The last post ended with the new village laid out in a single row of twenty-four plots along the Iushanle River. The process of establishing Franztal began in April–May 1820, and at least six weeks passed before the site of the village was settled. Thus the building of structures probably did not begin until the end of June at the earliest, more likely sometime in July. We pick up the narrative at that point.
In the first year only one dwelling house was finished; the other [settlers] spent the first winter in habitable, furnished sections within stables or in earthen huts, until with the involvement of village head Peter Ratzlaff the full construction of the houses was completed as time and circumstances permitted.
This paragraph refers to three different types of structures, each of which was used as a dwelling. We will cover them in the order in which they are mentioned.
dwelling house. This literal translation of the German Wohnhaus is offered to highlight the difference between this and the following structure. We cannot say how large or complex Franztal’s earliest structures were; we probably should not think in terms of the large, well-constructed house-barn complexes of later years (for further discussion and illustrations, see here). However, the difference may have been one of degree, not fundamental design. That possibility will become clearer in the following comment.
habitable, furnished sections within stables. The German Ställen translated “stables” might also be rendered “stalls” or “sheds.” The community report notes that some families lived within sections or compartments within these stables, the sections having been made habitable through the furnishings appropriate to a residence.
Pairing this structure with the previous one, the dwelling house, one might reasonably suggest that the usual construction plan proceeded as follows: a settler first built the stables half of a house-barn complex, then moved on to the domestic dwelling when the stables were completed. In Franztal in 1820, only one house-barn was completely finished before winter; others were partially finished, and those settlers spent the winter in the barn portion, probably sharing the larger structure with livestock but in their own furnished section.
habitable, furnished sections within stables. The German Ställen translated “stables” might also be rendered “stalls” or “sheds.” The community report notes that some families lived within sections or compartments within these stables, the sections having been made habitable through the furnishings appropriate to a residence.
Pairing this structure with the previous one, the dwelling house, one might reasonably suggest that the usual construction plan proceeded as follows: a settler first built the stables half of a house-barn complex, then moved on to the domestic dwelling when the stables were completed. In Franztal in 1820, only one house-barn was completely finished before winter; others were partially finished, and those settlers spent the winter in the barn portion, probably sharing the larger structure with livestock but in their own furnished section.
earthen huts. The German word Erdbuden is rare, but its basic meaning is clear enough: Erd = earth, and Bude = booth, stall, or hut. We might envision by way of analogy the sod houses that settlers of the U.S. prairies constructed. The significant point to note is that these huts were distinguished from the first two structures by the construction material used. The permanent stables and house sections used wood for their frames, siding, and interior; the temporary huts had earthen walls.
the first winter. Due to the delay in deciding where to locate the village and how to arrange it, the settlers had only a few months before winter in which to construct shelters for their livestock and themselves. We should recall here that the land into which they had moved was devoid of trees, so they had to haul in any lumber needed for construction. No doubt that reality also contributed to the delayed construction of their buildings.
village head. The title used (Dorfsvorstehers) is not the same as mayor (Schulze). I suspect that the title reflects the early stage of the village organization, before the mayor was appointed.
Peter Ratzlaff. The head of the village is already known to us: he was a member of the Przechovka group who emigrated from Prussia to Frantal in late 1819 (see here and Rempel 2007, 137). What is intriguing is that he is not listed among the twenty-seven families who originally settled in Franztal (Rempel 2007, 157–59), even though the 1835 census confirms that Ratzlaff was owner of Wirtschaft 6. We cannot say at this time what qualified Ratzlaff to be village head or how we was named to that position. All we know is that, according to the Gemeindebericht, Ratzlaff was instrumental in the building of the remaining houses in Franztal.
Peter Ratzlaff. The head of the village is already known to us: he was a member of the Przechovka group who emigrated from Prussia to Frantal in late 1819 (see here and Rempel 2007, 137). What is intriguing is that he is not listed among the twenty-seven families who originally settled in Franztal (Rempel 2007, 157–59), even though the 1835 census confirms that Ratzlaff was owner of Wirtschaft 6. We cannot say at this time what qualified Ratzlaff to be village head or how we was named to that position. All we know is that, according to the Gemeindebericht, Ratzlaff was instrumental in the building of the remaining houses in Franztal.
Most of Franztal’s settlers spent the winter of 1820–1821 in a furnished stable that they shared with their livestock or a simple hut with earth walls and, I imagine, a dirt floor. We do know how long it took for the village to take shape, but eventually it did, becoming home to over four hundred people in the early twentieth century. As we will read in the posts to come, however, the struggle to survive and thrive was not won overnight; other obstacles and challenges lay in Franztal’s future.
Work Cited
Rempel. Peter. 2007. Mennonite Migration to Russia, 1788–1828. Edited by Alfred H. Redekopp and Richard D. Thiessen. Winnepeg: Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society.
Rempel. Peter. 2007. Mennonite Migration to Russia, 1788–1828. Edited by Alfred H. Redekopp and Richard D. Thiessen. Winnepeg: Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society.
German Original
Im ersten Jahr wurde nur ein Wohnhaus fertig, die anderen nahmen den ersten Winter in wohnbar eingerichteten Abteilungen in Ställen oder auch in Erdbuden vorlieb, bis unter tätiger Mitwirkung des damaligen Dorfsvorstehers Peter Ratzlaff der völlige Ausbau der Häuser nach Zeit und Umständen vollendet wurde.
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