Bergthal Colony (Caaguazú Department, Paraguay)
The Bergthal Colony in Paraguay is located 300 km (180 mi.) east of Asunción. It was founded in July 1948 by 740 Old Colony Mennonites from Manitoba (East Reserve) who bought 27,000 acres of forest land at $3.00 per acre, and established seven villages with Chortitz as center. In 1953, after some return migration, the population was 639 persons in 117 families. In 1986 the colony's lands consist of 10,297 hectares (25,433 acres) populated by 1,478 settlers, of whom 495 were church members in 1986. A shortage of land led many from this settlement to return to Canada toward the end of the 20th century.
See Sommerfeld Colony, Paraguay for more detail.
Bibliography
Kraybill, Paul N., ed. Mennonite World Handbook. Lombard, IL: Mennonite World Conference, 1978: 252
| Author(s) | Harold S. Bender |
|---|---|
| Gerhard Ratzlaff | |
| Date Published | 1986 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Bender, Harold S. and Gerhard Ratzlaff. "Bergthal Colony (Caaguazú Department, Paraguay)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1986. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bergthal_Colony_(Caaguaz%C3%BA_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=75407.
APA style
Bender, Harold S. and Gerhard Ratzlaff. (1986). Bergthal Colony (Caaguazú Department, Paraguay). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bergthal_Colony_(Caaguaz%C3%BA_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=75407.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 282; vol. 5, p. 67. All rights reserved.
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