Bergtal - 1848 Village History
Copyright 1996, AHSGR    

Notes:  Please see the Introduction to the Village History Project for additional information.  

BERGTAL

Through arrangements made by His Excellency the Guardian-in-Chief of the Colonists in Southern Russia, following a petition from the leaders of the Chortitza Mennonites, it was decided by an imperial decree of 30 March 1833 to give to the Chortitza Mennonites, because of their increased population and consequent land shortage, a piece of land of 9,540 dessiatines, left over from a tract that had formerly been set aside for Jewish settlers, located near the Mariupol colonist district in the Alexandrovsk region of the province of Ekaterinoslav. Thereupon, in the year 1835, steps were taken to establish this colony. That first year twenty-nine families built houses and later three additional land-owners and several landless families were settled. At the present time the colony has thirty-two landowning families and fourteen landless families. The name of the colony was proposed by the Chortitza district mayor, Bartsch, was accepted by the settlers and confirmed by the higher authorities. It was meant to describe its site.

The colony is 180 versts from the regional capital Alexandrovsk and 34 versts from Mariupol and lies on a little river which the neighboring Russians and Greeks call the Bodni. The soil here is friable and gravelly and dries up quickly in summer heat. The largest part of the forage grass on the meadows of the steppe is yellow clover, which remains short in dry weather and does not bloom.

In order that the fields, farmyards, gardens, and streets might be suitably and regularly laid out, three local farmers, Wilhelm Rempel, Jakob Martens, and Johann Wiebe were chosen as deputies and they remained in charge until after the founding of three additional colonies, at which time a district government was set up. Apart from a small hamlet which the peasants of Count Tolstoi occupied here, there was no habitation on the entire piece of land. The settlers, immediately after their arrival on the site, had to put up tents or huts to protect their better household goods from the weather until the houses were ready two or three months later. Because most of the migrants were families without means, their household furnishings and other property to a maximum of five wagon loads were transported free from the Chortitza district to the settlement site by transports supplied by Chortitza landowners as a community service.

Through the building of their houses and later through a series of poor crops, some of the settlers sank deep into debt, but, after receiving good income from their grain and other produce for some years, they have now almost paid it off. All but two of them have also built good stables and granaries mostly from their own resources. The best income which farming produces in this region is from wheat and flax-seed. These grow well here and can always be sold for a good price in the nearby seaport city of Mariupol. The industrious farmer is therefore not sorry that he ventured to undertake the hardship of re-settlement practically without means.

If God grants us his peace and preserves for us our Most Gracious Emperor and the Colonial Administration placed over us for our protection, then this little people will continue to be happy to be here.

1 May 1848.
Mayor: Penner.
Councilors: Falk, Funk.
Teacher: Heinrich Wiens.

Coordinated with GRHS Village Research Clearing House
Coordinated with AHSGR/GRHS Translation Committee Chairman
Original translation: Adam Geisinger
Publication: AHSGR Journal Vol.4, No. 1 (Spring 1981)
Scanned: Dale Lee Wahl
Permission granted for posting on GRHS: May/2006

(NOTE - More data of interest is contained in the above reference Journal article than is contained in this history. Copies available from the AHSGR.)

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