Cortebert-Berg (Kanton Bern, Switzerland)
Cortebert-Berg (also called Cortebert-Matte) was a Mennonite congregation on Cortebert Mountain in the Bernese Jura of Switzerland. Details of its early history are lacking. It was apparently founded in the 18th century by emigrants from the eastern part of the canton of Bern, who found refuge from persecution on the lonely farms of the Bernese Jura. Their religious services had to be held secretly at first; they chose for this purpose a remote ravine, which is still called the "Täufergraben." Later on the congregation met twice a month in rotation in the homes of its members. The membership has declined through emigration. In 1888 it had 50 baptized members. In 1917 there were 82 souls who lived in six villages on Cortebert and in the neighboring villages, engaged in agriculture. A church record has been kept since 1897. All members may vote. Since the end of the 19th century the church has had a Sunday school during the summer, which is attended by children of the non-Mennonite parents. Since 1893 the catechetical booklet issued by the Badischer Verband has been used for baptismal instruction. The church had a poor fund of 34,800 francs, acquired from the disbanded Büdrichgraben congregation in 1869, which was used to aid the poor of other Mennonite churches and also of non-Mennonites. The 1952 pastor and elder were David Lerch, Jr., and the membership (1948) 28. The congregation had no meetinghouse, and in 1954 continued to use the German language.
Bibliography
Gratz, Delbert. Bernese Anabaptists. Goshen, 1953: see Index.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: I, 375.
Müller, Ernst. Geschichte der Bernischen Täufer. Frauenfeld: Huber, 1895: 249.
| Author(s) | Christian Hege |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Hege, Christian. "Cortebert-Berg (Kanton Bern, Switzerland)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cortebert-Berg_(Kanton_Bern,_Switzerland)&oldid=118001.
APA style
Hege, Christian. (1953). Cortebert-Berg (Kanton Bern, Switzerland). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cortebert-Berg_(Kanton_Bern,_Switzerland)&oldid=118001.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 719. All rights reserved.
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