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Heritage & Historical |
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General |
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| University Archives and Mennonite Historical Collections | Bluffton, Ohio -- Part of the Musselman Library on the campus of Bluffton College. Open to researchers | ||||
| The Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies | Fresno, California -- an archives and historical library supported by Fresno Pacific University and the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. | ||||
| Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust and Meetinghouse | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Germantown is the site of the first permanent settlement of Mennonites in America and the oldest congregation and meetinghouse. | ||||
| Hans Herr House & Museum | Built in1719, the Hans Herr House is the oldest surviving dwelling place of European settlers in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. | ||||
| Kauffman Museum | North Newton, Kansas -- an historic farmstead with heritage flower and vegetable gardens around the 1875 Voth-Unruh-Fast House and the 1886 Ratzlaff Barn, the museum tells the story of the coming of the Mennonites from Europe to the central plains in the 1870's. | ||||
| Letters from Stalin's Russia | Letters written by "Russian Mennonites" to the “West” during Stalin’s Reign of Terror. | ||||
| Menno on the Net | A catalogue of web pages about Dutch church reformer Menno Simons (1496-1561), after whom Mennonites derived their name. | ||||
| Mennonite Heritage Centre | Winnipeg, Manitoba—As an inter-Mennonite facility the archives of the Mennonite Heritage Centre holds the records of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, MCC Canada, Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization, Evangelical Mennonites Mission Conference, Prussian and Russian Mennonite community documents, etc., and the personal papers of many individuals. | ||||
| Mennonite Historical Library | Goshen, Indiana -- Housed on the campus of Goshen College, MHL is one of the world’s most comprehensive collection of books, periodicals and artifacts related to Anabaptist and Mennonite history. The library includes bibliographies, texts and images on topics related to the Radical Reformation, the Anabaptists, Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and various related groups. | ||||
| The Mirror of the Martyrs | A traveling exhibit recalling the drama of people of authority— obedient to crown and church— torturing and killing Anabaptist Christians, people who claimed a higher obedience. | ||||
| Peace and Anabaptist Library | New York, New York -- A ministry of Menno House in Manhattan seeking to support peacemaking by both a popular, practical collection intended for people involved with the churches in the greater New York City area, Menno House residents and guests, and the inquiring public as well as a scholarly collection intended for seminarians, peace activists, and university students. | ||||
| Plautdietsch-Freunde | Plautdietsch-Freunde e.V. was founded in Oerlinghausen, Germany, in 1999, with the goal of documenting, nurturing, and promoting the Plautdietsch language. Plautdietsch is a West Prussian variety of Low German which emerged approximately 450 years ago in the Vistula delta area of what is now Poland. Speakers of Plautdietsch who emigrated from Western Prussia through Southern Russia (present-day Ukraine), and who now live in Germany, Canada, Paraguay, and other parts of the world, are also known as "Russian Mennonites." Through its web resources and its journal Plautdietsch Frind, Plautdietsch-Freunde offers an international forum for all those who speak, read, write, or simply have an interest in the language. | ||||
| Young Center for the Study of Anabaptist and Pietist Groups | Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania -- Established to foster and promote the scholarly study of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. | ||||
Historical Societies |
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| Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee |
The Historical Committee serves Mennonite Church USA, which is the merger of the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church. The Historical Committee nurtures historical consciousness, and operates two denominational archives, in Goshen, Indiana, and North Newton, Kansas. |
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| Brethren in Christ Historical Society | Grantham, Pennsylvania -- Begun in 1978, the Society has emphasized an understanding of the past as a guide to the present and the future. Includes representatives from the United Zion Church and the Old Order River Brethren as well. | ||||
| California Mennonite Historical Society | The California Mennonite Historical Society is an inter-Mennonite organization dedicated to furthering understanding about Mennonites, both in California and around the world. | ||||
| The Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies | Winnipeg, Manitoba -- Operated by the Historical Committee of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Contains the John A. Toews Historical Library. | ||||
| Essex-Kent Mennonite Historical Association | Leamington, Ontario -- an archives and heritage center to preserve the history of Mennonites in Essex and Kent Counties. | ||||
| Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission | The Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission is responsible for fostering historical understanding and appreciation within the Mennonite Brethren Church in Canada and the United States. | ||||
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The Mennonite Brethren Church operates four archival centers in North America.
