Neustadtgödens (Niedersachsen, Germany)

Former Mennonite Church, Neustadtgödens, Germany Source: Wikipedia Commons

Neustadtgödens is a town in East Friesland, Germany, five miles (eight km) southeast of Jever and 20 miles (34 km) east of Aurich (coordinates: 53.477278°, 7.986694° [53° 28′ 38.2″ N, 7° 59′ 12.1″ E]), once the site of a Mennonite congregation. This is the place of origin of the Dutch van Geuns family, which was Mennonite since the time of the Reformation, and whose progenitor Steven Jansz van Geuns (Goedens) came to Groningen about 1720.  Another well-known family in Neustadtgödens was the Cremer (Kremer, Cramer, Kramer) family, many of whom were deacons and preachers in the local congregation. Neustadtgödens was the home of Hinrich Krechting, who escaped from Münster in 1535.

In Goedens Leenaert Bouwens baptized 20 persons in 1551-1565; hence a congregation came into being there soon after 1550. They were at once given protection by the van Freydag family, from whom they received favors in subsequent periods as well. In the 17th century the congregation belonged to the Old Flemish Mennonite branch, and until 1790 remained a member of the Groningen Sociëteit. It experienced its Golden Age in the 17th century concurrently with the city, which at that time had a considerable linen industry and trade with Oldenburg. The highest membership, 67, was reached in 1736. In 1710 it was about 60, 56 in 1754, and 66 in 1767. Preachers who served here were Lubbert Alberts 1626-1691, Albert Tobias Cramer 1679-1692, Jan Jacobs 1693-1726, Pieter Alberts Zwart 1728-1750, Lubbert Jansz Cremer 1738-1781, Hinrick Pieters Swart (Zwart) 1756-d.1775, Jan van Kalker 1782-1788, Jan W. van Douwen 1789-1798, and Taco Kuiper 1799-1804. In 1741 Pieter Zwart received from the Counts van Freydag permission to build a church. In the 19th century the decline began. In 1804-1836 the congregation had no preacher; in 1820 it had 20 members, in 1840 only 11. In 1836-1842 Jakob van der Smissen, a retired preacher from Friedrichstadt and Danzig, came to fill the pulpit for several years. In 1895 there was only one member left, who lived in Wilhelmshaven.

Bibliography

Cate, Steven Blaupot ten. Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Groningen, Overijssel en Oost-Friesland, 2 vols. Leeuwarden: W. Eekhoff en J. B. Wolters, 1842: I- II, see Index.

Doopsgezind Jaarboekje (1837): 35; (1840): 45 and list facing page 52.

Doopsgezinde Bijdragen: (1879): 8; (1885): 6; (1895): 184; (1898): 222 f.; (1906): 192.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 219.

Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: v.  II, Nos. 2800-2810.

Naamlijst der tegenwoordig in dienst zijnde predikanten der Mennoniten in de vereenigde Nederlanden. Amsterdam (1810): 83.

Maps

Map:Neustadtgödens, Niedersachsen, Germany

Author(s)	Nanne van der Zijpp
Date Published	1957

Cite This Article

MLA style

Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Neustadtgödens (Niedersachsen, Germany)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Neustadtg%C3%B6dens_(Niedersachsen,_Germany)&oldid=108493.

APA style

Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1957). Neustadtgödens (Niedersachsen, Germany). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Neustadtg%C3%B6dens_(Niedersachsen,_Germany)&oldid=108493.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 857. All rights reserved.

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