Introduction to Russian Mennonites by Wally Kroeker

Author:Wally Kroeker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Good Books
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Wrestling with debt

This act of generosity permitted the emigration to continue but did not solve the problem of the reiseschuld (travel debt). Many immigrants felt burdened by the amounts of their debts. The responsibility weighed heavily on the collective Mennonite consciousness, for these were people who had never been shirkers.

But repayment was not a simple matter. There were other expenses related to starting anew. Some took the attitude that the CPR could wait; right now it was more urgent to invest in farms. Poor crops aggravated the problem. The grapevine had a way of communicating who had paid and who hadn’t. Those who repaid often felt superior.

The travel debt eventually reached a total of $2 million. A massive churchwide campaign was mounted to collect it. Many people still refused to pay, and others paid in their stead. By the time David Toews died in 1947, the entire debt had been paid.

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