Mennonites in the Catholic Burial Register of
Tiegenhagen, West Prussia (1757-1770)

By Glenn H. Penner (gpenner@uoguelph.ca)

Source: Katholische Kirche Tiegenhagen (Kr. Marienburg) Kirchenbuch, 1685-1944
(LDS Film #462758), Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.
Original: Stadtarchiv Kirchheim unter Teck

Catholic and Lutheran church records from West Prussia have proven to be a valuable source of information for Mennonite genealogists (1). Most of these records contain many "Mennonite sounding"(2) names and, in some cases, Mennonites are actually designated as such or separate registers were kept for Mennonites. One should be extremely cautious when using church or secular records where Mennonites are not specified. The Mennonites and the surrounding German and Dutch population shared many common family names. There are several possible reasons for this. The early Mennonites were part of a larger Dutch influx during the 16th century. There was also a fair bit of intermarriage during the centuries that the Mennonites and other germanic settlers lived as neighbors. In addition the Mennonites were continuously losing members to the outside world during this time, and these people were most likely to join the other the German churches.

The Catholic death register of Tiegenhagen is of interest to Mennonite genealogists for two reasons. First there are few Mennonite church records available for the period before 1770 (3). Secondly this register records the deaths of Catholics, Lutherans and Mennonites and the religion of the deceased is indicated in each entry. A cursory look at the original record reveals that there were people with Mennonite sounding names who are clearly identified as being Catholic or Lutheran. They include names such as Rempel, Reimer, Lepp, Siemens, Groening, Heppner, Krahn and even Penner!

Judging by the place names and the names of individuals that can be identified in other Mennonite genealogical sources, the Mennonites listed in the death register came mainly from the Mennonite congregations of Tiegenhagen (Flemish) and Orlofferfelde (Frisian).

The following list is something between a translation and a transcription. I have tried to transcribe the names of people directly from the original. For example the modern spelling Wiebe often appears as Wieb or Vieb. Similarly Dik = Dyck/Dueck, Leven = Loewen, Frees/Fries/Friss = Froese, Wühler/Wihler = Wiehler, Krekier = Kroeker, Glebenstein = Klippenstein, Szelmbarch/Schöllenberg = Schellenberg, etc. Some first names may not be familiar, for example: Gierth = Gert/Gerhard, Joannes/ Joannis = Johann, Petri/Petrus = Peter, Velm = Wilhelm and Harm = Herman. The rest of the register is translated from the original Latin. The following abbreviations are used: y = year(annus), m = month(mensis), w = week(hebdom) and d = day(dies).

REFERENCES

(1) See, for example: Mennoniten Geburten 1759-1781 um Tiegenort/Westpruessen, A. Goertz in Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Heft 2/ 1990; Mennonitenbegräbnisse 1751-1802 in Wotzlaff bei Danzig, A. Goertz in Ostdeutsche Familienkunde Heft 4 1984; Mennonitische Trauungen 1801- 1820 im evangelischen Kirchenbuch Zeyer, A.Goertz in Altpreuáische Geschlechterkunde, 1982 p. 296.; Mennonitentrauungen 1765-1773 im kath. Kirchenbuch Gr. Lichtenau/Westpreussen, A. Goertz in Ostdeutsche Familienkunde Heft 4/1986 p.117; Mennonitische Trauungen 1800-1830 in Gr. Lichtenau/Westpreuáen, A. Goertz in Ostdeutsche Familienkunde Heft 2/1980 p.63- 65.

(2) Mennonite and Lutheran records in Tiegenhof (Prussia) and Josephsthal (Russia), Hilda Matsuo in Mennonite Historian Vol.XXII p.7 (1996).

(3) Examples include: Danzig (Flemish), Montau (marriages and baptisms from 1666), Orlofferfelde (baptisms 1727-1772) and Przechowko (Wintersdorf).

Last entry is on Sept. 17, 1770.

Page created 10 August 2001; html by Richard D. Thiessen.

Return to the
Mennonite Genealogy
Prussian Mennonite Genealogical Resource Page