©Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Last updated April 28, 2003)
Niebuhr, Jacob J., 1874-1956
Retrieval numbers:
Volume 5029:8-9
Title: Jacob J. Niebuhr fonds
Dates:
1911-1951
Extent: 12 cm of textual records
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre
Archives
Historical note
Jacob Jacob Niebuhr (1874-1956) was born in the Mennonite colony
of Chortitza, south Russia to Jacob G. Niebuhr (1847-1913) and Helena Siemens
(1844-25). Jacob was the fourth child and eldest son in the family. His father
Jacob G. Niebuhr was a successful industrialist who owned a farm machinery
factory. In 1893 Jacob J. Niebuhr went to study engineering in Mittweide,
Sachsen, Germany. In 1895 he married Helena Wiebe (1874-1946). Together they
had 12 children of which 8 survived into adulthood. Jacob was put in charge of
the factory while his parents and two younger brothers traveled to New York,
South Russia to purchase another factory. Jacob managed the Olgafeld factory
with 100 workers. In 1898 he moved with his young family to the stone house
across from the factory buildings. By 1911 the Niebuhr factories were worth
1.5 million gold rubles. They won gold and silver medals at exhibitions after
which an anniversary album was printed. This success was short-lived with the
advent of WWI and the Russian Revolution. The factories were sold in 1916 at a
fraction of their worth and Jacob was forced from his home. He moved to the
near by village of Karlovka. Here a small house was built on land acquired by
daughter Greta and son-in-law Abram Dick. They lived here until high taxes
forced them out. In 1924 and in 1934 Jacob was imprisoned but released after
Russian peasants testified to his integrity. More difficult years followed
with food and fuel shortages, death and disappearance of family members. Jacob
did whatever work could be found – digging graves, making brick ovens, or
gardening for others. He, his wife, and four daughters with young children
fled Russia in 1943. Helena became ill in Poland and died in Gronau, Germany
in 1946. On August 14, 1947 Jacob boarded a ship bound for Canada to be
reunited with his daughters in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. He lived in
Niagara and Virgil, Ontario and finally at Bethesda Home in Vineland, Ontario
in 1956.
Scope and content note
The materials in this fonds consists of 17 small handwritten
diaries of a well-to-do Mennonite industrialist who lived in the Fürstenland
colony, south Russia and became destitute and had to flee to Canada after the
Second World War. The entries are short but talk about his immediate
surroundings and activities of the day.
Index terms
Subject terms
Niebuhr, Jacob J., 1874-1956
Creators
Niebuhr, Jacob J., 1874-1956
Adjunct descriptive data
Finding aids
Finding aid consists of a file list.
Related material in this repository
Jacob Niebuhr (1766-1835) Descendants/ Bill Klassen p.
239ff.
Notes
Custodial history
The material in this fonds was created by Jacob Niebuhr. They were
passed on to his daughter Elizabeth (1910-1985) (Mrs. Isaac Klassen) and then
to her son Harry Klassen (1940-) who became the custodian of these
diaries.
Physical description details
Described by Conrad Stoesz April 28, 2003.
Language
German
Restrictions on access
No restrictions on access.
Other notes
Accession number: 2002-090.
File List
VOLUME 5029:
Folder 8
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #1, Olgafeld, Fürstenland colony Russia. -- 1911-1920. --Note: the first few pages have been cut out and the diary starts on p. 12.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #2, Olgafeld, Fürstenland colony Russia. -- 1924.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #3, Karlovka, Fürstenland colony, Russia. -- 1927.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #4, Karlovka, Fürstenland colony, Russia. -- 1928.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #5, Karlovka, Fürstenland colony, Russia. -- 1930.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #6, Kitchkas, Russia. -- 1931.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #7, Kitchkas, Russia. -- 1932.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #8. -- 1933.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #9. -- 1934.
Folder 9
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #10. -- 1938.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #11, Kitchkas, Russia. -- 1941.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #12, Kitchkas, Russia. -- 1942.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #13, Kitchkas, Russia. -- 1943.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #14. -- 1945.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #15. -- 1946.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #16. -- 1947.
Jacob J. Niebuhr diary #17 Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario, Canada. -- 1951.