| Vol. 11 No. 2 | Summer 2005 |
Roots and branches |
|
Researching the Reiseschuld (Travel Debt) Recordsby Ron Isaak email: teched@direct.caIn the last article we looked at the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization (CMBC) records which provided us with Russia-to-Canada travel details on the arrival of the 1923- 1930’s Mennonite immigrants. On the CMBC family record cards were a family number and a folio number which were used to track the repayment of the travel debt or Reiseschuld. The following, from the Mennonite Encyclopedia On-Line, provides an introduction to the role of the CMBC, the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Mennonite Central Committee, the travel debt and the Mennonite immigrants. The C.P.R. played a very important role in the history of the Canadian Mennonites. When the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia in October 1917, their political and economic dictatorship brought starvation to millions of Russians and persecution to the church. The Mennonites of Russia turned to their coreligionists in North America for help. In America the Mennonite Central Committee and in Canada the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization were organized. In the early 1920's the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization approached the C.P.R. with a proposal to move Mennonites from Russia to Canada on credit. This request was granted by the C.P.R., and from 1923 to 1930 over 21,000 Mennonites came, most of them on credit. This was a unique undertaking in the 400-year history of the Mennonites. A private business concern extended a credit of over 1.5 million dollars, without any security, to impoverished people for their transportation from Soviet Russia. In the 1930s, the C.P.R. and the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization renegotiated the debt, which, with the interest accrued, now totaled $1,767,398.68. The C.P.R. agreed to cease charging further interest and, if the entire debt were repaid, to hold the $180,000 already paid in interest in a Special Suspense Account for future transportation needs of refugees under the auspices of the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization. The last of the debt was finally paid off to the C.P.R. in November 1946. The C.P.R. continued to hold the $180,000 in credit for the Board until 1951, when $125,390.68 of the total was used for the transportation of 703 Danzig and Prussian Mennonite refugees. There are numerous references and many ‘mentions’ of this travel debt in family histories, obituaries, etc. and it seemed to hang as a cloud over many of these immigrants. Peter Hamm stated “The description of the typical Mennonite Brethren immigrant of the 1920’s stands in marked contrast with that of a Canadian Mennonite Brethren today. He was known then for his few earthly possessions and frequently, a sizeable Reiseschuld. The average Mennonite Brethren of the 1920’s was economically deprived and, because his immigrant status compelled him to be a farmer, was cast into a lower-class structure.” I knew that my grandparents had a sizeable travel debt and had heard
about it on occasion over the years. It was not until I actually
reviewed the records that I started to comprehend the magnitude of this
obligation and its impact on our family. The Reiseschuld financial
ledgers and records are held at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg
and may provide additional information for the family historian.
I have made several trips there and was fascinated to find that in addition
to the ledgers there are related miscellaneous correspondence files.
“The family had arrived in Quebec City on August 14th 1924 and traveled
West by rail. While the Colonization Board card states a destination
of Winkler, Manitoba the actual end point of a rail journey was Drake,
Saskatchewan. Correspondence has been found regarding these early
days in Canada and it shows that they resided with a Johann Funk in August
of 1924 and in September they were on the farm of H.H. Bartel, working
the harvest. In a letter dated 20 September 1924 Cornelius writes
to the Colonization Board for assistance with relocation to the Winkler
area in Manitoba. He writes “Since it is still possible to earn money
here, two families (Aaron Jacob Isaac and John Jacob Isaac) will stay here
and I and my family want to move to Winkler next week since seeding has
to be done. My family numbers nine souls, the oldest two sons of
mine, Jakob and Abram are staying here in Drake. My name is Kornelius
Jakob Isaak…” and by September 26th they were about to move to Manitoba.
Another letter indicates that the Cornelius Isaak family were applying
for ‘land seekers train rate’ to travel from Drake, Saskatchewan to Winkler,
Manitoba.”
Additional materials were found including notes sent with payments and receipts from the Colonization Board. The difficulties of the 1930’s is clearly reflected as there was no money for payment and interest accumulated. In the case of my Isaak grandparents, they had arrived in Canada as credit passengers with their 7 children and initially owed a travel debt of $936.78, a huge sum of money in those days. Following the ledger and sorting through the correspondence gave new insight into the family’s struggle to pay the debt over the years. Finally, in November of 1942, the debt was paid off and it had amounted to a total of $2,077.63. The correspondence files are alphabetical and the contents are mixed so it takes some time to search through and find those items related to a particular family and ledger folio number. The best approach is to go to the archives and do the search yourself. However, if that is not possible then you can contact the Archive and enquire about someone doing the research for you for a fee.
For families who paid their own passage, or for those who had a small
travel debt and were able to pay it off quickly there may be little new
information of interest except for a copy of the actual ledger. In
my case it was well worth the effort of spending time at the Mennonite
Heritage Centre Archives in Winnipeg and gaining an increased respect for
my grandparents.
|
