View source for Bartel, Peter (1813-1879)

Peter Bartel: minister and elder; born 3 March 1813 in [[Nieder Gruppe (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Nieder Gruppe]], Schwetz, Prussia, the son of Kohnert Bartel (25 July 1756, Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia - 12 April 1813, Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia) and Maria (Kerber) Bartel (31 January 1791, [[Ober Gruppe (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Ober Gruppe]], Schwetz, Prussia - 19 March 1829, Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia). Peter was married for the first time on 11 August 1835 to Helena (Adrian) Kopper (31 January 1793, Kommerau, Prussia - 7 February 1848, Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia) in Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia. Helena was daughter of Heinrich and Eva Adrian and the widow of Franz Kopper (1799-1835); she had two children from her marriage to Franz. Peter married for the second time on 11 May 1848 to Catharina Franz (5 January 1817, Gross Lubin, Schwetz, Prussia - 6 January 1890, Gross Lubin, Schwetz, Prussia) in Montau, Schwetz, Prussia. Catharina was the daughter of Heinrich Franz (1791-1853) and Katharina (Goertz) Franz (1793-1831). Peter and Catharina had six children: Heinrich, Peter, Maria, Anna, Johannes, and Aron. Peter Bartel died on 11 May 1879 in Nieder Gruppe, Schwetz, Prussia.

Peter was a preacher of the Mennonite congregation [[Montau (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Montau-Gruppe]] near [[Culm (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Culm]] (ordained 19 July 1840). Ordained as elder on 7 September 1856 <em>(Mennonitische Blätter, </em>1856, 68 and 63), he managed the complete remodeling of the church at Montau in 1859, in spite of opposing elements in the congregation. He met even stronger resistance when he worked for the rebuilding of the church at [[Gruppe (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Gruppe]], but perseverance again carried him to his goal. On 7 October 1866 he assisted in the dedication of the new church, which (20,260 marks) was paid for in December 1872. Peter Bartel was also one of the five delegates who brought about a modification of the law demanding universal military duty in favor of the Prussian Mennonites through audiences with King Wilhelm I, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, and various ministers. The modification was stated in the cabinet order of the King, of 3 March 1868. Bartel's stern attitude on the military question caused a division in the Montau-Gruppe church. He demanded of the candidates for baptism a pledge that they would not accept military service except in accord with this order, and set up the regulation that any who chose armed military service would no longer be considered members of the church. All who would not sign this regulation would be [[Excommunication|excommunicated]]. Ninety-five did not sign, and formed a new congregation in 1871 with its seat at Montau.
= Bibliography =
<em class="gameo_bibliography">Christlicher Gemeinde-Kalender</em> (1920): 29, 70-79.

GRANDMA (The <strong>G</strong>enealogical <strong>R</strong>egistry <strong>an</strong>d <strong>D</strong>atabase of <strong>M</strong>ennonite <strong>A</strong>ncestry) Database, 6.06 ed. Fresno, CA: <span class="link-external">[http://calmenno.org/index.htm California Mennonite Historical Society]</span>, 2011: #139531.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em class="gameo_bibliography">Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>, 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 127.
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