LL-L: "Plautdietsch" LOWLANDS-L, 19.FEB.2000 (02) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 19.FEB.2000 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Plautdietsch at aol.com
Subject: LL-L: "Plautdietsch" LOWLANDS-L, 18.FEB.2000 (01) [E/German]

Thank you, Ed Alexander, for the information about the new Plautdietsch
dictionary by Dr. Jack Thiessen! It is really a great book for all who are
interested in Mennonite Low German. I will add some more information about
this publication to my Plautdietsch web sites as soon as possible. The
address is:

http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/~pwiens/plautdietsch.html

Ron Hahn wrote:

"Is it not also true that some Mennonites in the former Soviet Union tried to
pass as Dutch, obviously under pressure of anti-German sentiments?  Or is this
merely anecdotal?  If it is true, was/is there anything official involved?
For example, did/does this allow them to evade official ethnic classification
in their registration and ID papers as "German" (one of the official
ethnicities)?  If so, what was/is their classification then (assuming that
there is a given number of possible classifications not including "Dutch")?
Did/do they become "Others"?  Was/is "Others" possible?*  Or was/is this
merely informal?  If any of this is true, is it still going on?"

It is surely true that many Mennonites in the former Soviet Union
successfully tried to pass as Dutch because of anti-German sentiments,
especially after the first World War. But, according to the literature about
the history of Mennonite names only a little more than 50% of the family
names could be brought in connection with "Dutch", the Rest would be from
"Preussen, Schlesien, Pfalz" etc.

I would also appreciate some more details to the question of "official
classification"....

Regards,

Peter Wiens

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From: Reuben Epp [repp at silk.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Plautdietsch" LOWLANDS-L, 18.FEB.2000 (01) [E/German]

Ron Hahn wrote:

> Is it not also true that some Mennonites in the former Soviet Union tried
to
> pass as Dutch, obviously under pressure of anti-German sentiments?  Or is
this
> merely anecdotal?  If it is true, was/is there anything official involved?
> For example, did/does this allow them to evade official ethnic
classification
> in their registration and ID papers as "German" (one of the official
> ethnicities)?  If so, what was/is their classification then (assuming that
> there is a given number of possible classifications not including
"Dutch")?
> Did/do they become "Others"?  Was/is "Others" possible?*  Or was/is this
> merely informal?  If any of this is true, is it still going on?
>
> Clarification would be very much appreciated.
>
> Regards,
>
> Reinhard/Ron

Dear Lowlanders,

It is definitely true that many  Plautdietsch Mennonites in Russia
during Worldwar I tried to invoke their Dutch status to escape
anti-German sentiment. However, they did this quite honestly,
in the knowledge that their forefathers had come to Prussia from
the Netherlands in the 16th century. Their anti-miltary stance
estranged them from official Prussia after 1772, when East
Prussia bcame dominant. By that time the Mennonites had lived
in Polish West Prussia for nearly 250 years. When they migrated
to Russia, many still carried with them Dutch bibles and hymn
books, although worship services were by then in German.
I describe much of this in my book "The Story of Low German
and Plautdietsch."

It appears that 'officialdom' in Russia regarded them as German,
because they were usually dealt with in the German language.
The Russian government before the revolution employed many
German speaking officials because of the millions of German
colonists introduced into Russia by Catherine the Great and later
Czars. Since the revolution in Russia, it appears that Mennonites
have been treated as Germans, regardless of possible claims to
Dutch ancestry. For enlarged and more up-to-date information,
perhaps Peter Wiens of Bielefeld, Germany,  would respond.

The subject is somewhat too complicated to be dealt with
satisfactorily by e-mail. But, a number of books on the subject
are available.

Dr. James Urry of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand
is probably the undisputed expert on Mennonite history in Russia.

Cheers!

Reuben Epp

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