Sammlung PP - Bargen Letter Collection

Bereich "Identifikation"

Signatur

CA MHC PP

Titel

Bargen Letter Collection

Datum/Laufzeit

  • 1930-1977, 2004 (Anlage)

Erschließungsstufe

Sammlung

Umfang und Medium

40 cm of textual records
1 CD

Bereich "Kontext"

Name des Bestandsbildners

(1894-1976)

Biographische Angaben

-born in Altonau, Sagradovka, Russia; served in the medical corp, 1914-1917
-elected and served as village mayor during the 1920s;
-fled to Moscow with his family 1929 to escape further harassment from the communists
-arrived in Carlyle, Saskatchewan in 1930, moved to Springstein, Manitoba, moved to Carman, Manitoba, moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba
-worked as an orderly at the Winnipeg General Hospital for 22 years
-died in Winnipeg

Name des Bestandsbildners

(1925-1997)

Biographische Angaben

-born in Russia in 1925 and immigrated to Canada with parents in 1925.
-married Peter F. Bargen in 1945; had 3 children together
-died in Winfield, B.C.

Name des Bestandsbildners

(1897-1976)

Biographische Angaben

-married Franz Bargen, 26 June 1916 in Tiege, Sagravoka, Russia
-had 3 sons and 2 daughters together

Name des Bestandsbildners

(1922-2004)

Biographische Angaben

-born in Tiege, Sagradovka, Russia, as the third child of 5 to Franz and Liese Bargen
-came to Canada in 1930 with parents
-lived in Winfield, BC in 1994; died in Edmonton, Alberta

Bestandsgeschichte

This letter collection was stored in a cardboard Campbell's Soup box, which was moved from attic to attic until 1989, when Peter Bargen (1922-2004) and his wife Anne (Peters) Bargen (1925-1997) found them and set out to translate and publish them, before depositing them in the archives.

Abgebende Stelle

Peter and Anne Bargen, Winfield, B.C. -- self-publish book and accompanying originals (1992)
Neil Bargen, Edmonton, AB -- CD with translations of post-war letters and original travel documents

Bereich "Inhalt und innere Ordnung"

Eingrenzung und Inhalt

The collection consists of letters written by Mennonites in the Soviet Union before and after the Second World War. They were written by family and friends of Franz Bargen (1894-1976) and his wife Liese (Regehr) Bargen (1897-1976), who immigrated to Canada in 1930.

This collection of letters is divided into two sections -- over 500 letters written between 1930-1938 and almost 800 letters written between 1939-1977, the post-World War II period. There is also one file containing the travel documents for Franz and Liese Bargen when they immigrated to Canada in 1930, as well as a Canadian naturalization document from 1945.

The letters written between 1930 and 1938 present the experiences of over 30 families -- relatives of Franz and Liese Bargen. The first letters originate in Sagradovka, the Mennonite settlement in Ukraine from which families were sent into forced labour camps. Letters between family members in exile and those outside the camps were the the lifeline for many prisoners during this time of terror, brought on by Joseph Stalin's policies. The writers of the letters knew the risks of making contact with "the West" -- prison or execution, yet they continued writing, and letters got through in various circuitous and covert ways. The Bargen family responded with letters, money and packages, knowing that much material would not reach its destination.

Bewertung, Vernichtung und Terminierung

Zuwächse

Ordnung und Klassifikation

Each item in the Bargen Letter Collection is numbered for easy reference. The post-war letters are not totally sorted as the earlier ones.

Bedingungen des Zugriffs- und Benutzungsbereichs

Benutzungsbedingungen

Reproduktionsbedingungen

In der Verzeichnungseinheit enthaltene Sprache

  • Deutsch

Schrift in den Unterlagen

  • Gotisch

Anmerkungen zu Sprache und Schrift

Transcripts and translations for many items.

Physische Beschaffenheit und technische Anforderungen

Findmittel

Inventory file list

Bereich Sachverwandte Unterlagen

Existenz und Aufbewahrungsort von Originalen

Existenz und Aufbewahrungsort von Kopien

The "pre-war" letters were scanned to produce digital copies by MHC staff in 2005.

Verwandte Verzeichnungseinheiten

Articles about the work of Ruth Derksen Siemens, who extensively studied these letters for her Ph.D. on the philosophy of language (University of Sheffield). (See Vol. 3973:7-10).

Through the Red Gate [DVD], a documentary about the discovery of the letters, produced by Myra Rogers and Ruth Derksen Siemens (2008).

Verwandte Beschreibungen

Anmerkung zur Veröffentlichung

"From Russia With Tears: Letters from Home and Exile, 1930-1938" in the Mennonite Historical Library at Canadian Mennonite University.

"Remember Us as We Remember You: Letters from the Gulag" by Ruth Derksen Siemens published in Geist, Volume 12, Number 56, Spring 2005, p. 39-45.

Ruth Derksen Siemens. "Remember us: letters from Stalin's Gulag (1930-37). Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2007.

Bereich "Anmerkungen"

Alternative Identifikatoren/Signaturen

Zugriffspunkte

Zugriffspunkte (Thema)

Zugriffspunkte (Ort)

Zugriffspunkte (Name)

Zugriffspunkte (Genre)

Bereich "Beschreibungskontrolle"

Identifikator "Beschreibung"

Archivcode

Benutzte Regeln und/oder Konventionen

Status

Erschließungstiefe

Daten der Bestandsbildung, Überprüfung, Löschung/Kassierung

Sprache(n)

Schrift(en)

Quellen

Bereich Zugang

Verwandte Themen

Verwandte Personen und Organisationen

Verwandte Genres

Verwandte Orte

Physisches Objekt

  • Schachtel: Volumes