The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

d the right to bury their dead in their own cemeteries. By establishing large independent settlements in the Vistula basin of Prussia, far removed from main transport routes, the Men- nonites kept their religion, customs, and language unadulterated. They were not allowed to seek the conversion of others to their philosophy of life so no new blood found its way into their closed society in subsequent years. A study of names made in 1912 proves that Prussian Mennonites descended almost without exception from Dutch refugees who came from other areas. Investigations revealed that From the Vistula to the Volga “eruenjAsuued pue ‘spuejseyreN Oy] ‘eISsNnid ISO ‘OulesyP) ‘BIdyeH ‘euAYjOA ‘C1uewoy ‘eineiow; ‘josAy ‘Auewsed YyINOS ‘eule1s07-s9eSiy ui a6njyas Bui yeas Spugjawoy seyy yo] SeWUOULaWZ: SSIMS ay) LONNDaSJed G1aAeS JO asnedag S3LINONNAW SSIMS 3HL a0 QvaudS FHL Y; Bort D> / NTL iv hy 7 eiuerjAsuuad Vv o POn ay ' AE ANIVUYO! \ \-™ ~¢° INVA : HLNOS | ~ ie ct JT*NVAD0 ; MD \ ods: SILNVILY 34 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites among approximately 10,000 Mennonites in these Prussian lands, there were 369 families, among whom the following names predominated: Penner, with over 527 persons, Klassen with 409, Wiebe with 434, Janzen or Jantzen with 292, Friesen with 140, Reimer with 140, Epp with 131, and Peters with 109. These names are some of the best known, and those who bore them comprised almost one half of the entire population.‘ The marshy wastelands in the Vistula Delta were soon turned into fertile farms through the skillful and untiring efforts of the Men- nonites. They were accustomed throughout the decades of their settle- ment in West Prussia to acquire the unsettled marshy lands of the region for their descendants; when this area was occupied, they rented land in East Prussia. This outlet was soon exhausted, however, and Mennonites could only settle in wastelands and in communities with other Mennonites. Many turned to the crafts and trades. In these occupations few realized great accomplishments, however, for in their hearts they remained farmers.® Toleration and Oppression This territorial expansion of the Mennonites aroused the enmity of the Lutheran Church, since it received support from taxation of lands owned by Lutherans. The state church became greatly concerned by the growing prosperity of a rival religion and an alien people. In 1772 the Mennonites owned a total acreage of about six townships in West Prussia, which they expanded to approximately nine in the space of two years.®° Prussian officials were sympathetic to the Lutheran pleas to restrict the Mennonites and looked with disfavor upon their pacifist convictions. The army could only tax persons who owned land, and the military also depended on landowners for conscription purposes. Thus, when the Mennonites bought more and more farms from their non-Mennonite neighbors, the number of farm