Klatt, Johann Karl (1842-1918)

Johann Karl Klatt: outstanding school man among the Mennonites of South Russia; born 29 September 1842, son of Karl Klatt (b. 1808) and Karoline (Preuss) Klatt (b. 1816). Johann married Justina Cornies (7 May 1846-1919), daughter of Johann Cornies II (10 December 1812, Ohrloff, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, South Russia - 18 June 1882, Tashchenak, Taurida, South Russia) and Justina (Willms) Cornies (17 July 1814, Prussia - 15 May 1846, Russia), on 28 April 1870. Johann and Justina had six children: Johann, Karl, Wilhelm (died young), Marie (died young), Wilhelm, and Alexander. Johann died in August 1918 in Tashchenak, Taurida, South Russia.

As a young man Klatt was a teacher on the country estate of Johann Cornies II, son of the well-known Johann Cornies, and later became the son-in-law of the former. He studied systematically, Cornies' rich library offering a good opportunity for such study. Frequent contact with the Russian nobility and high government officials, and his service on the board of the Melitopol Realschule, as well as various other non-Mennonite institutions, gave him vision and social security, which served him well in representing the cause of Mennonite schools to the authorities.

In 1883 Klatt was elected to the school council by the conference (Kirchenkconvent), the head of the district (Gebietsvorsteher) of Halbstadt and Gnadenfeld, and the functioning member of the school council. In 1884 he was elected president of the school council, served in this capacity until 1887, when he resigned to serve as a regular member of the council. Peter Heese succeeded him as president.

Klatt and Heese did many things together, such as school visitation, conferences, and examinations. Both also promoted schools financially. Under their influence the school system in the Molotschna took a long forward stride. On 4 September 1884 Klatt received the silver medal "For zeal" in his services to the cause of education. Klatt also served on the board of the Ohrloff Zentralschule in 1880-1890. He was a member of the Gnadenfeld Mennonite Church, and as a youth had been a pupil of Heinrich Franz.

Bibliography

Braun, P. "Der Molotschnaer Mennoniten-Schulrat." Unpublished mss.

Friesen, Peter M. Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga", 1911: 595, 650.

Friesen, Peter M. The Mennonite Brotherhood in Russia (1789-1910), trans. J. B. Toews and others. Fresno, CA: Board of Christian Literature [M.B.], 1978, rev. ed. 1980.

GRANDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, 6.06 ed. Fresno, CA: California Mennonite Historical Society, 2011: #643017.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 505.

Author(s)	Abraham Braun
	Richard D. Thiessen
Date Published	September 2012

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MLA style

Braun, Abraham and Richard D. Thiessen. "Klatt, Johann Karl (1842-1918)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2012. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Klatt,_Johann_Karl_(1842-1918)&oldid=88721.

APA style

Braun, Abraham and Richard D. Thiessen. (September 2012). Klatt, Johann Karl (1842-1918). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Klatt,_Johann_Karl_(1842-1918)&oldid=88721.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 193. All rights reserved.

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