less than 40
years later – the building was “in a state of disrepair and offer[ed] very
limited space”. These Mennonites built
structures of extremely high build-quality so it’s hard to understand why a
building less than 40 years old would be in a state of disrepair. More likely is that the Gemeinde had
grown to the extent that the building no longer served the church’s needs.
The church building back at Przechówko was likely built to accommodate
150-200 people.[7] When the Przechówko villagers came to
Alexanderwohl and built their first church, they may have built a similar-sized
building. In 1860, 101 people
represented about 2/3rds of the Bruderschaft. Thus, the entire Bruderschaft could
have totaled about 150 men. If each man
had a wife and a couple children, then the total number of those attending a
Sunday service could quickly have exceeded 400 or 500 people. The size of the Gemeinde had grown by
leaps and bounds during the period 1825-1860 so this is likely the primary
reason for need of a new building.[8]
It’s impossible to know exactly how the Alexanderwohl group
intended to pay for the new church building.
The total cost of the construction was 4580 Rubles.50 Kopeks and they
expected to make 240 Rubles by selling the benches from the old church
building. This left 4340 Rubles.50
Kopeks the congregation would need to pay.
The Guardians Committee agreed to finance the cost but the congregation
would need to repay the loan.
Ältester Peter Wedel’s notes indicate that his plan was for
each farm to pay 25 Rubles and for each church member to pay 6 Rubles but we
cannot be sure how that would work. In
1857 there were 30 farms in Alexanderwohl with 159 men. There were also 7 landless families with 26
more men – a total of 185 men but we do not know for sure if each was a member
of the Alexanderwohl Bruderschaft. If
each of the 185 men paid 6 Rubles, the total would be 1,110 Rubles. If each of the 30 farms paid 25 rubles, the
total would be 750 Rubles – a grand total of 1860 Rubles. It is extremely likely that the Alexanderwohl
Bruderschaft included families living in nearby villages. It is also impossible to know how many that
would be and how many more men at 6 Rubles apiece that would amount to.
In the end, however the calculations worked, the money fell
short. Wedel’s notes go on to say that a
list of specific men loaned a total of 1050 Rubles towards the project. Apparently this was enough since the project
moved forward. On 30 October 1860, under
strong rainstorms, the new building was dedicated. About 300 souls gathered for the dedication
which was presided over by Ältester Wedel as well as Ohm Rüdiger whose identity
is right now unknown.[9]
This is the church that was erected starting in 1860,
completed by summer 1868.[10]
Alexanderwohl Church, Molotschna Colony
The same building, photographed in 2002, from the same angle
as above? The door and window
arrangement toward the right side of the photo seem to be identical to the
church building in the photo above.[11]
Former Alexanderwohl church building, built 1860-8, Svitle, Ukraine
This document gives a glimpse into the administrative
machinations of the Molotschna Colony.
The administration at the village level began with the village Schulze
(mayor) who usually had two Beisitzer (assistants) who were elected from
the village assembly. The village
assembly consisted of the land-owning males of the village.
The Gebiet or Bezirk
(district) government was under the jurisdiction of the district assembly,
which consisted of one or more representatives from each of the villages. The [village] Schulze or one of the Beisitzer
was always one of the delegates to this assembly. The Gebietsamt or Bezirksamt
(district office) consisted of an Oberschulze (district chairman)
elected by the assembly for three years, two Beisitzer elected for two
years, and hired clerical staff, the most important being the Gebietsschreiber
(district clerk). While the village
administrative office was only a set of books, the district government, having
full time clerical staff, was situated in Halbstadt and had an actual office. In general, the function of the district
government was an extension of the power of the local assemblies, applied to a
larger area. It supervised the
activities of the village Schulze, but itself was responsible to the district
assembly. The Oberschulze
represented the district at assemblies or meetings with government
agencies. The district assembly, through
the Oberschulze and his assistants, in turn was responsible to the
appropriate Russian government agency.[12]
In almost all cases, the appropriate Russian government
agency was the Guardians Committee of the Foreign Colonists in the Southern Region
of Russia (Fuersorgekomitee), which was established in 1819 as part of
Ministry of Royal Estates – located in Odessa.
This was the Russian government agency which oversaw matters with
foreign colonists – Mennonites or otherwise – in the Empire.
We see these two bodies in the 1860 documents: the Oberschulze (individuals listed above) and the Guardians Committee or Committee. The Oberschulze was represented by his official seal:
молочанскаго менонистск: окружнаго приказа (Molotschna Mennonite District Assembly). This seal featured the double-headed eagle of the Russian Empire.
The seal of the Alexanderwohl Gemeinde is also seen in the documents:
Alexanderwohl*Kirchensieceldermennonitengemeindeandermolotschno (Church seal of the Mennonite congregation of Alexanderwohl; In the Molotschna; Matthew 2:2)
The village assembly and Schulze are not represented in
this document since this matter fell into the ecclesiastical realm. The building of a new church involved the
whole Gemeinde which included many members from villages other than
Alexanderwohl. It was a matter for
Alexanderwohl Village, but it additionally encompassed a larger area, so it was
above the Alexanderwohl Schulze’s jurisdiction. Representing the Gemeinde we have
signatures of the Lehrdienst (church council): the Ältester
(elder), the Lehrer (ministers), and the Diakon (deacon).
