1923–1931, 1945–1965.
32 cm of textual records.
Administrative history
The first issue of the
Mennonitische Rundschau was published on June 5, 1880, as a direct successor to the Nebraska Ansiedler, which was begun in June of 1878. The
Mennonitische Rundschau was published by the Mennonite Publishing Company to serve Russian Mennonite communities in Europe, and North America.
In 1923, the publication of two German language weeklies of the Mennonite Publishing House in Scottdale, Pennsylvania,
Mennonitische Rundschau and
Christlicher Jugendfreund, was transferred to Winnipeg, Manitoba by Hermann Neufeld who then established the Rundschau Publishing House. In 1940, it was reorganized into Christian Press Ltd. On October 24, 1945, Neufeld sold 7/8 of the company=s shares to Mennonite Brethren Businessman and the remaining 1/8 was bought by the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conference. Over the next ten years the Conference continued to increase its holdings in the company until 1957, when it became sole owner of Christian Press. The main objective continued to be to publish Christian periodicals for the German speaking Mennonites in Canada and abroad. Since this time the institution, while continuing to print German papers, has expanded to meet the need of English readers. C.A. DeFehr was a long time president and Henry F. Klassen editor of the
Mennonitische Rundschau.
In 1944 the company also began to publish the
Konferenz-Jugendblatt every two months as an illustrated magazine in both English and German for the young people of the Mennonite Brethren Conference.
Scope and content
The material in this collection contains financial records. Included are financial ledgers and a questionnaire with share certificates.
Custodial history
According to the accessions records, the material that came to the archives in 1981 consisted of eight accounts receivable ledgers of Rundschau and Jugendfreund from 1923–1928. Christian press donated the material in 1981. The other material presumably was donated at another time.
Notes
- Some of the material is in German.
- Described by Conrad Stoesz October 8, 1999.
- Accession nos. 1981–31.
Textual file list
Box 1
1. Financial statements. – 1960,1976,1977.
2. Christian Press purchase of shares. – 1945.
3. Questionnaire and share certificates. – 1946,1947, 1949, 1951–1956, 1960, 1961.
4. Questionnaire and share certificates. – 1945–1949, 1951–1955, 1957, 1960, 1961.
5. Questionnaire and share certificates. – 1946–1955, 1958, 1960–1962.
6. Christian Press executive minutes. – 1948.
7. Christian Press Brochures. – [ca. 1980].
7a. Shares and Interest on Shares and Dividends. – 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957–1965; predominantly 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1960.
Box 2
8. Financial ledger. – 1923–1924.
9. Financial ledger. – 1924–1925.
10. Financial ledger. – 1925.
11. Financial Ledger. – 1926.
12. Financial ledger. – 1926–1927.
13. Cash Book of Rundschau Jugendfreund. – 1928–1931.
14. Financial ledger. – 1928.
15. Financial ledger. – 1928–1929.
16. Financial ledger. – 1929.
17. Financial ledger. – 1961–1963.
Item not in box, lone on shelf
1.
CDS.
