Prepared by Tim Janzen The original document from which the list has been extracted is written in German and is located on in the Odessa State Archives in Odessa, Ukraine (Fond 6, Inventory 1, File 858, pp 15-33 – microfilm frame numbers 21-51). A copy of the microfilm on which the document is found is available at most major Mennonite archives in North America, including the MHSA. The list of landowners was originally compiled in response to a request from the business manager of the various settlements in South Russia, College Adviser Lifanov to the Guardianship Office, regarding the necessity for information about the sowing and harvest of spring crops in the colonies supervised by the Guardianship Office in 1814. The list is accompanied by a brief report by Oberschulze Peter Siemens and is dated August 15, 1814. The original document includes statistical data concerning the sowing and harvest of spring crops for each of the 314 landowners in the Chortitza Colony from the following villages: Chortitza, Rosenthal, Burwalde, Nieder Chortitza, Insel Chortitza, Schoenwiese, Einlage, Kronsweide, Neuenburg, Neuendorf, Schoenhorst, Kronsthal. The crops mentioned in the statistical data include rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, millet, peas, and flax. Only the names of the landowners have extracted at this time. Unfortunately, no information is given about the landowners in Neu Osterwick even though it was founded in 1812. No information is given about the landowners in Kronsgarten either, likely because Kronsgarten was in a different administrative district. The number for the “Wirtschaft” that each farmer owned is given in the original document and generally corresponds with the number for that farmer and his family, as available in Chortitza Colony census data compiled in 1814 and 1816. The heads of many families, particularly young families, were not included in this list, presumably because they did not own a farm. The landowners list is available in two versions online.
- Original: Effort has been made to spell the names of the landowners exactly as they appear in the original documents.
- Modified: Spellings of names have been standardized, and the list has been alphabetically sorted according to surname and given name. Using available census data and other resources, efforts have been made to identify all of the landowners, using the GRANDMA 4.22 database. As a result, columns noting the birth date (or approximate year of birth) as well as the GRANDMA number for that person in the GRANDMA genealogical database. In some cases, listed landowners have not yet been entered into GRANDMA and “new” appears in lieu of a number for them.
If you have any questions about this material or you believe anyone has been incorrectly identified, please be in contact with Tim Janzen: 
© 2005 Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta Last Updated 13 Oct 2005 General Queries/Comments: Contact MHSA