The final point we will discuss is the building materials list and
budget for the project. The total budget
for the project is tabbed at 4,580 Rubles,50 Kopeks. One Ruble in 1860 was worth 12 grams
of silver. The price of silver in 1860
was $1.36/ounce. Thus, a Ruble
was worth $.58 at that time. In silver,
this job would have cost $2,656 in 1860 which is equivalent to $97,335
today.
An interesting way to assess the value of 4,580 Rubles
in the Molotschna Colony in 1860 would be to compare that to the value of a
typical Molotschna farm. The unit
of land used in Imperial Russia was the dessiatin (approximately
equivalent to 2.7 English acres). A full
Wirtschaft (farm) in Molotschna consisted of 65 dessiatin. Owning a full Wirtschaft was what
every Molotschna farmer aspired to, so this is a good measure of value in the
colony. Precise value of Wirtschaften
in the Colony is hard to determine but 1843 Property Transfers are a good place
to start.[13] We do have a listing of 25 Wirtschaften
that were transferred in 1843. The
average price for these properties, 17 years earlier than the Alexanderwohl
construction project, was 833 Rubles.
We need to bear in mind that most of these properties were forced
transfers meaning that the owners were compelled to sell since they could no
longer maintain the property for whatever reason. Therefore, we must assume that these
transfers were transacted for less than the going price. However, one of the properties was
transferred due to the owner quitting farming to become a merchant so we might
assume this property was sold for the going rate (in Rudnerweide in 1843): 2,285
Rubles.
We also know that Jacob Fast (GM#35385, an Alexanderwohl
congregant coming to Nebraska in 1874) researched the price of two Molotschna Kleinwirtschaften
sold in 1888 at 2,230 Rubles and 2,500 Rubles. If we double that to Vollwirtschaften,
we have 4,460 and 5,000 Rubles in 1888.[14] Further, in Hierschau we know that 1901 two Wirtschaften
went for over 8,000 Rubles each.
By 1913, these could be valued at 15,000 Rubles.[15] If we plot these values, we can produce a
reasonable projection and see how Wirtschaften increased in value from
1843 to 1888. Based on this projection,
the value of a full Wirtschaften in 1860 at the time of the
Alexanderwohl construction project could have been in the neighborhood of 3,500
Rubles. Therefore, the value of the construction project was equivalent to roughly 134% that of a full Wirtschaften.
[1] Huebert,
Heinrich, Hierschau: An Example of Russian Mennonite Life, Winnipeg,
1986. p79.
[2] Karte
Molotschna Kolonie und Umgebung 1829. From "Bruchstücke aus einigen Reisen nach
dem südlichen Rußland in den Jahren 1822 bis 1828. Schlatter, Daniel. St.
Gallen. 1830." Accessed online at chortitza.org
on 10 July 2023.
[3]
“Putting ‘Russia’ Back into Russian Mennonite History”, by John R Staples,
Mennonite Life, Spring 2007, Vol. 62, No. 1.
[4]
2023 Google; Svitle Світле Zaporizhia Oblast Ukraine 71772 47.150217875000756,
35.84074124288646.
[5]
See TrailsofthePast; Brent Wiebe, (https://trailsofthepast.com/mol_alexanderwohl/). Accessed online at Trailsofthepast.com on 10
July 2023.
[6] Shubert's
1865 map series: VTK_Ryad_XXIX_List_14_1920 tokmak.
[7] Przechowka,
West Prussia, Memberships lists for 1715 and 1733 from the Travel Diary of
Hendrik Berents Hulshoff, translated by Dr. Glenn Penner. Accessed online at Mennonitegenealogy.com on
10 July 2023.
[8] We
can see the growth of the congregation represented in the surnames of the Bruderschaft
listed. Most of the surnames come from
the Gröningen
Old Flemish Gemeinde at Przechówko.
However, Bergen, Franz, Ediger, Duerksen, Hiebert, Schroeder, Reimer,
Banman, Rabsch, Abrahams, Ens, Dahlke, Klassen, Heinrichs, Heidebrecht,
Tiessen, Wiebe, are surnames which represent families joining Alexanderwohl Gemeinde
from other villages.
[9]
Church Book of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in the Molotschna Colony of
South Russia, published by the Mennonite Immigrant Historical Foundation,
Goessel, Kansas, 1987. P 12.
[10] Alexanderwohl
Mennoninte Church. Mennonite Library and
Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, KS: 2004-0093. Accessed online at GAMEO.org on 10 July 2023.
[11] Foto
8. Die Schule in Alexanderwohl. Foto: 19.07.2002, von Anatolij Prosorow-Reger
mit Informationen von Adina Reger. Accessed
online at chortitza.org on 10 July 2023.
[12] Huebert,
Heinrich, p58.
[13] Molotschna
Settlement Property Transfers: 1843, translated by Dr. Glenn Penner. Accessed online at Mennonitegenealogy.com on
10 July 2023.
[14] Jacob
Neumann, Mennonitische Rundschau Elkhart, Indiana 7 March 1888, p. 9.,
translated by Steve Fast. Accessed
online at Archive.org on 2 June 2023.
[15] Huebert,
Heinrich, p138.
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