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| The Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society | An educational program focused on the collection, preservation and interpretation of books, manuscripts and artifacts related to the historical background, religious thought and expression, culture and genealogy of Mennonite and Amish-related groups originating in Pennsylvania. | ||||
| Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society | Winnipeg, Manitoba -- Established in 1958 to foster an awareness of Mennonite history and culture. | ||||
| Mennonite Archives of Ontario | Waterloo, Ontario— the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, adjacent to the library, is the location of source documents related to the history of Mennonites in Ontario, including congregations, institutions such as Mennonite Central Committee Ontario, and individual Mennonite leaders. This archival collection continues to grow. An important supplement to the original documents is some 5,000 feet of microfilm containing copies of material held in other archives, churches or private collections. | ||||
| Mennonite Heritage Center | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania -- Operated by the Mennonite Historical Association of the Cumberland Valley | ||||
| Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta | Calgary, Alberta -- Founded in 1986. Dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to historical materials. | ||||
| Mennonite
Historical Society of British Columbia |
Abbottsford, British Columbia -- The Mennonite Historical Society of BC was formed in 1972 to collect and preserve valuable historical records, foster awareness, sponsor programs and events and assist in publishing writings and books related to Mennonite history and culture. | ||||
| Mennonite Historical Society of Canada | Features an introduction to the Mennonite community in Canada and the Global Mennonite Anabaptyist Encyclopedia Online. | ||||
| Mifflin County Mennonite Historical Society | Belleville, Pennsylvania -- Established in 1988 as a center for resources for research. | ||||
| Oregon Mennonite and Genealogical Society | Salem, Oregon -- Dedicated to record and preserve the history of Mennonite and related groups of Oregon and surrounding states for present and future generations. | ||||
| menno.rec.study.history | Use the online registration form to join menno.rec.study.history, a MennoLink email interest group providing news and discussion related to Mennonite history. | ||||
Interpretive Study Centers |
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| Korea Anabaptist Center | Site in Korean and English. "The Korea Anabaptist Center works with individuals, groups and churches to actively participate in the mission of God by cultivating biblical discipleship, peace and Christian community and by developing and providing resources, education, training and relationships in the Anabaptist/Mennonite faith tradition." | ||||
| le Centre Mennonite de Paris | Paris, France -- le Centre Mennonite de Paris est une association, en partenariat avec d'autres institutions et églises chrétiennes, dont le but est de diffuser une réflexion théologique et une pratique largement inspirée de la tradition anabaptiste. | ||||
| London Mennonite Centre |
The London Mennonite Centre works with institutions, congregations, groups and individuals to explore ways to:
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| Menno House | Menno House, New York is a Christian presence in the middle of Manhattan. Its misson of serving people who come to work in the city has not changed since 1958 when it began as a Voluntary Service house and haven for conscientious objectors seeking a way to serve the community. It now also functions as the home of Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship and as a meeting place for Mennonites in the city. It also houses the 1,000 volume Peace and Anabaptist Library. | ||||
Tourist Interpretive Centers |
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| The Illinois Amish Interpretive Center | Arcola, Illinois. The Illinois Amish Interpretive Center is the first museum in Illinois dedicated to the Amish culture. It traces the history of the Amish religion, including its roots in the Anabaptist/Mennonite movement, and provides a glimpse into the lives of Illinois Amish. The Center provides to the public a rich source of authentic, factual information about the Amish community in Illinois through exhibits of contemporary and historical objects and artifacts. Visitors can view an eighteen-minute video on the Amish culture to help separate fact from myth about their culture. | ||||
| Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center | Metamora, Illinois -- Built on the site of the old Partridge Creek meetinghouse of the first Amish Mennonite congregation to organize in Illinois in 1833, The Heritage Center is being developed by the Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society. | ||||
| Menno-Hof | Shipshewana, Indiana—Menno-Hof offers a non-commercial setting for visitors to learn accurate information about the faith and life of Mennonites and Amish in north-central Indiana, one of the world's largest Anabaptist communities. | ||||
| Mennonite Heritage Center | Harleysville, Pennsylvania—The Mennonite Heritage Center is opearted by the Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania and presents Mennonite life and faith through images and stories of the past. Its architecture, with lines reminiscent of early Mennonite meetinghouses, points towards the spiritual center of Mennonite life. Though it suggests rural images of mill, barn and house, exhibits show the movement toward a more urban society giving the 20th century expression to a deep-rooted heritage. | ||||
| Mennonite Heritage Museum | Goessel, Kansas -- Established in 1974 to preserve the artifacts from early households, farms, schools, churches and the hospital in Mennonite community of Goessel. | ||||
| Mennonite Heritage Village | Steinbach, Manitoba--Mennonite Heritage Village is a showcase of the history, faith and culture of the Mennonites who settled in Western Canada in the 1870's. The museum features an 1890's Village (with 16 heritage and replica buildings), a modern interpretive centre, conference space, and exhibit galleries that tell the Anabaptist story from 1525 to today. Estabished in 1964, Mennonite Heritage Village is a 40 acre (17 hectare) site that welcomes over 50,000 visitors from across North America and the world. | ||||
| Mennonite Information Center | Berlin, Ohio—Features a 10' x 265' cyclorama illustrating the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from the Anabaptist beginning in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1525 to the present day. | ||||
| Mennonite
Information Center and Biblical Tabernacle Reproduction |
Lancaster, Pennsylvania—The Mennonite Information Center seeks to interpret the faith and the practices of Amish and Mennonite peoples, explain the meaning and purpose of the original Old Testament Tabernacle, and help area visitors to better enjoy their visit to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. | ||||
Genealogy |
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| Mennonite Genealogy Inc. | Winnipeg, Manitoba | ||||
| O.M.I.I. Genealogical Project | Ohio Michigan Indiana Illinois Genealogy Project. Information on a Swiss Mennonite & German Amish genealogy project and access to 3 databases with a total of over 425,000 individuals. | ||||
| Swiss
Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association (SMCHA) |
Moundridge, Kansas -- A nonprofit organization comprising descendents of immigrant Mennonites who came to the USA in the 1870s from what is now the Ukraine. Their ancestors originated in Switzerland passing through many countries in Europe including France, Germany, Austria and Poland on their way to the Ukraine. | ||||
| menno.rec.roots | Use the online registration form to join menno.rec.roots, a MennoLink email interest group providing news and discussion related to Mennonite genealogy. | ||||
| See also: libraries, Directory of Mennonite and Related Church Historians and Committees | |||||