© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated 16 March 2011)


  • Braun, Peter J., 1880-1933


    Retrieval numbers: Microfilm Nos. 451-528

    Title: Peter J. Braun Russian Mennonite Archive Collection
    Dates: 1803-1920; microfilmed in 1990-1991
    Extent: 78 reels of microfilm : 16mm and 35 mm
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    Peter Jacob Braun, outstanding educator among the Russian Mennonites, was born 9 February 1880 in Alexanderwohl, Ukraine, and died 24 September 1933 at Oberursel, Taunus, Germany. He was married to Maria Friesen. He graduated from the Zentralschule and the Teacher's Training School, both at Halbstadt, Molotschna, South Russia. After teaching several years, he enrolled at the St. Petersburg Teacher's Institute for further training. Following his graduation he taught at the Halbstadt Zentralschule, and from 1909 to 1914 at the girls' school, also in Halbstadt. After the war he served as principal of the Teacher's Training School at Halbstadt. In 1924 he left Russia for Germany where he died a premature death of tuberculosis.
    In June 1917, at its first meeting after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the General Conference of all Russian Mennonite Churches endorsed Peter Braun's proposal for the establishment of a central archive for the Mennonite community in which he would collect, cull and organize the existing historical materials that could be found. The materials which he collected were eventually concealed, then seized by the Soviet authorities, and transferred to the Odessa Regional Archives, where they were discovered by western scholars in 1990.

    Scope and content note

    The Peter J. Braun Mennonite Archive collection is large and varied. It includes a selection of documents of the Halbstadt District from the period 1803-1820, the archive of the Agricultural Society [in Molotschna] since 1831, the papers of Johann Cornies (1789-1848), Moloschna Mennonite School records, records regarding the forestry service after 1880, and much more. One significant document included in this collection is a complete census of the Molotschna colony taken in 1835. (Index available at: www.mennonitegenealogy.com/russia/1835cein.htm)

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Braun, Peter J., 1880-1933
  • Russian Mennonite Archive

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    See the published guide for this collection: Ingrid I. Epp and Harvey L. Dyck, The Peter J. Braun Russian Mennonite Archives, 1803-1920: a research guide (Toronto : University of Toronto Press, 1996). A copy is on the Mennonite Heritage Centre Reference Shelf.

    Related material in other repositories

    Manuscript Collection 091, Peter J. Braun, Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, Newton, Kansas.

    Notes

    Language

    German and Russian

    Location of originals

    Odessa Regional Archives, Odessa, Ukraine

    Restrictions on access

    none to access

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Harvey Dyck, University of Toronto Research Program in Russian Mennonite Studies

    Other notes

    Acc. No. 93-035

    Inventory file list of MHC Microfilm 451-528

    Introduction and finding guide : the Peter J. Braun Russian Mennonite Archives 1803-1920 compiled and edited by Ingrid Epp. Introduction by Harvey L. Dyck. Project of the University of Toronto / Conrad Grebel College Research Program in Russian Mennonite Studies (Toronto, 1993).
    See pages  37-277 for the MHC microfilm numbers.
    Pages 1-150 (4.6 MB pdf file format)
    Pages 151-277 (3.3 MB pdf file format)
    Entire finding guide (5.6 MB in searchable pdf file format)