View source for Riesen, Peter von (1779-1847)

Peter von Riesen: teacher, merchant, and city councilor; born 11 November 1779 in [[Kalteherberge (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Kalteherberge]], Prussia, the son of Abraham von Riesen (28 September 1756 - 18 March 1810, Ohrloff, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, South Russia) and Margaretha (Wiebe) von Riesen (October 1754 - June 1810, Ohrloff, Molotschna, South Russia). On 19 August 1800 he married Mrs. Maria (Tiessen) Wilcke (18 May 1757, Stolzenberg, Danzig, Prussia - 19 March 1818, Danzig-[[Schidlitz (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Schidlitz]], Prussia) in Danzig-Schidlitz, Prussia. She was the widow of Jacob Wilcke and had three children from this marriage. Peter died on 24 September 1847 in [[Tiegenhagen (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Tiegenhagen]], Prussia.

Peter lived in Schidlitz, near [[Danzig (Poland)|Danzig]], (then) [[Germany|Germany]], and had close connections with the [[Kleine Gemeinde|Kleine Gemeinde]] in [[Russia|Russia]]. He was the father-in-law of [[Jansen, Cornelius (1822-1894)|Cornelius Jansen]]. His name is associated with a revision of the German translation of [[Menno Simons (1496-1561)|Menno Simons]]' <em>Foundation Book</em> and its printing in 1834 in an edition of several thousand copies. His associates in this undertaking were his brother [[Friesen, Abraham (1782-1849)|Abraham von Riesen]] and perhaps another brother Klaas von Riesen, Abraham and Klaas being ministers in [[Russia|Russia]]. The brothers Abraham and Klaas appear later with the name Friesen (=von Riesen?). Gustav E. Reimer, however, is of the opinion that Klaas was [[Reimer, Klaas (1770-1837)|Klaas Reimer]], the founder of the Kleine Gemeinde and the brother-in-law of Peter von Riesen.

[[Mannhardt, Wilhelm (1831-1880)|J. W. Mannhardt]] gives the following account of the "strange" story of this publication: Right after publication the book fell into the hands of a non-Mennonite who was offended by several arguments used by Menno in defending himself against [[Luther, Martin (1483-1546)|Lutheran]] and Reformed theologians. Fearing further offense, the church board compelled the publishers to hide the entire edition in a church in the swamps of the lowlands. Twenty years later, when the von Riesen heirs demanded it as their property, a committee went to [[Königsberg in Bayern (Freistaat Bayern, Germany)|Königsberg]] to ask timidly whether the release of such books was permissible. The leader of the opposition was apparently [[Regier, Peter (1798-1856)|Peter Regier]], the elder of the [[Tiegenhagen (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Tiegenhagen]] congregation 1833-56, whose father, [[Regier, Abraham (1774-1851)|Abraham Regier]], elder of [[Heubuden|Heubuden]] 1804-51, stopped the sale in Russia. But also David Epp, a leader in the revival movement, in his correspondence attacked the publication and offered to send several hundred tracts to convert the Kleine Gemeinde. On the other side Abraham Friesen protested that the foundation of the first nonresistant Christians was thereby rejected (see the <em>[[Martyrs' Mirror|Martyrs' Mirror]]</em>). Wilhelm Mannhardt was right in assuming that the fear of the loss of their privileges played a role here. But a declaration of the 29 ministers on 10 August 1835, bases the withdrawal of the books on love for members of other faiths. Later the elders permitted the exportation of some copies to Russia, whence they have found their way to [[North America|America]]. Copies are in [[Goshen College (Goshen, Indiana, USA)|Goshen College]] Library and [[Bethel College (North Newton, Kansas, USA)|Bethel College]] Library.
= Bibliography =
Friedmann, Robert. <em>Mennonite Piety Through the Centuries</em>. Goshen, 1949: 140.

Friesen, Peter M. <em>Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte</em>. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga": 75 f., 11-13.

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: #3592.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em>Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>, 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 511 f.

<em>Mennonitische Blätter</em> (1869): 38 (Wilhelm Mannhardt); (1903): 85 f.

<em>Mennonitische Geschichtsblätter</em> (1954,):14 f. (Ernst Crous).

Reimer G. E. and G. R. Gaeddert. <em>Exiled by the Czar</em>. Newton, 1956: 4 ff.

Töws, P. <em>Eine seltsame Begebenheit, Angehend der durch Peter von Riessen von Schidlitz, bei Danzig in Preussen in Druck gegebenen Menno Simons Schriften</em>. Gretna, 1911.
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