Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives – Episode 21
A shared diary of Trek participants Margaretha Jantzen and Michael Klaassen. The diary starts with Margaretha's writings prior to the trek (1880-81) and continues with Michael's (1890-96). MHA Vol.4167-4.
In the early 1880s, hundreds of Mennonites trekked from Russia to Central Asia. It was a grueling, 3000-kilometre journey. Until recently, the spotlight of this story focused on Claas Epp Jr. as the leader of the quest but a few of the stories from others involved live on in materials at the Mennonite Heritage Archives. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores history of Claas Epp Jr., the colourful and complicated motivations for the migration, and what happened in the aftermath of this dramatic adventure.
View a map of the route here. The caption at the bottom of the map text reads:
This map and itinerary are the copy and translation of an original drawn up by [Johann] Bartsch. The translation and copying of the map was the work of Eldon Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin J. Jantzen, all of Marion, So. Dakota. MHA Maps, Volume 1134.
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Podcast Series: Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
Episode 21: The Trek to Central Asia
Date: March 23, 2025
Host: Dan Dyck
Published by The Mennonite Heritage Archives
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