View source for Grünfeld (Schlachtin Mennonite Settlement, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine)

Grünfeld, a village in the [[Schlachtin Mennonite Settlement (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine)|Schlachtin Mennonite Settlement]], located in the district of Krivoy-Rog, [[Ukraine|Ukraine]], with an area of 5,520 acres, founded in 1873 by Mennonites from the [[Chortitza Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Chortitza settlement]]. The principal occupation was farming on 3,600 acres. The village also had a manufacturing plant for farm machinery, a mill, and a creamery, operated by an agricultural cooperative, and a grocery store. After the [[Russian Revolution and Civil War|Revolution]] one fourth of the population immigrated to America. In 1928 there were 550 inhabitants. Grünfeld belonged to a compact group of Mennonite villages (Grünfeld, [[Neu-Chortitza (Baratov Settlement, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine)|Neu-Chortitz]], Gnadental, Steinfeld, and Hochfeld), and had a seven-class school with eight Mennonite teachers, and a Mennonite church. It was also the home of [[Rempel, Jakob A. (1883-1941?)|Jakob Rempel]], the elder of the [[Neu-Chortitza Mennonite Church (Baratov Settlement, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast,Ukraine)|Neu-Chortitz Mennonite Church]].

The collectivization of Grünfeld, which began in 1929, resulted in the exile of a great number of prosperous Mennonite farmers, beginning 25 February 1930. The families of K. Dyck, M. Schmidt, H. Friesen, H. Wiebe, D. Wiebe, P. Fröse, H. Martens, and J. Martens (unmarried) were sent to the Vologda region, and a great number were banished from their home district. In 1931 some were sent to the Ural Mountains. These banishments continued to occur until the Ukraine was occupied by the Germans in 1941. A total of 22 families, about 100 persons, were forced to leave Grünfeld. Among the exiled was Elder Jakob Rempel, who perished like many others. When the German army approached in 1941 some men were evacuated. The land of the collective was now divided among the remaining inhabitants.

The church, which had been used as a dormitory for school purposes and later as a granary, was again used for its original purpose. In 1942 at Pentecost the first baptismal service was conducted. There had been no public worship services since 1929. Peter Sawatzky and Abram Rempel were ordained as ministers, Elder Jakob Penner of Friedensfeld officiating. On 21 October 1943, the inhabitants of Grünfeld and the other villages were evacuated westward by freight trains, some of them being located temporarily in the Warthegau. Numerous Grünfeld persons were among those who were repatriated by the Russians. Eighty-eight reached [[Canada|Canada]] and 16 [[Paraguay|Paraguay]].
= Bibliography =
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 192.

<em>Mennonite Encyclopedia</em> questionnaire by Sara Kehler and Anna Rempel
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