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| Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites, Markers & Museums East Central Edition |
Persecuted in their native lands, many members of the Mennonite Church left Europe to settle in the New World where they could find a new life. Mennonites from Germany and the Netherlands began immigrating into Pennslyvannia in 1683 at the encouragement of Quaker William Penn. By the late 1830's Mennonite communities began migrating into northeast Indiana from Ohio.
Mennonites
The Mennonites are followers of Menno Simons, a religious reformer that lived from 1496 – 1561 the Friesland region of the Low Countries. After training as a Catholic priest, Simons gradually became disenchanted with the Church, in 1536 renounced his priestly vows. He joined the Anabaptist movement. He became an influential leader among that group, forming a distinct theology that eventually became the Mennonite religion. Their religious beliefs frequently put them at odds with the Catholics and Lutherans that dominated Germany and the Netherlands. Persecution of Mennonites in Switzerland, as well as all of Europe, was severe as authorities often imprisoned and even killed many of them. Refusal to recant their belief often meant forced impressment into the military or even drowning.
Amish in Indiana
Brothers Christian and Peter Baumgartner migrated from Wayne County, Ohio to Adams County, Indiana, arriving on August 16, 1838. The Amish community prospered and grew, thriving today across many counties in northern Indiana.
Swiss Heritage Village and Museum
The twenty-six acre village is the largest outdoor museum in northern Indiana. The museum seeks to preserve and interpret Mennonite culture in northern Indiana.
Swiss Heritage Village and Museum
1200 Swiss Way Box 88
Berne, IN
(260) 589-8007
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