Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1977-1992 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
29 reels of microfilm : 35 mm
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born 29 May 1919 at Stutthof-Störbuderkampe, West Prussia. His parents were Hermann Thiessen and Katharina Bench. Married Liesbeth Maekelborger on 23 December 1942. Fled from Prussia in April 1945 via the Baltic to Denmark. They have 3 children. He worked in various agricultural marketing occupations. At the time of his genealogical work, he lived in Burgdorf, Germany. See p. 127 of the Martin Thiehsen genealogy for more detail. Died 19 October 2011, Burgdorf, Germany. His interest for the archives is his work concerning family history. He was the compiler of five family histories:
-Martin Thiehsen [sic] und seine Nachkommen 1737-1977 (1977)
-Bartholomäus Tiessen: 350 Jahre Familientradition (1986)
-Familiengeschichte der Familie Bench (1989)
-Peter Heydebrecht und seine Nachkommen (1990)
-Die Familie Mekelburger (1992)
Hermann Thiessen died 19 October 2011 in Burgdorf, Germany.
Repository
Archival history
Hermann Schirmacher of Leopoldshöhne, Germany purchased the collection from Herman Thiessen. Most of the Thiessen materials were transferred to Mennonite Library and Archives, North Newton Kansas in 2001 for preservation, microfilming and distribution. The cost of shipping the material from Germany to the U.S.A. and the cost of microfilming, duplicating and distributing the microfilms to Mennonite archives early in 2003 was covered by Dr. Tim Janzen of Portland, Oregon.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds consists of Thiessen's correspondence and various materials he collected while compiling his books. In addition to the correspondence and notes, there are three card files: Male Thiessens (and variant spellings), female Thiessens, and an alphabetical card index which apparently includes all Mennonites he found who were born before 1820 or baptized before 1840. The first file folder contains some introductory and explanatory notes by Hermann Thiessen. Some of the people he corresponded with and received information from were Katharina Thiessen, Fritz van Bergen, and Anna Andres.
File list:
MHC reel #:-----Box#:------ Contents:
976----------------- 1 -------- Folders 488-633
977----------------- 2 ---------------- 634-771
978 ---------------- 3 ---------------- 772-829
979----------------- 4 -------- Male Thiessens A
980----------------- 5 -----------------------B-E
981----------------- 6 -----------------------E-H
982----------------- 7 -----------------------H-J
983----------------- 8 ------------------------J
984----------------- 9 -----------------------J-N
985---------------- 10 -----------------------N-P
986---------------- 11 -----------------------R-W
987---------------- 12 -------Female Thiessens A
988---------------- 13 -----------------------A-D
989---------------- 14 -----------------------E-H
990---------------- 15 -----------------------H-J
991---------------- 16 -----------------------J-M
992---------------- 17 -----------------------M-O
993---------------- 18 -----------------------O-W
994---------------- 19 -----“Suchindex” A-Claassen
995---------------- 20 ----------------Falk-Janzen
996---------------- 21 --------------Claassen-Esau
997---------------- 22 --------------Janzen-Peters
998---------------- 23 -------------Philipsen-Vogt
999---------------- 24 -------------Wall-Zacharias
1000--------------- 25---------------Folders 1-90
1001--------------- 26----------------------91-225
1002--------------- 27---------------------226-313
1003--------------- 28---------------------314-424
1004--------------- 29---------------------425-487
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The materials were divided into sequentially numbered groupings by Thiessen. It is unclear what the significance of the numbering is. It may represent the order in which Thiessen received or acquired the materials. Some numbers are missing (75,229,593,617,736,737,807,813,823). It is unknown whether Thiessen skipped these numbers, or if some papers are missing or misnumbered. A sheet from 540 is in with 454 for some reason.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- German
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Rudimentary file list (Microfilm reels # 976-1004)
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Bethel College, Mennonite Library and Archives
Existence and location of copies
Microfim copies were distributed to:
- Centre for M. B. Studies, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Mennonite Archives of Ontario, Waterloo, Ontario
- Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta, Calgary, Alberta
- Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Mennonite Historical Society of B. C., Clearbrook, British Columbia
- Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas
- Center for M. B. Studies, Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas
- American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Germans from Russia Heritage Society, Bismarck, North Dakota
- Mennonite Historical Library, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana
- Center for M. B. Studies, Fresno, California
- Mennonitische Forschungstelle, Weierhof, Germany
- Mennonite Archive, Asuncion, Paraguay
- Fernheim Colony Archives, Paraguay
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Partially processed by John D. Thiesen in October 2001 before microfilming. Description at MHA prepared by Conrad Stoesz, 28 February 2003. Updated June 2020 by Alf Redekopp.