View source for Sinsheim Mennonite Church (Sinsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Sinsheim Mennonite Church (Mennonitengemeinde Sinsheim), in [[Baden-Württemberg (Germany)|Baden]], [[Germany|Germany]], the central Mennonite congregation of northern Baden (Elsenzgau and Kraichgau), an area which was formerly a part of the [[Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)|Palatinate]], which meets every first, third, and fifth Sunday of the month in the county seat Sinsheim (pop. 5,430), 13 miles southeast of Heidelberg. Most of the members are farmers and come from a radius of 10-20 miles to the services. The congregation was formed in 1912 out of two congregations, one of them probably the oldest congregation in all South Germany, namely, [[Immelhausen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Immelhausen]] (1650-1912), combined in 1841 with [[Bockschaft and Streichenberg (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Bockschaft and Streichenberg]] (1655-1841), and [[Ittlingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Ittlingen]] (1841-1912). Later two other congregations were merged with it, [[Mönchzell (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Mönchzell]], formerly [[Meckesheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Meckesheim]] (1896-1914), and [[Dühren (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Dühren]] (ca. 1675-1945). None of these congregations had a meetinghouse except Immelhausen, which was really the direct ancestor of the Sinsheim congregation. The only other congregation remaining in this area is Hasselbach. From this area a considerable emigration to Pennsylvania took place in the first half of the 18th century. In 1957 the membership was 101, plus 19 children; elders were Heinrich Fellmann, Heinrich Kreiter, and Ulrich Hege. Within the congregation is the oldest continuously occupied Mennonite farm in all South Germany, and possibly in all Europe, the Immelhäuserhof, probably occupied since 1650. The chief places in which members of the congregation live are [[Bockschaft and Streichenberg (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Bockschaft]], Daisbach, Dühren, Hoffenheim, [[Ittlingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Ittlingen]], Immelhäuserhof, Kloster Lobenfeld, Mönchzell, Oberhof, Reihen, Sinsheim, and Weiler.
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