A playful quiz about (some of) the history of Mennonites/Anabaptists in Europe - played at the Global Youth Summit in Pennsylvania 2015. Take time to discuss the questions asked - within the group?
Vertellen: We traveled 10.000 kilometer last year, to find out where Mennonites went, why, what they did, what they left. We started in Switzerland, went to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, North Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Czech republic, Austria, South Germany and ended in Detmold, central Germany. There we launched the multi-media website Welcome to Menninite Europe. During our trip we tried to find out, WHAT made us Mennonite… We encountered lots of lovely people, taking care of wonderful history, feeding us with great meals and telling us stories that made us wonder… In this quiz we will ask you to travel with us – and find answers…
Once, Mennonites settled in what is now the border region of Ukraine and Poland. They left a long time ago. But locals can still tell you where their settlements were – and sometimes their graveyards – by looking at the trees and plants. Mennonites, who migrated from the Netherlands, to Poland, to – now – Ukraine brought their own fruit and vegetables. And left their mark. Still to be found. And this is what the locals do with it…
Food is very important for ‘old’, traditional Mennonites: they invented very clever recipes that would last for a long time, took seeds along, were always prepared to grow food in an other place – because they knew they might have to start all over some day – in another place, another country, even!
When the first Polish ‘Mennonite Cook Book’ was presented at our stop in Warsaw, even we ourselves were put on display : “Look, real mennonites, they do still exist!” The Polish know the mennonites-of-the-past as farmers, managers and developers of land, businessmen, builders. But in this predominantly Catholic country there is no true awareness of the mennonites’ religious background. Something to work on… (On photo author Wojciech Marchlewski)
Comment with the video upload from the makers… "The video was recorded in The Mennonite cemetery close to Stogi Malborskie, Poland. During recording we met a couple from Charleston, South Carolina. They were Mennonites. The man was searching for his roots. What a surprise for him when he FOUND his grandfather, after 3 years of looking! That was really a touchy moment! We hangout a little and they were awesome people!”
Mennonites in Poland paid a special tax so they would not be enlisted in the army. With the proceeds of that tax money the academy was build…
In the heroic history of Vienna, the last Christian stronghold during the siege by the ‘barbaric’ Ottomans, the radical ‘reformers’ could boast an impressive past. We were deeply impressed by the stories of the Anabaptists/Taüfer who, even in the face of Islamic barbarians coming straight at them, refused to take up arms – and were executed for it. Think about that, in these times, now that IS(IS) – according to the media at least – is standing at Europe’s door. (Text Hubmaier: Christ did not come so we can butcher, kill and burn…)
A 15-metre galley ship tucked into the ruins of castle Falkenstein highlights a dramatic episode in Anabaptist history. It tells the story of 90 early Anabaptists in Austria in the 16th century, condemned to galley service – rowing the narrow warships – for refusing to recant their faith. Roman King Ferdinand's marshals from Vienna had arrived without warning at Falkenstein. They attacked the Christian community at Steinebrunn in the evening of December 6, 1539. They locked all the men they could find in one room, the women and girls in another. Then they posted guards and made a terrifying uproar, plundering whatever they could. Most of all they wanted to capture elders and servants of the church, hoping to get large sums of money and goods from them, but those people they were after were not at home. They questioned the imprisoned brothers. Ninety brothers were led away from Falkenstein. to the sea, after being imprisoned six and a half weeks. The brothers escaped with God's help, but twelve were recaptured and led back to sea. They were never heard from again. The other seventy-eight brothers returned safely to the church. Eventually they found their way to the United States – and still sing the same songs!
