Historical Committee

Finding Aid on the Hutterian Brethren, and Society of Brothers,

Sources found in the Archival Collections at
Mennonite Church USA Archives - Goshen, Indiana, USA
Web site: www.mcusa-archives.org
E-Mail: archives@goshen.edu
January 15, 2003
by Dennis Stoesz, Archivist
_______________________________________________________________________

Four persons who have done extensive research and writing on Hutterites in the 20th century are John Horsch (The Hutterian Brethren, 1931), Robert Friedmann, (Die Schriften der Huterischen Taeufergemeinschaften, 1965), John A. Hostetler (Hutterite Society, 1974, 1997), and Leonard Gross (The Golden Years of the Hutterites, 1980). It is through their efforts, among others, that a substantial collection of writings by and about Hutterian Brethren and Society of Brothers has been collected.

The list of sources below is taken from the cards in the Archives Card Catalog found under "Hutterian Brethren", "Hutterites" and "Society of Brothers". There are detailed inventory listings for many of the collections listed. These inventories are available upon request. The sources are archival in nature, and include original codices, correspondence, diaries, materials, photocopies, photographs, tape recordings, microfilm, films, video tapes, artifacts and unpublished papers. Individual unpublished papers have not been listed.

Many published sources such as books, articles, periodicals, and some codices, have also been collected through the years by the Mennonite Historical Library located across the campus from the archives, here at Goshen College. E-mail: mhl@goshen.edu. Web site and Card Catalog: www.goshen.edu. The Museum Committee of Goshen College also holds various artifacts pertaining to Hutterite life.
_______________________________________________________________________

Anderson, Lawrence C. (died 1992), Mankato State University, Mankato, Minnesota, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-547), photographs (Hist. Mss. 4-326), tapes (Hist. Mss. 6-277), three videotapes (Hist. Mss. 11-2).

Bender, Harold S. (1897-1962), Goshen, Indiana, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-248), including correspondence of emigration of Hutterites from Germany to Paraguay, 1930s.

Buller Films, Inc., Henderson, Nebraska, USA. Films, 1984, on Hutterites. Contains original camera footage only for Hutterites: To Care or Not to Care, 1984. (Hist. Mss. 10-8)

Correll, Ernst H. (1894-1982), Washington, D.C., USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-28) which include three folders on Hutterian Brethren, Box 1, Folder 60, Box 4, Folders 26 and 35.

Friedmann, Robert (1891-1970), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-404).

Gross, Leonard, Goshen, Indiana, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-447), photographs (Hist. Mss. 4-199), tapes (Hist. Mss. 6-241), microfilm (Hist. Mss. 8-50), which includes about 130 films, of which one microfilm is on Hutterite birth records in Russia from 1844- , and one microfilm is on Hutterite disciplines on communion, marriage and divorce, one videotape (Hist. Mss. 11-6), and artifacts (Hist. Mss. 12-7).

Gross, Paul S. (deceased), Spokane Hutterite Colony, Washington, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-891) including many photocopies of Hutterite sermons from 18th and 19th centuries, and photographs (Hist. Mss. 4-176).

Herring, Dr. Frederick. Journal, 1873-1877, which includes mention of reading about the Hutterites in Hungary, and about the colony at Wolf Creek, Yankton, South Dakota (1875). Journal found in the Eli J. Bontrager Collection (Hist. Mss. 1-142).

Mennonite Church USA. Historical Committee, Goshen, Indiana, USA. One folder on Hutterites, 20th century (I-3-3.3)

Hofer, Jacob D., Alexandria, South Dakota, USA. Photocopies of letters regarding David J. Hofer, ca. 1917-18, who was in Alkatraz prison, California, as a conscientious objector during World War I. Collection also contains some articles about Hutterites, 1899, 1964, 1973 (Hist. Mss. 1-801).

Hofer, Joshua, James Valley Hutterite Colony, Elie, Manitoba, Canada. Newspaper clippings on Hutterites, 1940-1979 (Hist. Mss. 1-543).

Horsch, John (1867-1941), Scottdale, Pennsylvania, USA. Notes and manuscript on Hutterian Brethren, as found in boxes 11 and 12 (Hist. Mss. 1-8)

Hostetler, John A. (1918-2001), Goshen, Indiana, USA. Papers, including an original 1569 / 1764 Hutterite codex on the first 11 chapters of Revelation (Hist. Mss. 1-42).

Hutterite colonies, Canada and United States of America, Map of, ca. 1976. (Hist. Mss. 7-8, mapcase)

Hutterite colonies. Chart showing three branches of Dariusleut, Schmiedeleut and Lehrerleut colonies, Canada and United States, ca. 1978. (Hist. Mss. 7-25 mapcase)

Hutterites. Newspaper clippings, 1949-1988, as collected by the archives (Hist. Mss. 3-1).

Meier, Hans, Society of Brothers, Rifton, New York, USA. Correspondence, 1980-84, with Horst Gerlach, Marnheim, West Germany, on the Rhoenbruderhofes, Germany. (Hist. Mss. 1-740)

Mennonite Central Committee, Akron, Pennsylvania, USA. Records (IX) including correspondence in aiding Hutterites to emigrate from Germany to Paraguay in 1930s.

Rankin, Diana M., St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Thesis on Hutterite Music, 1972 (Hist. Mss. 1-460) and three tapes of Hutterite singing, ca . 1972 (Hist. Mss. 6-58).

Sakakibara, Gan (1898- ), Tokyo, Japan. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-921) that includes his autobiography on his pilgrimage as a Japanese Christian to Anabaptism. Was also interested in Hutterites and communal living.

Steffke, Angela, Lincoln Park, Michigan, USA. Artifact Collection (not yet formally cataloged), containing clothing from Dariusleut and Schmiedeleut branches of the Hutterian Brethren, USA, dating from 1984-2001.

Waldner, Jacob S., Big Spring Hutterite Colony, Montana, USA. Diary, 1917-1918, as a conscientious objector during World War I. English translation of diary, 56 pages plus 6 plus 2 pages. (Hist. Mss. 1-470).

Waldner, Tony, Forest River Hutterite Colony, Fordville, North Dakota, USA. Papers (Hist. Mss. 1-824) including i) records from Erich Buchinger on Kaerntner transmigrants, 1752-1803; ii) Kirchen Buch, 1844-1975, which includes records of Hutterites dating back to Hutterthal and Johannesruh, Russia; and iii) Lehrerleut Hutterite family records, 1910s-1960's, as found in Canada and United States. Also a collection of photographs (Hist. Mss. 4-317).

Waltner, Paul. Photograph of Waltner, 1982 (Hist. Mss. 4-243).

Zieglschmid, A. J. F. (1903-1950), University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA. Unpublished manuscript, 1946-50, on new critical edition of Die Lieder der Hutterische Brueder (1914), approximately 4,500 pages. Collection also contains ten letters, 1877-1886, received by Michael Waldner, "Schmied Michael", the founder of the Smiedeleut (Hist. Mss. 5-1).

January 15, 2003 / Dennis Stoesz
File: "HutterianBrethren.doc" [M:\Inventory\Finding Aids]
Mennonite Church USA Archives - Goshen, Goshen, Indiana

Dirk Willems, Anabaptist Martyr, 1569. See Martyrs Mirror


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