Much has been written about the controversy and dissension in the colonies. This focused mainly on four areas of concern during the years up to the close of the 19th century. First was the frustration verbalized by the settlers against their leadership. The frustration was the outcome of the deprivation experienced early on and the failure of the Russian government to keep their promises in the early years. The leaders were a target since they dealt with the Russian authorities and thus were perceived by some to be part of the problem.
The second area that caused problems was the Flemish/Frisian split in the church which derived its life from the split that occurred in the Netherlands during the 1500's and never was put to rest, as much as many good people endeavored to lay it to rest.
The third problem was the dilemma of land ownership. The large families quickly created overcrowding. That coupled with the restriction place on the Mennonites by the Russian government not allowing the subdivision of the family farms created a very sizable problem for the next generation. Even with the new colonies that were added the problem only reoccurred with time. Since only the landed could vote on important issues in the community this created a two-class society of the well-to-do, voting land owners and the poor, disenfranchised, landless families.
The fourth area of concern was the tension that always existed between those willing to accommodate change at any cost and those wishing to stay close to the original principals that had motivated the Mennonite movement and for which many gave their lives in the 16th and 17th century.
However, it is fair to point out that the opinion of most of the neighboring colonies of Germans, Greeks, Jews, and other ethnic groups, as well as the Russian authorities was quite favorable. In fact, it even bordered on envy at times. We will focus on three quotes taken from the book The Molotschna Settlement.
The first quote is credited to a S.D. Bondar who quotes an article in a magazine called the Journal in 1841.
"When one enters the Mennonite colonies one feels transplanted into another land. Everything there is so fundamentally different from the life of the rest of the inhabitants. The very poor cannot be found; almost all are well-to-do and, according to farming standards, many are rich… The entire settlement is like an agricultural model farm on a massive scale, where everyone strives for ever greater perfection. They make use of all new equipment if, after mature reflection, they are convinced of its practicality and usefulness. They consider all aspects of farming equally important: cultivation, cattle raising, forestry and gardening, bee keeping and handicrafts."
Count Von Haxthausen, who visited the colonies in 1847, wrote:
"I have given such an extensive description of the agricultural conditions of the Mennonites along the Molochnaia (river) because they provide an irrefutable witness to German diligence, high culture and morality. In all of Russia no other tract of land, by and large, has such a high quality farming and such superior people as there. They could serve as a measuring stick for the government and as a model for all Russian people on what can be accomplished through diligence, morality and order."
And finally we quote a portion from A. Klaus as follows:
"The Mennonite colonies quickly achieved a level of prosperity unknown to us at the time and an outstanding organizational structure which had not existed until then. On a steppe (flat grassy plains) where formerly there had been no water and where a single bush was the only hint of forest, there emerged, as if by magic, one flourishing settlement after another. Healthy and plentiful well water, groves of fruit, mulberry, and forest trees, luxurious well managed meadows, herds of sheep, cattle and horses of various excellent breeds could be found. Currently there are over six million different kinds of trees and shrubs in Molotschna."
While some complained of the strictness of the church authorities who essentially controlled the life of the community, that same discipline and orderliness led to a prosperity and quality of life rarely achieved under such circumstances as the Mennonites encountered. Despite years of broken promises, attacks by the Nogai, crop failures, adverse weather, poor soil, and great distances to market, to mention a few of the adverse circumstances, they succeeded remarkably.
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02/17/2002