Rottevalle (Friesland, Netherlands)

Doopsgezinde Kerk in Rottevalle.
Doopsgezinde Kerk, Rottevalle.
Source: Reliwiki.

Interior of the Doopsgezinde Kerk, Rottevalle.
Photo by Jelle Visser Dokkum.
Source: Reliwiki.

Rottevalle, a village in the Dutch province of Friesland (coordinates: 53.145278, 6.103611[53° 8′ 43″ N, 6° 6′ 13″ E]), the seat of a Mennonite congregation, which was originally centered in the neighboring hamlet of Witveen. Here Mennonites settled about 1620-1640 to cultivate the moors and to dig peat. In the second half of the 18th century the congregation, known at that time as Witveen-Rottevalle, had a meetinghouse in each of the two villages. Gradually the congregation center shifted to Rottevalle. Soon after 1830 the Witveen meetinghouse was dismantled because it was dilapidated and also because very few members were living there; the church in Rottevalle was remodeled and enlarged in 1838. An organ was installed in 1931.

In 1734 Witveen joined the Conference (Sociëteit) of Friesland, followed in 1778 by Rottevalle. The last lay preacher in this congregation was Volkert Klazes Klosma ("Volkert Oom"), who served from 1799 to 1830. After his retirement the pulpit was vacant for nearly ten years. Since 1839 the ministers of the Rottevalle congregation have all been educated at the Amsterdam Mennonite Seminary. Church activities include Sunday school for children, Menniste Bouwers (ages 12-15), youth group, and ladies' circle.

Bibliography

Cate, Steven Blaupot ten. Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Friesland. Leeuwarden: W. Eekhoff, 1839: 189, 248, and 306.

Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1872): 33-42; (1900): 109, 122 note 1.

Doopsgezind Jaarboekje (1840): 22.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 558.

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. 2214-18.

Reliwiki. "Rottevalle, Haven 16 - Doopsgezinde Kerk." 13 September 2013. Web. 16 October 2014. http://reliwiki.nl/index.php/Rottevalle,_Haven_16_-_Doopsgezinde_Kerk.

Additional Information

Congregation: Doopsgezinde Gemeente Rottevalle-Witveen

Address: Haven 20, 9221 SR Rottevalle-Witveen

Denominational affiliation:

Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit

Doopsgezinde Gemeente Rottevalle-Witveen Ministers

Minister	Years
Volkert Klazes Klosma	1799-1830
H. A. van Cleef	1839-1851
A. Loosjes	1852-1853
P. Bruyn	1854-1855
A. Käyser	1856-1858
J. van Delden	1859-1861
B. Cuperus	1861-1863
H. C. Hofkes	1863-1868
H. ter Meulen	1869-1873
S. Wartena Jr.	1873-1880
L. Hesta	1882-1884
A. K. Kuiper	1889-1895
P. J. Glasz	1896-1898
E. Engelkes	1899-1902
J. Hulshoff	1903-1909
A. Stiel	1910-1925
Miss S. E. Doyer	1926-1943
Miss M. J. van Hamel	1946-1954
A. Zwartendijk of Surhuisterveen	1954-1957
Miss S. E. Doyer	1957-

Doopsgezinde Gemeente Rottevalle-Witveen Membership

Year	Ministers
1751	108
1847	72
1900	101
1958	142

Maps

Map:Rottevalle, Friesland

Author(s)	Nanne van der Zijpp
Date Published	1959

Cite This Article

MLA style

Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Rottevalle (Friesland, Netherlands)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rottevalle_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=126261.

APA style

Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1959). Rottevalle (Friesland, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rottevalle_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=126261.

---

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 374. All rights reserved.

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.