Rottevalle (Friesland, Netherlands)
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. The membership was 108 in 1751, 72 in 1847, 101 in 1900, and 142 in 1958. 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.
Additional Information
Rottevalle 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- |
Maps
| 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. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rottevalle_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=124863.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1959). Rottevalle (Friesland, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rottevalle_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=124863.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 374. All rights reserved.
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