Lispeltuut
Grunthal in the evening
About Grunthal History
1. First Settlement
Grunthal was first settled in 1876 by Russian Mennonites who had come to Canada in what is referred to as the first major wave of Russian immigration. James Urry, in his book None But Saints, defines the three big immigration movements of Mennonites from Russia to America. The first was in the 1870's when Alexander II (then Czar) voided the charters that provided Russian Mennonites from Religious Freedoms and self-determination of their communities. From 1873 to 1884 about 8,000 Mennonites migrated to Manitoba, with another 13,000 settling in the mid-western United States. The second major wave of Russian Mennonites migrated to Canada soon after the Russian Revolution in 1919. A third wave of Mennonite immigrants came to Canada immediately after World War II. In all three waves of immigration, the Mennonites were seeking reprieve from the persecution and fight for religious freedoms.
The village of Gruenthal (just west of the present site of Grunthal) was first established by six families: Johann Klassen, Peter Sawatzky, Jakob Hiebert, Klaas Peters and two brothers, Abraham and Johann Kauenhowen, as part of the first wave of Mennonite immigration. This formed the base of the community, with more immigrants moving into the area from subsequent waves of immigration. The Russian Mennonites had a reputation for being both excellent farmers and prosperous. This trend continues today as we look around our community prospering from its agricultural roots.
Grunthal in the evening
About Grunthal History
1. First Settlement
Grunthal was first settled in 1876 by Russian Mennonites who had come to Canada in what is referred to as the first major wave of Russian immigration. James Urry, in his book None But Saints, defines the three big immigration movements of Mennonites from Russia to America. The first was in the 1870's when Alexander II (then Czar) voided the charters that provided Russian Mennonites from Religious Freedoms and self-determination of their communities. From 1873 to 1884 about 8,000 Mennonites migrated to Manitoba, with another 13,000 settling in the mid-western United States. The second major wave of Russian Mennonites migrated to Canada soon after the Russian Revolution in 1919. A third wave of Mennonite immigrants came to Canada immediately after World War II. In all three waves of immigration, the Mennonites were seeking reprieve from the persecution and fight for religious freedoms.
The village of Gruenthal (just west of the present site of Grunthal) was first established by six families: Johann Klassen, Peter Sawatzky, Jakob Hiebert, Klaas Peters and two brothers, Abraham and Johann Kauenhowen, as part of the first wave of Mennonite immigration. This formed the base of the community, with more immigrants moving into the area from subsequent waves of immigration. The Russian Mennonites had a reputation for being both excellent farmers and prosperous. This trend continues today as we look around our community prospering from its agricultural roots.